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26 Hysterical Behind-the-Scenes Stories from Our Favorite Comedies

Time to ‘shake and bake’ with some BTS facts about iconic comedy movies and shows

26 Hysterical Behind-the-Scenes Stories from Our Favorite Comedies

December 01, 2023

You think you know your favorite comedies, huh? Well, did you know that there would be no Talladega Nights or Step Brothers without Molly Shannon. It was thanks to the SNL alum that the comedy duo of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly first met each other. More on that — and 25 other facts about some of our favorite comedy movies and shows — below…

26

BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACTS ADAM MCKAY SINGS THE BOATS 'N HOES CHORUS. STEP BROTHERS The boats and hoes, boats and hoes part of the song was performed by the director. His lines were recorded over the phone, which is why the chorus sounds slightly muffled. CRACKED.COM — The Ringer

25

BEHIND-THE-SCENESFACTS John C. Reilly almost said I'M BRICK TAMLAND Old Spu cup with NE t EXTL H TALLADEGA NIGHTS GRACKED.COM THE BALLAD OF RICKY Bobey The original Anchorman weather guy was Reilly, who had to drop out and was replaced by Steve Carell. McKay kept Reilly in mind when it came time to cast Talladega Nights. Coincidentally, Carell had to drop out of a planned Nights cameo. — Screenrant

24

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS ZACH BRAFF DIRECTED AN EPISODE. TED LASSO Braff happened to be in London while the show was being filmed so executive producer Bill Lawrence (with whom he worked with on Scrubs) invited him to direct an episode. Braff directed Biscuits, the show's second episode. CRACKED.COM — ET

23

BEHIND-THE-SCENESFACTS SUPERBAD The cast almost included some FREAKS AND GEEKS GRACKED.com In addition to Seth Rogen potentially playng Seth, Jason Segel auditioned for Evan. Martin Starr also read for the part of McLovin. Eventually, all the Freaks actors aged out of the roles. — Mental Floss

22

There's a Spinal Tap easter egg in Princess Bride DORAL USS OV-18 CRACKED.COM The hat Rob Reiner wore in Spinal Tap is hanging on the wall of The Grandson's room — EW

21

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS Who to thank for Ferrell and Reilly? MOLLY SHANNON wantic TALLADEGA NIGHTS CRACKED.COM THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBSY Maybe there's no Step Brothers without an introduction from Ferrell's old SNL castmate. They met through my friend Molly Shannon and we just hit it off right away, says Reilly. That friendship bled into the relationship in . — Mental Floss

20

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS RICHARD JENKINS' DINOSAUR MONOLOGUE WAS IMPROVISED. WINE MIXER STEP BROTHERS Jenkins improvised the hilarious monologue on the day of the shoot. However, the actor was embarrassed by it and asked Adam McKay to not use it in the final cut. McKay thought it was too funny and decided to use it anyway. CRACKED.COM — The Ringer

19

Elaine's dad was supposed to be a reoccurring character, but the actor scared the cast. Julia Louis-Dreyfus called Lawrence Tierney a total nutjob. He stole a butcher knife from the set. CRACKED.COM — DVD Extras

18

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS Napoleon started as the student film PELUCA CRACKED.COM Jared Hess wrote and directed the 9-minute short as a class assignment at BYU film school, with the quirky lead a combination of me and my brothers' most dorky moments growing up. In this version, Napoleon's name is Seth. Check it out on YouTube! — YouTube

17

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES The magic panda In season two it's revealed that one of Jason's ideas to thwart Michael's plan is to catch the magic panda, use her powers. ' What initially sounded like just another whimsical thing Jason would say soon turned into a running gag, with a panda teleporting in the background of frames all over the place. The Good Place CRACKED.COM — Source

16

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS THE SHOW USES CRYSTAL PALACE'S STADIUM. LOJOSPORTS.COM LOFOSPORTS.COM LO JOSPORTS.COM ID EDSPORTS.COM DD JDSPO TED LASSO Soccer matches played at Richmond's home Nelson Road Stadium are actually filmed at the Selhurst Park Stadium - the stadium of the Premier League's Crystal Palace. CRACKED.COM — Groundhopper

15

BEHIND-THE-SCENESE FACTS The script was custom-fit for Jack Black by MIKE WHITE CRACKED.COM Black and White (!) were neighbors, and White had the idea of him leading a band of little kids. It just seemed like a funny visual. Then I got the idea that it would be fun to have him be a guy who isn't really somebody you'd want around kids. — ViacomCBS

14

Billy Crystal and Carol Kane had to arrive at 2 am for make-up CRACKED.COM They were only on set for three days, but Crystal said the experience was joyous. — Variety

13

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES Cheers In the season two finale, Michael sneaks down to Earth and poses as a bartender. The Good Place CRACKED.COM — Source

12

MARSHALL been SARAH Mila Kunis was INJURED during a water scene. FORGE I THE ACTRESS SAID SHE RIPPED A PIECE OF HER NECK OFF WHILE FILMING. SCENES Jason Segel is holding my neck. He's 0 holding it because I'm bleeding-y you only see half my neck. The other side is gushing. BEA CRACKED.COM — Digital Spy

11

This Is SiginaL Tap Rob Reiner's character was based on four of his heroes. CRACKED.COM He named Marty DiBergi, the ostensible director of the film, after four filmmakers: Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, Steven Spielberg, and Federico Fellini. — This Is Spinal Tap: 16 Behind-The-Scenes Facts That Walk The Fine Line Between Stupid And Clever

10

This Is SiginaL Tap Spinal Tap started as a failed comedy sketch. Apinal T&n CRACKED.COM The band came together 5 years before the movie, as a one-off sketch for The TV Show -- a sketch show that never became more than a pilot. — This Is Spinal Tap: 16 Behind-The-Scenes Facts That Walk The Fine Line Between Stupid And Clever

9

MARSHALL SARAH The film grossed FORGETTING I $105 million worldwide SCENES on a THE $30 million budget. BEHIND CRACKED.COM — The Hollywood Reporter

8

Alec Baldwin agreed to do the show because he got a four-day weekend. He said he wanted to spend more time with his daughter in LA. BEHIND-THE-SCENES CRACKED.COM — Salon

7

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS THE STORY WAS WRITTEN AROUND THE SONGS. E WALK.HARD Songs for the movie were recorded for about six months before the film even started shooting. Each time a new song was recorded, the filmmakers made new decisions about the characters and the plot. CRACKED.COM — The Tufts Daily

6

EASTER EGGSTRA REFERENCES & HIDDEN MEANINGS APARTMENT 303 JOKE community In season 3's fourth episode (Remedial Chaos Theory - the one with the timelines), Britta and Annie try to remember if Troy and Abed live in apartment 303 or 304. 303 This was a joke about episode codes and scheduling, because this episode was originally meant to be the third episode of the season (3.03). Due to its apparent complexity, it was moved to episode 4 (3.04). CRACKED.COM — YouTube

5

LINDA CARDELLINI AND JASON SEGEL DATED IN REAL-LIFE CRACKED.COM They dated for a few years after the show ended. — LA Times

4

BEHIND-THE-SCENESE FACTS Trust the comedy instincts of LESLIE MANN CRACKED.COM Apatow thought her scene should end with cops finding a gun under her seat. And Leslie said to me, 'No, I really think I need to throw up in his face.' And then she made her own vomit out of strawberry yogurt and some sort of breakfast cereal. And it turned out to be one of the biggest laughs of the movie. — Vulture

3

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS GUILTY AS CHARGED WAS INSPIRED BY MERLE HAGGARD. T WALK HARD Songwriter Charlie Wadhams says when he was asked to write the song he was told to imagine Merle Haggard in a trashed hotel room with a bottle of whiskey after he'd just been dumped by his wife. CRACKED.COM — The Ringer

2

Steve Buscemi directed 2 episodes. He parodied his own often memed line How do you do, fellow kids? during the 2020 SAG Awards. BEHIND-THE-SCENES CRACKED.COM — Yahoo

1

Jordan Reid played Sweet Dee in the pilot Rob McElhenney's then-girlfriend Reid was replaced after the couple broke up by Olson, who later married McElhenney. BEHIND THE SCENES CRACKED.COM — Ramshackle Glam

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