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Hangover which made him famous
Despite having played many roles in comedy flicks, Zach Galifianakis admits that he ‘only found recognition on big screen with Hangover.” He says director Todd Philips saw a film actor in him.
Despite having played many roles in comedy flicks, Zach Galifianakis admits that he ‘only found recognition on big screen with
Hangover
.” The actor, whose latest comedy
Due Date
, has hit the screens, adds, “Todd (director Todd Philips) says I didn’t thank him enough. By casting me in
The Hangover
, he took a chance. Nobody knew the movie was going to be so big. We were lucky and I am thrilled he plucked me out of the stand-up scene to act in his films,” he says. Born in North Carolina, the American actor-comedian stuck to stand-up comedy acts at the start of his career.
Unintentionally funny
He then went on to do television series like
Dog Bites Man
and
The Sarah Silverman Program
on Comedy Central and appeared in
Tim and Eric Awesome Show
,
Great Job
. He then did small roles in films like
Corky Romano, Bubble Boy, Heart breakers, Largo, Super High Me.
Galifianakis says performing stand-up is different from his role as Ethan Tremblay in
Due Date
. According to him, for standup, he needs to think what will work and be funny for the audience but his character in the film “is not intentional. He makes random statements that turn out to be funny. He has no idea he’s being funny.”
Galifianakis adds that when people are not self-aware, they are like a truck with no brakes and so, inherently funny. The actor, who has proved his mettle in comedy, hasn’t stopped at only getting his comic timing right. In
Due Date
, he has enacted an emotional scene. Galifianakis says, “If you can make people emotional watching one scene when you made them laugh prior to that, you don’t see that often, and I think Todd got it right. The bathroom scene is not about what my character Ethan does; it’s the look on Robert’s face that I think sells the scene.”
About forming a friendship with his co-actor Robert Downey Jr, Galifianakis says, “Robert and I formed an antagonistic but fun relationship on the sets. He’s really very, very funny, and he makes fun of people. And for some reason I like to be made fun of.”