New line Cinema

Four years ago, Harold and Kumar — the wisecracking stoner duo — set out for a night of good weed and White Castle burgers in “Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle.” Now, the two are tackling a slightly more relevant topic with that film's sequel, “Harold & Kumar Escape Guantanamo Bay.” Well, sort of. While “Guantanamo” touches on real-life topics such as terrorism and torture, the film centers more on the relationship between the Harold and Kumar characters, played by John Cho and Kal Penn respectively. The two, along with co-star Neil Patrick Harris, recently sat down with 210SA and other media members to discuss the sequel, shooting a comedy and — for Harris — playing himself onscreen.
 

Were you anticipating another film?

KP: The first one was not successful at first. It was not a success in theaters, nor did it catch on DVD right away. There was not much of a marketing campaign really, but what got the film passed around was that people recommended it to their friends. It was a slow progression, and it was not an instant success. It's nice when you do a sequel, and there's a very grassroots type of organization.

What's it like making a fun movie?

JC: It's actually probably less fun than you might imagine. We're not goofing off all the time, and there's work to be done. It's funny, but it's serious business, especially for me, having to play it straight.

NPH: The process of filming a comedy is much more difficult. It's not fun. Hopefully, the end result will be fun. In a drama, you go to a deep place and there's a lot more time spent setting up shots, but in comedy, you have to deal with timing. ..... There's a lot of sensitivity to it.

KP: In order for a comedy to be successful, you have to live in that moment. If you're aware this is hilarious, the audience will find it funny. But you have to stay committed to whatever is going on.

How did you hear that the movie was about terrorism and Gitmo?

KP: I don't remember if there was a defining phone call that said what the story would be, but we kept talking about it. I think we were constantly updated on the process, but I don't think there was a defining moment.

What was it like playing yourself onscreen?

NPH: It was really, really fun. I've always stuck firm to the belief that an actor's private life is their private life and should be (kept) from the public, because it eliminates the audience's ability to suspend disbelief. I've always maintained that Matt Damon was more successful than Ben Affleck because when (Affleck) dated Jennifer Lopez, you knew so much about him and saw him being him all the time. You wouldn't buy him as an Italian mobster, even though he could play it very well. The Internet has overtaken that, and it's fun to be playing myself.

Even though the character is not like you at all?

NPH: It's almost the antithesis of me, which is what makes it so fun.

Were you concerned that a movie with a terrorism theme might get taken the wrong way?

KP: It has political undertones, but it's not about politics. It's about two guys and their relationships. If something is in the news so much that the characters see it, it's fair game to poke fun at. It's what people are talking about.

CLINT HALE | 210SA contributor