Paul Rudd is in serious contention to reach instant "40-Year-Old Virgin" pop-culture-reference territory as Peter Klaven in the new film, the romantic comedy "I Love You, Man."
And it's no small thanks to co-star Rashida Jones, who plays Zooey, his girlfriend and, well ... actually, his only friend.
When Zooey accepts an engagement ring from Peter and starts planning a wedding with six bridesmaids, the couple realize that he has not one good buddy in the world. Awkward man-dates ensue.
We checked in with Jones about her experience working with Rudd and a bit about her forthcoming television show with Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation."
Q: Coming from a woman's perspective, what was one of the first dude jokes you didn't quite get in "I Love You, Man"?
A: I feel like it is definitely a guy movie. What I liked about it is that it is really balanced. It feels to me that there is a sense that my character has good intimate relationships with her female friends. We're close. We know a lot about each other. We get each other's rhythms. I think women will relate to that and relate to a boyfriend who might not have many guy friends.
Q: But was there a particular joke where you went, "Wait a minute. What are they laughing at?"
A: I think I have a skewed perspective because I've always liked and related to dude humor. There's almost nothing too dirty for my ears before I go, "OK, you've crossed the line." It takes a lot for me. The most nonsensical stuff from Paul Rudd made me laugh the hardest.
Q: A lot of it was so nonsensical that I presume there must have been a lot of improvisation going on.
A: John Hamburg, who wrote and directed it, is kind of a genius. He did such a great job of creating these well-rounded and deep characters. The structure of the film was all there. Within that, he let us play and improvise a little bit. But the truth is, those big moments in the film were all written. But everybody had a chance to play with it. John has this incredibly sensory brain, where he picks up on all people's subtleties, idiosyncrasies and relationship dynamics. He's really good at that.
Q: Was there any scene that was particularly difficult to complete without cracking up?
A: Pretty much every day that would happen at some point. When they were in the man cave, it was impossible for them to stop laughing. There were definitely a couple of points where we could not keep it together.
Q: Is Rudd still keeping up his nicest-guy-in-Hollywood reputation?
A: It's crazy. I'm going to maintain that. I've known Paul for 10 years, and he is just a doll. Paul was really good because he has such good instincts. There were a couple of times we had to do the more sincere stuff in the movie, where we ground it. There was definitely a time where I wasn't feeling on my game, and Paul talked me down. He'd pull me aside and say things like, "You're great. Don't freak out," and it was so helpful.
Q: How did this film help your improv muscles?
A: I have always been kind of scared and in awe of improvisation. I did a little bit on "The Office," but I sort of left it up to other people because in that show you can always do the thing in just looking at people with derision instead of engaging in conversation. In this movie, that was not an option. So it felt a little like improv boot camp.
Q: Tell us about your new television show.
A: It's called "Parks and Recreation," and it comes out on April 9. It stars Amy Poehler and myself. ... The show is about trying to bust through the red tape of local government. It takes place in the convergence of a concerned citizen and a zealous government official with a common desire to fix this ridiculous, huge disgusting pit that's dangerous and nobody's doing anything about.
Q: What's your role in it?
A: I play a nurse who lives behind the pit, and I have a boyfriend who has fallen and broken both his legs. Then I meet Amy's character, Leslie, who takes a very sincere interest in my cause, and we form this committee to fix the pit.
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