Right now it’s good to be Jason Segel. He’s in the process of writing the new Muppet movie, his CBS sitcom “How I Met your Mother” was recently renewed for another season and he’s currently co-starring as Paul Rudd’s man pal in a comedy that’s sure to please. We caught up with Segel on the set of his new movie I Love You, Man where he was showing off his war wounds from playing the guitar. I Love You, Man opens in theaters on January 16, 2009 and co-stars Paul Rudd, Jaime Pressly and Rashida Jones.
ComingSoon.net: The guitar playing looked pretty good.
Jason Segel:: Thanks, I was faking it. Don’t tell (laughing). Though by the end I was pretty convinced that I was playing it correctly, however, I think, had you plugged in my guitar, it would have sounded like total nonsense.
CS: While you were playing I think I noticed a bruise.
Segel:: Yeah, a war wound. Also, my guitar is splattered with my own blood. You haven’t rocked until you’ve splattered a guitar with blood. I had another [bruise] here from practicing too. That’s the extent of my bruising.
CS: What’s your favorite man-date in this movie?
Segel:: I didn’t get to see any of Paul Rudd’s man-dates but we had a fun one where I took Paul out for fish tacos and get him really drunk and he hasn’t really hung out with a proper, regular dude in a long, long time and watching Paul Rudd play a guy who desperately wants to connect with me and is getting drunk is hilarious. Paul is really good at being really, really charming while being just kind of like, “Ew, gross.” It’s still so charming coming from Paul Rudd.
CS: How is this different from the other movies you’ve done with Paul Rudd?
Segel:: Well, this is the most one-on-one time I’ve had with Paul. In “Sarah Marshall” our scenes together were pretty brief, he was in three or four scenes. This one, we’re spending everyday together for like, 16 or 17 hours a day. So, we’ve developed bits that are amusing to us and that the crew is completely sick of. One of them is a terrible stand-up comic, played by Paul Rudd, who just, like, halfway through his routine – his terrible, terrible routine – I notice from the audience that he has just a little bit of blood trickling from his ear. But, we let his stand-up go for a really long time before I finally acknowledge the blood trickling from his ear. (laughing) It’s been really fun. Paul and I have a very similar taste in comedy and two very different tones. We’re a good duo. I’m also like a foot taller than Paul, which is funny, visually. We’re having a good time.
CS: Is this the best movie to meet chicks on?
Segel:: All those bridesmaids are engaged – every single one of them. It’s a total let down. And then the rest of the movie I spend with Paul Rudd. What are you gonna do? Yeah, it’s tough.
CS: Paul said you are creating a really interesting character…
Segel:: Yeah, I’ve never gotten to play someone [like him] before, I usually play the really nice guy. So, I’ve incorporated like, 50% Russell Brand and 50% my brother. He’s sort of a continental kind of guy, who gestures oddly and slightly effeminate but also a real raging womanizer.
CS: Like a lead singer.
Segel: Yeah! A little bit. So that’s been fun. I get to wear scarves and sh*t, that’s cool. (laughter)
CS: But your character has guy friends.
Segel:: Yeah, I have a great group of guy friends. My character doesn’t have any deep relationships with women, for various reasons. So, he’s cultivated these relationships with his really close male friends which have served to fill in that gap.
CS: You keep talking about offering your mojo to the ladies up front.
Segel:: I give my mojo – that’s how the kids talk nowadays (laughing) – to cougars in this movie, to recently divorced women, because my feeling is all they are looking for is sex and they don’t want anything more. So, all I have to offer them is sex, it’s a perfect arrangement. Seems logical.
CS: So is Kermit going to have mojo in the Muppets film?
Segel:: Let me tell you, anyone who can walk around in life completely naked all the time has got to have some mojo. But, I actually just turned in my first draft of “The Muppets” and I’m really excited about it. I think we’re bringing them back.
CS: Is Sam the Eagle in it?
Segel:: Sam the Eagle is definitely in it. Statler and Waldorf – the whole gang!
CS: Can you tell us a little bit about the story, which way you are headed with the Muppets?
Segel:: All I can say is that we are trying to bring it back to the early ’80s movies where it’s not Muppets in the Sahara or Muppets Underwater. It’s the Muppets getting back together to put on a show, to save the studio.
CS: No Pigs in Space?
Segel:: I can’t give that away.
CS: Do you think you will try to get Paul Williams back [to do the music]?
Segel:: Oh yeah, absolutely. Those songs were the best. We’ve written temp songs but we’d like to fill them in with legitimate musician songs.
CS: Do you think you are going to be involved at all in Judd’s [Apatow] new stand-up movie that they’re now starting to talk about?
Segel:: I don’t think I am because I am limited by my TV show, I get to do one movie a year basically, so, this is it. Nick [Stoller] and I have another movie with Judd called “The Five Year Engagement” that we’re trying to scrape together now.
CS: So, you think that will be next off-season?
Segel:: Either that or “The Muppets,” or both, who knows. We’ll see what happens.
CS: And the hope is to stay 100% traditional with the Muppets right? No CGI Muppets?
Segel:: No, no, no. Hopefully it will fall right in the pantheon of “The Great Muppet Caper,” “Muppets Take Manhattan,” “Muppet Movie,” you know, we’re trying to make one of those.
