By Jon Parton
In the field of acting, it is often said that you have to be smart in order to play dumb. Actress Anna Faris is no exception.
The 35 year-old is well known for playing bubbly, ditzy characters in films like “Scary Movie” and “The House Bunny.” In reality, Faris received a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of Washington before she caught her big break in Hollywood.
Faris’s costars in the new movie “The Dictator,” opening in theaters May 16, alongside Sacha Baron Cohen, British comedian known for such films as “Borat” and “Bruno.” Faris said that she was eager to work with the sometimes controversial actor.
“He’s like a crazy genius,” Faris said. “He’s sort of – he’s very intellectual. He’s very thoughtful. You know, he stays in character throughout the whole movie. And he does – he’s reveled in making people uncomfortable. But he’s also – the other side of him is he’s really, really sweet. And he’s kind of a gentleman and a total family man.”
Faris said that Cohen would often improvise during filming, making it a bit of a learning curve for her.
“So it forced you to really stay on your toes, which was hard, but also sort of an exciting challenge for an actor,” Faris said. “I mean, he would, you know, in a scene, like, where he was sort of supposed to be charmed by me, he would suddenly be threatening to kill me, or like, calling me, like, a lesbian hobbit.”
Although she has taken on a variety of roles, Faris said that she finds comedy to be very satisfying.
“I love – I think that it’s made me be able to laugh at myself and a lot easier,” Faris said. “I think I used to take myself very seriously. And I love – there’s, like, the reward, too, of when you sneak into a theater, which I rarely do, because it just scares me so much. But you do – on those rare occasions that you hear other people laughing at your movie, it feels amazing. It’s amazing to give people joy and to be a part of a hugely challenging process as well.”
Faris said that the film pushes the envelope thanks to Cohen’s fearlessness, something for which she might have to prepare her parents when they see the movie.
“I think it’s going to be kind of an event movie,” Faris said. “And I know that there’s going to be scenes that will be talked about. Hopefully, my parents will be, I don’t know, I’ll have to tell them to, like, go to the bathroom in strategic moments.”
When asked about the strangest thing a role required her to do, Faris had to think a moment.
“Oh,” Faris said. “Wow, man, so many. For ‘The Dictator,’ I had to grow out my armpit hair, which was a new experience for me. And I was very naïve about it. And sort of thinking that maybe it would grow in kind of thin and wispy and maybe even kind of cute. And that was not the case. It was dark and thick. And it defined my whole summer. I was like, no tank tops, no swimsuits, couldn’t hail a cab.”
Contact Jon Parton, news editor, at jparton@jccc.edu.
“The Dictator” premieres in theaters May 16.