In the Warner Bros. comedy License to Wed, the newly engaged Ben Murphy (John Krasinski) and Sadie Jones (Mandy Moore) are eagerly anticipating the start of their new life together. The only problem is that Sadie’s family church, St. Augustine’s, is run by Reverend Frank (Robin Williams), who won’t bless Ben and Sadie’s union until they pass his marriage prep course, which is outrageous, outlandish and an outright invasion of privacy. Soon, Ben and Sadie wonder if they’ll ever make it to the alter.
Pop singer turned actress Mandy Moore and The Office’s John Krasinski talk to MediaBlvd Magazine about marriage and the secret to maintaining a good relationship.
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Mandy Moore & John Krasinski at the MTV Movie Awards held at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif. on June 3, 2007. |
MediaBlvd Magazine> You play an engaged couple in this film, who are ready to get married. Have either of you ever been engaged? And, how do you feel about the institution of marriage?
John Krasinski> I’ve never been engaged. As far as what I think of marriage, I think it’s great. I think I’d like to be married someday, but I’ll try falling in love first, and then I’ll see what happens after that. The one thing about this movie that was really interesting was finding out how much is really involved in that. I know I’m guilty of getting starry-eyed with love while over-looking the bad things. You don’t really prepare for how much work marriage is. When I look at my parents I’m like, “This is easy. Staying together for 35 years, how hard is that?” They’re like, “It’s very hard.” I’m 27. I think this is a time when I’m still figuring out how to do all this. At the end of the day, marriage shouldn’t be the next logical step. It shouldn’t be something that everybody has to do. It should be something that’s really romantic and just comes out of being happy with someone. It would be great if we could all find someone that actually made us happy and, if marriage is the next step, that’s fine.
Mandy Moore> I’ve never been engaged. I definitely believe in the institution of marriage, but I’m 23 and it’s not something that is in the forefront of my life right now. I’m still figuring out what my definition of marriage really is.
MediaBlvd> Mandy, when you were a little girl, did you ever fantasize about what your wedding would be like?
Mandy> As a little girl I thought I’d like to get married on the beach. But I’m not the quintessential girl who had fantasies about that stuff.
MediaBlvd> What would you say is the secret to a good relationship?
John> I’d say the key to a good relationship is communication, which at the end of the day, our characters didn’t have, for a really long time, in the movie. When I think about the simplest things in a relationship that have frustrated me, it always comes down to communication.
Mandy> I think communication is key, too.
MediaBlvd> Did you find anything of yourselves in these roles?
Mandy> I’m slightly controlling. I’m an Aires and I like things to have order, so I get slightly disturbed, distressed and flustered, if things go awry. But, I also feel that there were a couple of things that Sadie could have worked out before that. I can relate to the ambitious, controlling streak she has in her.
John> I think Ben is a pretty laid back guy. I definitely would have had the idea to go to the Caribbean and get married, so I would have probably been taken aback, if somebody had said “I want to get married here with this regimented thing.” It wouldn’t have derailed me, but it would have been definitely a surprise. I think I’m spontaneous and not as controlling.
MediaBlvd> How was working with Robin Williams?
Mandy> Robin’s pretty dynamic. I had a lot of fun, but I also felt like there was no onus on me to be funny. I enjoyed witnessing Robin and John play off each other really well, even just joking around in between takes. I just got to stand back with the crew and be entertained and watch the show in front of me. I found it difficult to keep a straight face, when we were actually working and I wasn’t supposed to be laughing. I was always the first one to break.
John> Robin is the best of the best. Not only is he incredible funny, but he’s probably the funniest person on Earth, which is a tough award to give out. He’s an incredibly classy person that brings such an enthusiasm to the set. It makes everyone around you do the best they can because, if he’s there committing and not complaining, there’s nothing you can say about it. You have to do as good work. That was really fun to see, and I definitely learned a lot from him.
MediaBlvd> Were there any embarrassing moments during shooting?
John> I was extremely nervous, doing a movie about getting married, because you need an acting partner that’s really willing to go there and be silly. It was also fun because we were really getting to know each other, as our characters. The real premise of the movie is that you never really know someone until things go badly for you. So, it was fun to get to know Mandy in all these tests. I can say that working with someone that has so much more experience than you do, and yet is still extremely invigorated, youthful and fun, is great. I just took her lead, as far as what I needed to do on set. I tried to not make the kiss look terrible.
Mandy> When you get along with someone, it’s just natural and it comes across on screen. I think we had good chemistry. We appreciate each other and respect each other.
John> It would have been bad to hate each other. That would have been upsetting.
MediaBlvd> What was your favorite scene to shoot?
John> I don’t know about my favorite scene, but the first scene that we shot was us breaking up, which I thought was pretty insane. From an acting perspective, that was really exciting to shoot because all this stuff happened.
Mandy> I liked all the stuff we shot in Jamaica. It was fun to travel. The experience making this movie was such a blast. We were like a little family. It was a summer camp experience. Being able to go away was exciting.
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Mandy Moore at the MTV Movie Awards held at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif. on June 3, 2007. PHOTO BY CHRISTINA RADISH / Agency Photos. |
MediaBlvd> John, what were your expectations of Mandy, before working with her?
John> I was so impressed at the way she carried herself. Not in a bad way, but I was expecting something totally different. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I think when you read about how she’s been doing this for so long, and been successful for so long, and how she’s loved by everybody, you expect that to go to someone’s head. But, she was so grounded and so intelligent. You wouldn’t know that she’s missed anything throughout her life, and I’m sure she’s missed so many big moments, and sacrificed for her career. She was just extremely fun to have around and I loved it.
MediaBlvd> Mandy, you started your career as a singer, and John, you started out as a writer, but you are both finding success as actors. How do you feel about acting vs. what you originally intended?
Mandy> I feel like they go hand-in-hand. I feel lucky to do a little bit of both, and that people have been accepting of me in both roles. I don’t ever feel overwhelmed by it. I feel like anybody else who has a lot on their plate. It’s about prioritizing. They are such different creative entities. Being on stage and getting to perform in front of an audience, and that rush of adrenalin and that connection with an audience, is very different from making a film, and the teamwork aspect of everything. I just feel lucky and fulfilled by doing a little bit of both.
John> I think it’s about doing things that you are excited about. I don’t think I ever planned on being an actor, but I definitely didn’t plan on being a writer either. I planned on being an English teacher. For me, it’s really just an outlet. I’m not tying to be the triple threat guy. I’m still working on this one threat -- acting.
MediaBlvd> John, did you do any acting when you were in school at all?
John> The first acting thing I ever did was in my senior year. I decided not to play a sport in the Spring and, in that Spring, B.J. Novak (from The Office), who went to school with me, asked if I’d be in this show that was a parody of all the teachers in the school, and I said, “Sure!” That was the first acting thing I did. He offered me the lead, which I’m pretty sure he was insane for doing. We knew each other, but not well enough for him to cast me in anything. He said, “I just think you’re right for this role.” So, that was my introduction to acting, other than doing Daddy Warbucks in sixth grade, which was smashing.
MediaBlvd> Didn’t you work for Conan O’Brien?
John> Yeah, I was his intern. I can attribute that as one of the most surreal experiences, but there’s been a lot of them. In 1999, when I was in college, watching his show was pretty much my life. That was the best part of my day. And then, to go back as a guest, I think I blacked out for 35 seconds. I don’t remember much from the curtain to the seat, but he reassured me that everything would be fine. To now have him say he’s a fan of my show, it just doesn’t make any sense. I don’t think I’ll ever compute that.
MediaBlvd> How would you compare your style to Robin’s, Conan’s or Steve Carell’s?
John> I don’t know how you match that. They’re just so dynamic and specific. Robin, Conan and Steve all have a willingness to go all the way with a joke. They commit and find the humor in everything, and keep it real. That is what’s really fun about all those guys. Conan’s realness is what makes him so funny because you can totally relate to him.
MediaBlvd> Ken Kwapis compared you to Jimmy Stewart, or a young Gary Cooper. How do you stay grounded with all the hype?
John> I hadn’t heard the Gary Cooper thing, so I’m not grounded now. I feel pretty good. That’s incredibly nice. When I met Robin at the read-through, I was so nervous meeting him for the first time because I actually wrote him a letter when I was a kid, and told him he was my favorite actor. The first time I ever cried in a movie was in Dead Poet’s Society. So, getting to meet him and hearing that he liked my work was totally unbelievable. That’s just something that I can’t compute. You can’t take a compliment like that. It doesn’t make any sense. As far as Ken Kwapis saying all those things, I think he just really wanted me in the movie. As for staying grounded, I’ve got a great family and I attribute a lot of it to that. This is always surreal and exciting, but what makes it really fun is having special people to share it with. My family is the best. When I called to say, “I’m in a movie with Robin Williams,” they were like, “That’s ridiculous!” And, I said, “Good, as long as you think that too.” As soon as you say, “I deserve this,” it’s over.
MediaBlvd> Mandy, do music and acting flex the same muscles for you?
Mandy> I think you’re flexing the same muscles doing the music and the film stuff. You are trying to convey your emotions in the lyrics across to an audience, if you’ve written a song a few years ago and it doesn’t really hit you the same anymore. There’s a little acting in that. And, obviously, when you’re relaxing or trying to get in character, sometimes you listen to music. They go hand-in-hand.
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John Krasinski at the MTV Movie Awards held at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif. on June 3, 2007. PHOTO BY CHRISTINA RADISH / Agency Photos. |
MediaBlvd> Is there a theme to your new album, Wild Hope?
Mandy> It’s just what my life has been for the last two and a half years. I was adamant about writing and being a part of the creative process. I stood my ground and left two record labels to make this record exactly what I wanted it to be, working with the caliber of people that I got to work with. I’m a huge singer/songwriter fan, and a fan of independent music, and I got to collaborate with a lot of my favorite artists and a fantastic producer, so it’s something that is personally really exciting for me, and that I feel invested in. I’m excited that people can finally hear it.
MediaBlvd> Are you going to tour with this album?
Mandy> Yes. I’m going on tour at the end of this summer.
MediaBlvd> Mandy, with so much of young Hollywood partying hard, what keeps you so grounded?
Mandy> It’s a testament to my family and the way that I was raised. I don’t like to pat myself on the back or anything, but I feel like, innately, it’s just who I am. I don’t like to subscribe to the crazy party lifestyle. It’s just not who I am. I’m a little boring and lazy. I take my jobs seriously and, at the end of the day, I just want to go home and live a simple, quiet life. It’s just my choice.
It’s not like I’m an anomaly. I feel just like any other regular person who’s had a fantastic opportunity to do all of this.
MediaBlvd> Do you feel that you’ve sacrificed things for your career?
Mandy> Yeah, sure. I didn’t have the normal, average high school experience with the social aspect of high school or going to college, but I don’t feel bad because of it. I may have missed out on stuff, but it doesn’t really bother me. I just know the life that I’ve led and I believe that everything happens for a reason, and this is just the path I’m supposed to take.
MediaBlvd> John, can you talk about writing and directing Brief Interview with Hideous Men? Are you a huge fan of David Foster Wallace, who wrote the book?
John> I am, in that everything he writes is pretty much the best stuff I’ve read. I don’t understand all of it, but I try. I was extremely lucky to get this project. It was one of those things that I worked on in college. A friend of mine asked me to do a stage reading of that book and I was just completely blown away because, at that point, I was like, “Acting os having fun with your friends and making people laugh.” That’s not the case when you do something that makes you actually feel important, and that’s a big moment. It’s a big thing to feel like you’re doing something that’s actually effecting people. So, I fell in love with the book, always wanted to do something with it, and fought to get the rights, which was an incredible experience in itself. And then, writing and directing it just sort of fell into my lap. We were looking to collaborate with someone on both those fronts, and it ended up just being me. At this point, it’s the epitome of a passion project, and I just hope people like it. I hope I did a good enough job.
MediaBlvd> How was working on Leatherheads with George Clooney as a director?
John> It was incredible. He’s everything that anyone’s ever said about him. To be that big of a star, and be that grounded and classy, is incredible. He was a true mentor for me. He knows exactly what he wants, so he knows that you’re done a good job before you do. After three takes, he’s like, “We got it!” He’s a good guy.
