Considering she has a successful film career, with projects such as Watchmen and The Proposal among her many credits, it’s a bit surprising to hear Malin Akerman is starring in a TV show – and perhaps even more so when you learn it’s a live-action show on Adult Swim, called Childrens Hospital.
If you haven’t seen Childrens Hospital, you’re missing out. The brainchild of Rob Corddry, it began life as a webseries in 2008, using a Meredith Grey-like lead character, played by Lake Bell (who insipidly narrates her many, many, many romances), as the springboard to tell completely out there and hysterical stories set at a hospital where very little makes sense, but nearly everything makes you laugh. Corddry plays the clown-makeup wearing Dr. Blake Downs, among an excellent cast that includes Ken Marino, Rob Huebel, Erinn Hayes and Megan Mullally.
Having aired Season 1 this summer, Adult Swim debuts the brand new Season 2 episodes beginning Sunday, August 22nd, with Akerman joining the cast alongside Henry Winkler, as Akerman’s Dr. Valerie Flame taking over as the narrator (Lake Bell had to sit out most of the new episodes thanks to her HBO series How to Make It in America).
I spoke to Akerman recently to find out how she came to be a part of such a unique project.
IGN: How does it come on your plate to suddenly star in something like Children’s Hospital, and what did your team think when the opportunity came up?
Akerman: I’m a little bit of a whore for really sick comedies. Basically, my manager, team, whatever [Laughs], they called me while I was out shooting a movie and said “Hey have a look at these webisodes. They’re now going to go to TV. They have some funny characters, and it’s Rob Corddry” — who I worked with on The Heartbreak Kid and love. I think he’s super intelligent and funny. So I watched the webisodes and of course, it was totally up my alley, my kind of humor. It’s sick and silly. I was kind of honored that they asked me to be part of it to be honest with you, so I accepted right away. It worked out really well because I had no films planned during that time and my family was coming into town, and it was shooting out here in L.A., so it was just kind of the perfect answer to my sick mind.
IGN: In recent years, we’ve seen the distinction between Movie Actor and TV Actor really begin to go away – this seems like the next step, where you can jump from a movie to an Adult Swim series and then back into films.
Akerman: This is, for me, what it should be like. You just go in, have a bit of fun, and I guess it’s also easier for me, just because I have that commitment issue [Laughs]. I do love doing films, I love going out and creating different characters for each film, and not having to be stuck with one role for many, many years. It’s a creative liberty that I love. This of course is great — that of course was just the cherry on top that there was no contract for years and years on end. Not that I wouldn’t love to, I just still want to do film for a little while longer. Everything about this show couldn’t have been composed in a better way.
IGN: So, describe Valerie Flame for me.
Akerman: Valerie Flame is the new hot-to-trot lady in the hospital who gets all the guys going, which I love. It’s a lot of fun to play, but of course the one person that she shows any interest in is Rob Corddry’s character, who is definitely not into her. There’s one episode where maybe there’s some rape involved, but from me to him, which is really awesome. She’s this woman who’s now becoming the narrator [of the series], and she’s not too bright… like any of the doctors there, none of them have probably ever gone to medical school which is great for a hospital [Laughs]. Just like all the other characters, there’s no rhyme or reason to her at all. You can’t really describe her in a nutshell just because every episode, she’s kind of different. I just asked them, I pleaded with them, that if I come back next season to give her Sexual Tourette’s syndrome, which would be great. My creative idea, so we’ll see if that happens for the third season.
IGN: [Laughs] Okay, I know what Tourette’s is, but what is Sexual Tourette’s?
Akerman: Just really sexual words and actions in between normal life. I think it would be kind of hilarious to have a woman who goes through everyday life and then maybe she just sees someone and starts making out with them on the street, or starts to dry hump them or something. Then all of the sudden, she just goes back to normal. I think that would be kind of awesome.
IGN: You have such amazing comedic actors in this, including Rob Corddry, Rob Huebel and Ken Marino. What’s it like to work on a project with this group?
Akerman: Incredible – not to mention Megan Mullally and Henry Winkler. Every single person, I’m not going to name them all, because they’re all fantastic! It’s one of the reasons I said yes to this show, because it’s nice to be with these amazing comedians. They really are truly hilarious people. I felt so out of my league being there, but I always feel like when you work with people who are a few steps ahead of you it just brings up your own game and really pushes you to bring it up a notch. Working with these guys who I admire in that genre, in comedy, is pretty awesome. And working with the Fonz… it’s pretty legendary. I think we all kind of went around going, “hey, that’s the Fonz!” It’s an amazing experience.
From IGN
Malin Akerman may have made the leap into blockbuster films, but she never forgets about the little people. (Indie movies being the little people in this case.) Her latest role is in the independent film “Happythankyoumoreplease,” directed by “How I Met Your Mother” star Josh Radnor, premieres this week at the Gen Art Film Festival in New York. Wonderwall had a chance to catch up with the starlet at the festival to talk all things indie.
Wonderwall: What makes Gen Art unique?
Malin Akerman: I think anything that supports and celebrates the arts is great. A lot of real moviegoers come to film festivals like these to watch films for what they are and not for what the box office tells them. So you feel like you get back to why we are in this business and that feels really great.
WW: How does working on a low-budget film compare to a studio movie like “Watchmen”?
MA: The thing I love about indie films is you sort of go, go, go, go, go. It’s like theater where you have a show every night. And it’s nice because you never lose touch with your character, you don’t lose touch with what you’re doing. and there’s not big breaks in between scenes.
WW: Is there a lot of bonding on set?
MA: I like being together and being crammed into small spaces, and everyone gets to know each other. You get to know who is holding your boom [mike] and, unlike on a bigger film, you know about his family, not just his name. Everyone just hangs out, which is really fun.”
WW: So we gotta ask … who’s your ideal leading man?
MA: I guess he’s become a big celebrity but I love Ryan Gosling, maybe because he’s Canadian. I think he’s phenomenal. I think anything he does is amazing.
We’ll be the first to agree with you on that one, Malin.
From Wonderwall
“Elektra Luxx” is the second entry in a planned trilogy from filmmaker Sebastian Gutierrez. “Women in Trouble,” the first in the trilogy, premiered at South By Southwest last year and “Elektra” followed suit this year. The first movie followed a large group of women in Los Angeles who were either hiding or discovering secrets in their lives. The follow-up narrows the focus somewhat, to the titular porn actress (played by Carla Gugino) and how an unexpected pregnancy brings complications into her life.
MTV’s Josh Horowitz sat down with stars Malin Akerman and Emmanuelle Chriqui in Austin during SXSW and he asked them about the experience of shooting a movie with such a strong cast of female performers.
“[It's] exciting on so many levels,” Chriqui said. “Exciting because, yes it’s empowering, it’s all us women. But we’re also really close friends that have sort of met along the years in the business. So with all our crazy schedules, to come together and to be able to do something that you can really sink your teeth into and celebrate each other is, to me, one of the best parts of doing what we do.”
Akerman echoed her co-stars words, expressing nothing but praise for the film’s director. “Sebastian has a knack for writing great roles for women,” she said. “He’s such a good writer, such a good director and has this ability to get amazing women together to star in his films. So it’s just so amazing to be a part of this project.”
In addition to Gugino, Akerman and Chriqui, “Elektra Luxx” also features the talents of Adrianne Palicki (“Friday Night Lights”), Marley Shelton (“Grindhouse”) and Christine Lakin. There are also a few guys in the movie, including two who add some more star power to the cast: Timothy Olyphant and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. There’s no wide release date yet for “Elektra Luxx,” but keep checking MTV.com for the latest updates.
From MTV
Film School Rejects has a long interview with “Elektra Luxx” director Sebastian Gutierrez, Malin and co-star Carla Gugino.
Watch the interview below!
To no one’s surprise, filming Couples Retreat in Bora Bora doesn’t compare to the harsh winters of Toronto.
“It’s not really comparable, no,” admits Malin Akerman from her downtown Toronto hotel room. “Bora Bora was a lot warmer and instead of snow on the ground, we had blue water and it was paradise. It was incredible.”
But the idyllic setting of Couples Retreat wasn’t the only draw for the Torontonian actress, who jumped at the chance to work with hilarious stars like Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell. The film, which comes out on DVD Friday, follows four couples who travel to the tropics for couples counseling, only to be caught off guard by the resort’s unorthodox methods – a set up that provides plenty of opportunity for improvisation.
“You look at the cast and you go, ‘Please. I would do that anywhere in the world,’” Malin adds. “The thing that I love about that, working with people who are a few steps ahead, it just ups your game. I always love having a challenge, and you are playing with the big guys.”
And the film wasn’t without other challenges, either: the 31-year-old actress admits she lost it a little bit when she had to swim with lemon sharks.
“When we went out to do that, our hearts were beating triple time,” Akerman remembers. “But once you get in there, it’s calm and beautiful, and sharks are beautiful, beautiful animals. And they’re more scared of you than you are of them – which, of course, you only learn once you’re in the water. But beforehand, I was freaking out, for sure.”
amNewYork caught up with Malin Akerman and Kate Mara, two of the stars of the ensemble cast of “happythankyoumoreplease.”
Is this your first time at Sundance? How does it feel?
MA: I’ve been dying to come to Sundance since I started acting in LA. I’ve heard so much about it. It feels a little more relaxed. You can’t show up to the red carpet in a nice gown. I mean, it’s snowing outside.
KM: It’s not my first trip. I was here two years ago with a film I did called “Transsiberian.” All I ever do when I’m not working is see movies. I’m the biggest movie nerd.
What else do you like to do when you’re not working?
KM: I also love to shop, and I love to watch football (Kate’s grandfather was Giants founder Timothy Mara).
MA: I don’t do sports. I’m a foodie. That’s what I do. My husband is Italian, so that’s a big hobby of mine … cooking and finding new restaurants. I used to draw a lot. I do a lot of sketches of people, which I have to get back into.
Do you watch any Food Network shows?
MA: No, I really don’t. My husband has taught me a lot. He’s a fantastic cook. He’s Italian and a drummer, so there’s also a lot of music in our life. And that’s probably a big hobby, too. We go and see a lot of independent bands in LA.
Back to the film. Malin, you play Annie, who has alopecia. What did it feel like to be shown on camera without hair?
MA: Shaving off the eyebrows and wearing a bald cap was kind of freeing. It was the first time I looked in the mirror and saw somebody else. I felt like Annie became more of an interesting person because of her alopecia. It was more about finding that character than even the lack of hair.
Kate, you blew us away with your singing voice in the movie. Are you a trained singer? KM: When I was 9, I decided I wanted to be in musicals. My mom loves old films and musicals like “Oklahoma!” and every Judy Garland film you could watch, so that’s what I grew up watching. That was my dream. And, eventually, when I started doing films, there was never really an opportunity for me to sing. So I haven’t sung in such a long time that it felt like I was 14 again. It’s such a different thing to sing in a film than it is to act. For me, I had to be much more vulnerable.
From am New York
Fans of “Arrested Development” have been waiting patiently for a movie version of the television series since the show’s finale in 2006. If word on the street is to be believed, series creator Mitch Hurwitz is hard at work on the screenplay — it’s just a matter of finishing the thing and getting the cast members on the same schedule.
There’s at least one “Arrested Development” alumnus itching to get back into his manchild clothing and false limb — none other than Buster himself, actor Tony Hale. When MTV News spoke with the comedian at the Sundance Film Festival, Hale said that he and every other cast member from the series are eagerly awaiting the script.
“I actually talked to Mitch last week and he’s writing it, and [the cast members] are all on board,” said Hale. “We’re all stoked to do it.”
While Hale is eager to resume his dysfunctional relationship with the rest of the Bluth family, he also feels that waiting could be a good thing.
“I want [Hurwitz] to take his time, because the writing is such a surprise,” he said. “One week you go, okay, a seal is going to bite off your hand. By the way, Liza Minnelli is going to be your girlfriend. There are all these surprises and we want those surprises, so I want to give him as much time [as he needs].”
Speaking of Minnelli — who played Buster’s longtime lover Lucille Two on the show — Hale hopes that she’ll return for the film.
“I would love for Liza to come back,” he said. “She is such a dear. She would sit and tell us stories about her life — it was awesome!”
But Buster might have other plans. During the interview, Hale’s “HappyThankYouMorePlease” co-star Malin Akerman declared her desire to have a role in the “Arrested Development” movie, which Hale was more than happy to accommodate.
“Malin’s going to be Buster’s girlfriend,” he joked. “He’s going from Liza Minnelli to Malin Akerman.”
As far as where he wants Buster to go in the film, Hale said he only had one suggestion for Hurwitz.
“I did mention that I want Buster to be on ‘American Idol,’” he said. “But he didn’t like that idea.”