We’re The Millers: 5 Questions With Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis

Comedies have fared slightly okay this 2013 with “This Is The End” and “The World’s End,” arguably, being the best halfway through the year. Director Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball) gives us We’re The Millers, a typical Hollywood comedy with enough R-rated laughs to allow a recommendation.

We’re The Millers’ Plot

The story has David Clark (Jason Sudeikis), a small-time pot dealer who after losing his stash and cash to a trio of gutter punks becomes indebted to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms). In order to repay him, David must turn into a big-time drug smuggler and bring Brad’s latest shipment from Mexico. To accomplish the task, David will need the help of his neighbors, cynical stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston) and wannabe customer Kenny (Will Poulter), as well as streetwise teen Casey (Emma Roberts). After one fake wife, two pretend kids, and one shiny RV, the Millers finally got the vacation they deserved.

Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, and director Rawson Marshall Thurber were in New York City and I had a chance to speak with them about the film which ultimately boils down to a very funny and enjoyable interview.

Jennifer Aniston stripping scene

An interview with the stars of We’re The Millers

ShowBizCafe: Jennifer, you look so amazing in this movie. Can you give us some tips and secrets and tell us how you overcame the challenge of doing the stripper scene?

Jennifer Aniston: No secrets and not a few tips, there is not enough time for that answer. It was really just an amazing choreographer, a wonderful trainer, and a beautiful cinematographer, but I did work out a lot. There were a lot of celery sticks, salads, and cucumbers. They did let me eat ice chips, she laughs.

[And the stripper scene] I just had to do it. They rolled the cameras and I just had to bite the bullet. It was a little bit uncomfortable at first, but then you get used to it. At first, you’re doing all the rehearsals alone, and then all of a sudden you are on set with three cameras and a bunch of crew [members]. It was a little intimidating at first.

ShowBizCafe: Jennifer and Jason, the timing between you two are amazing, can you talk about your relationship doing this? Was there a lot of improvisation as you were doing this?

Jason Sudeikis: Well, we’ve worked together in the past, but then Jen she’s worked with Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, every major [male] comedy star, and she’s made them look good, I just stood there and looked pretty. I think it was a refreshing change of pace for you [Jen]?

JA: It was so refreshing. But, no there wasn’t a lot of improv, we stuck to the script.

JS: Absolutely. Maybe some of the script stuff was spoken about with whoever was in the scene a day prior or the day of, but for the most part, it was all there. Specifically, the scenarios, whether the actual words were different I can’t remember.

ShowBizCafe: Jason and Jennifer, how did you guys get ready for your roles?

JA: They had to drag me out of the strip club every night.

JS: I tried to spend 20 minutes with a drug dealer about every two months. Just get in there, sort of see what they are about, see what’s going on, and go through the process just to feel it out. Sometime every three months, it depends, they both said jokingly.

We’re the Miller’s – The Kissing Scene

ShowBizCafe: Rawson, how did the scene where Casey and Rose teach 18-year-old Kenny how to kiss come about?

Rawson Marshall Thurber: I remember in the script, originally it was just Will [Poulter] and Emma [Roberts] and I think it was Jen who thought it would be funny if Rose would join in, which made all the difference in the sequence. But the thing about it is that they aren’t doing anything wrong. None of them are related, so it’s totally fine, he laughs.

JA: Yeah there’s nothing wrong with it, Rose is only a grown-up woman.

Rawson: Well she’s helping, it is kindness.

JA: Well, that’s the kind of gal I am.

ShowBizCafe: Rawson, what was editing the movie like? Were there any painful scenes to take out?

Rawson: You do your best early and then you put it up in front of audiences and you sort of take your lumps as you figure out what is working and what isn’t. You’re taking out the jokes that don’t work and keeping the jokes that do work, I know that sounds simple, but once you take out the stuff that isn’t working the stuff that is getting closer together, and then a rising tycoon lifts all boats. But we had a ton of funny stuff in the film and I think that’s credited to not only the cast but to the script. Editing is never easy but, in this case, it was easier than normal.

There was a scene where the Millers stopped for gas and then Rose gets accosted by a creepy trucker and then Jason saves her and everybody takes off.  It was fun, and it was kind of funny, but we literally were stopping for gas in the film and we couldn’t do it just from a rhythm perspective so that one hit the cutting room floor. I was a little bit disappointed but I think ultimately the film is better for it.