Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock
stars in “The Heat” and tries on improv comedy for the first time under
director Paul Feig.
Bullock stars as Sarah Ashburn, an FBI
agent hoping for a promotion and high-tails it from her home base in New York
City to Boston, to help solve the mystery behind several murders. Standing in Ashburn’s way is a hard-hitting
Boston police officer, Shannon Mullins played by Melissa McCarthy, who’s not
happy that the FBI – especially the stuck-up Ashburn -- is treading on her
turf. Ashburn is determined to wrestle
the case away from Mullins, but the disheveled, foul-mouthed, in-your-face cop
is a formidable adversary. They’ll soon
discover they have more in common than they ever thought possible, including
their misfit status and complementary skill sets.
“Ashburn’s effectiveness as an FBI agent
comes from her meticulousness, stubbornness and thoroughness,” says
Bullock. “But she’s completely inept
when it comes to any kind of social interaction. She’s trying so hard to make up for that
particular weakness that she becomes insufferably arrogant on the job. Ashburn is respected but not liked because
she isn’t a team player. Every time she
opens her mouth, people cringe.”
The improvisational nature fueled the
fun and on- and off-screen bonding. “It is great working with Melissa,”
enthuses Bullock. “She comes through the door and improv is the way that she
does things. Then we had a director who comes from that world too and nearly everyone
in the cast was also from that world. The world of comedy that I had been
familiar with was always very controlled. There was the script and you had to
go through 27 people and the studio before you could change a line. I always wanted to do this kind of comedy
that we have in THE HEAT (which I have done in real life, sort of free form,)
but I was never really allowed to experience what it was like before on a
film.
Walking onto the set of THE HEAT it took
me a couple of days to realize: ‘I’m allowed to do it.’ It was very liberating.
When you are around that, you take it in and you want to improve your game. It
is a muscle that you have to exercise and if you haven’t had much time
exercising that muscle, it gets stale. Watching these people work is exciting
and inspiring, but daunting sometimes too.”
“Melissa has great moves,” says
Bullock,” discussing McCarthy’s comedic skills. “When I saw her dance, I knew
we were going to be fast friends. We did
the dancing with no practice whatsoever,” she continues.
“We said: ‘let’s not rehearse anything,’
”interjects her co-star. “Let’s just be as terrible as we’re capable of being.
Poor Paul turns around and we both have our faces taped,” laughs McCarthy, “and he’s like, ‘What’s happening?’ It was a
weird descent into controlled madness. It was really fun. There was a lot of
ruined tape,” she says. McCarthy adds: “Yeah, I got the moves, but I don’t have
the sense to stop whatever is going on.”
“We really hit it off, she is like my
sister,’’ adds Bullock. “I’d say it’s rare that actors get together and have
the kind of chemistry and connection we have together. It somehow just works
and it’s something inexplicable that is bigger than what is on the page.”
“The Heat” opens June 27 in theaters
from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.
Like this post? Subscribe to Manila Life by Email
Like Manila Life on Facebook to be updated.
Like Manila Life on Facebook to be updated.