Making the Rules
Thicke makes his film acting debut in Making the Rules, playing hairstylist Shaun, the old flame of protagonist Abby, played by Jamie Pressly. He tries to win her back, despite the fact that she is married. The film goes straight to DVD and On Demand. Directo Jimbo Lee says of the singer-turned-actor:
I guess Robin’s been trying to find a script to start his acting career, so they suggested him. He has great hair — (and) his character is a hairstylist, so I guess that sort of worked out.
Neighbors
Efron stars in this comedy directed by Nicholas Stoller. He plays Teddy Sanders, the hard-partying head of the college fraternity, Delta Psi Beta. He and his frat brothers move to a house in the suburbs, right next to a married couple played by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne. They end up clashing because of the ruckus caused by the fraternity’s constant partying. The cast includes Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. On some of the film’s funniest lines:
A lot of improv. There was a big safety net, though. We’ve got some of the most talented writers out there, sort of shouting really ridiculous lines at you, and if you just kind of stopped thinking and say it, it’s cool.
The Love Punch
In this comedy, directed by Joel Hopkins, Brosnan plays Richard. Their nest egg stolen out from under them by a deceitful French financier, Richard and Kate recruit their former neighbours to help them steal the $10 million diamond that their nemesis has just purchased for his fiancée. Co-starring Emma Thompson and Louise Bourgoin.
I certainly got the jokes within the joke, dressing up in a wet suit, sitting in a Twingo, scaling a rubber mountain, dressing up and stealing a diamond, of course.
The Other Woman
In this romantic comedy film directed by Nick Cassavetes, Upton plays Amber – a young woman in a relationship with a married man named Mark – played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Amber joins forces with the man’s wife, played by Cameron Diez, and another mistress, played by Leslie Mann, to get even with Mark after the three discover he is seeing them all simultaneously. On working with Diez and Mann:
This is my first movie role, and these two supported me every step of the way. They made me feel so safe from Day 1. They encouraged me to mess up and try new things and they were just amazing examples.
WrestleMania Mystery
Kane voices himself in WWE Studios/ Warner Brothers collaboration Scooby-Doo film. This is the twenty first direct-to-video Scooby-Doo film. The movie also stars Matther Lillard, John Cena, Brodus Clay and Triple H.
I’ve been in a Superbowl commercial, I’ve had my likeness on toys and video games and now I’m in a Scooby-Doo movie.
A Long Way Down
Brosnan plays Martin, in this drama directed by Pascal Chaumeil. Martin meets three other people on New Year’s Eve and together they form a surrogate family to help one another weather the difficulties of their lives. Co-starring Toni Collette and Imogen Poots.
I don’t think Martin was very good at his job. He knew he wasn’t very good at his job. He was probably a failed actor who stumbled into the world of breakfast TV and was more enamored by making people laugh and playing the buffoon within it all, and then, got found out, really.
Veronica Mars
Bell plays Veronica Mars, a new law school graduate and former teen sleuth, in this dark dramedy directed by Rob Thomas. Veronica, now living in New York, is interviewing with law firms when she gets a call from high school boyfriend Logan Echolls. He’s been arrested for murder and needs Veronica to solve the case and save him from prison. Veronica is reluctant to return to Neptune but is drawn by friends, family, and her true calling. Co-starring Enrico Colantoni and Jason Dohring.
We have fast-forwarded 10 years, and in those 10 years, we have met a Veronica who needs to simplify her life. She is desperate to escape the drama and thinks if she can adapt a normal person’s lifestyle, then she can live happily. But the more she runs away from who she is, the more trouble she runs into. She’s living in New York, trying to be just an everyday gal. She’s still snarky, and she’s still herself at her core, but she’s attempting to create the elements around her to be not as turbulent as they were in Neptune. She hasn’t talked to Logan in 10 years.
High Road
O’Brien stars in the improv comedy directed by Matt Walsh. Jimmy, a rebellious teen, tries to keep his neighbour from getting high during a road trip to Oakland. Co-starring James Pumphrey, Abby Elliott, and Rob Riggle. Walsh:
When we cast Dylan – Dylan was the only role we cast – he had no improv experience. I plugged him into [Upright Citizens Brigade], I got him into an intensive for like four weeks … He literally was improvising with the heavyweights of improv as far as I’m concerned. The best people I’ve ever played with – and I’ve done a lot of improv – were in this movie, so he really was challenged to step up his game. He did a great job.
That Awkward Moment
Efron co-produces and stars in this romantic comedy directed by Tom Gormican. He plays Jason, one of three roommates who make a pact to remain single in support of their friend going through a divorce. All three of them eventually fail at keeping their promise when they fall in love. He co-stars with Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, and Imogen Poots.
Jason is a bit more of a player than I am. I am not as cavalier or as suave. I am not so much of a smooth player. But I know that guy. I know that guy really well. And I have had moments where I have dipped into him in real life and wake up from that and say, “Wow, that was a different guy.” I’ve had moments like Jason, and kind of made that character out of those experiences and people I knew and made him. I think the most similar thing about us is what happens at the end — that he learns that being there for your friends when it’s most important is what makes a friend.
Ride Along
Hart stars in this action comedy film directed by Tim Story, playing a video game-loving high school security guard named Ben Barber, who aspires to become a police officer to earn the approval of the girlfriend’s brother, played by Ice Cube. To prove himself, he rides along with the brother – an undercover police officer – and together, they try to catch a Serbian smuggler. Cast members include John Leguizamo and Laurence Fishburne.
There are so many laugh-out-loud moments in the movie. My favorite has to be the warehouse, where I slapped Cube and stuck him with a knife. That was so fun! Those were some long days, and he just had to sit there in the chair. Cube didn’t have a lot of activity to do. It was just me, running around. But, there was this one moment where I stick him with the knife. We were really laughing out loud so much, during that take.
August: Osage County
Streep plays Violet Weston, the matriarch of the Weston family, in this drama directed by John Wells. When their father goes missing, her strong willed daughters return to the Oklahoma Plains home where they were raised by this resentful, pill-popping woman. Co-starring Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper, Margo Martindale, Juliette Wilson, Sam Shephard, and Julianne Nicholson.
I resisted doing this initially, the part, because of that. I just thought, ‘uhhhh,’ because on so many levels — physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, Violet is enraged and/or in pain or drugged at any given time.
August: Osage County
Roberts plays Barbara Weston, the oldest Weston daughter, in this drama directed by John Wells. When their father goes missing, the strong willed women of the Weston family return to the Oklahoma Plains home where they were raised by a resentful, pill-popping matriarch.
I mean it was a dream to play this part. But it’s … it’s just so painful really. There’s no sport to it, it all comes from this agony. The truth of it is so deeply wounded that the fun quickly dissipates.
The Other Woman
Minaj is cast as Lydia in the film The Other Woman starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton. Directed by Nick Cassavetes the film depicts a wife and two mistresses that become friends after finding out about each other and seek revenge on the man they all fell in love with.
I’m anxious as hell to play opposite Cameron Diaz. Sometimes I’ve just been up, like, ‘Oh my God, please. I don’t want to disappoint myself in front of her.’ Would you believe I read Django? I loved that script, but I knew I was never going to be able to play that Kerry Washington part. I never even auditioned, but she’s fricking amazing.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Sutherland reprises his role as President Snow in this sequel directed by Francis Lawrence. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark win the 74th Hunger Games and become symbols for revolution, so winners of the previous Hunger Games are assembled for the 75th Hunger Games, known as the Quarter Quell, to bring them back into the ring. Co-starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
It just puts things out in the light and lets you have a look at it. And if you take from it what I hope you will take from it, it will make you think a little more pungently about the political environment you live in and not be complacent.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Hutcherson reprises his role as Peeta Mellark in this sequel directed by Francis Lawrence. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark win the 74th Hunger Games and become symbols for revolution, so winners of the previous Hunger Games are assembled for the 75th Hunger Games, known as the Quarter Quell, to bring them back into the ring. Co-starring Jennifer Lawrence, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Liam Hemsworth, and Donald Sutherland. Hutcherson speaks of the romance between Katniss and Peeta.
I think it’s been a really kind of tumultuous, kind of up and down rollercoaster sort of situation. I think their love is far from perfect. Maybe perfect for the movie, but for them I think they could imagine it a lot differently, especially Peeta.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Lawrence reprises her role as Katniss Everdeen in this sequel directed by Francis Lawrence. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark win the 74th Hunger Games and become symbols for revolution, so winners of the previous Hunger Games are assembled for the 75th Hunger Games, known as the Quarter Quell, to bring them back into the ring. Co-starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Donald Sutherland.
After The Hunger Games, Katniss has moved into a house, she’s a Victor now, and she’s trying to get her life back together. She’s suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress and her life is very different now because she goes home to the people who she knows and they don’t really know her any more. There’s a certain side of her that really only Peeta knows at the point, and she’s always felt there’s a side of her that Gayle only really knows because of her history, and now her life is so different and she’s just trying to piece it together before she finds out she has to go back.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Hoffman plays Plutarch Heavensbee, the Head Gamemaker, in this sequel directed by Francis Lawrence. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark win the 74th Hunger Games and become symbols for revolution, so winners of the previous Hunger Games are assembled for the 75th Hunger Games, known as the Quarter Quell, to bring them back into the ring. Co-starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Donald Sutherland.
I liked the people involved. It’s a great group of actors. It’s a great environment. And the character was something I was attracted to. It was just an interesting role.
Thor: The Dark World
Portman reprises her role as Jane Foster in the second installment of the Thor franchise in Thor: The Dark World. Picking up two years after saving Earth from destruction, Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, must now protect Asgard from a more treacherous evil. With his new role as King, and the aid of his deceitful brother Loki, the god of thunder must do everything he can to save the world he loves.
It was exciting to get to come back and work with everyone, and meet people who were joining this time and also, because Jane gets to go to Asgard this time.
Machete Kills
In this thriller, directed by Robert Rodriguez, Gibson plays Luther Voz. Machete, who is recruited by the President of the United States for a mission which would be impossible for any mortal man, must take down a madman revolutionary and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war and anarchy across the planet. Machete meets Mendez and learns that his heart is connected to the missile and only the arm dealer Luther Voz is capable to disarm the bomb. Co-starring Danny Trejo and Alexa PenaVega.
He’s an evil genius, he’s kind of like a Bond villain in the gutter. Bad guys are always more fun, and if you can find the bad in a good guy, it’s always more fun.
Captain Phillips
Based on the 2009 Maersk Alabama pirate hijacking of a merchant mariner in the Indian Ocean, Hanks stars as Captain Phillips. During filming, Hanks never met the actors who played Somalian pirates until the action-packed scene where the pirates take the bridge. Director Paul Greengrass believed this would make the meeting more natural as strangers barked commands and pointed guns at the captain and crew.
They were the skinniest, scariest human beings I had ever come across.