Kal Penn and John Cho weren’t always household names. Just a few years ago, you might have known them as “that guy from Van Wilder” and “that other guy from American Pie.” But after blazing through two wildly successful films, the two actors bring us the final installment of a classic stoner trilogy.
The Varsity: How did you guys get involved with Christmas in 3D?
Kal Penn: We were contractually obligated.
John Cho: Well, oddly enough, we signed a three picture deal. It was a really audacious move, but the writers kind of wrote it into the script.
KP: Yeah, which as an actor, you’re like, “Wow, this is awesome. If this movie actually does well, that means I get to do two more.” It’s always up to the studio, if and when they want to do it, but from the beginning, it’s a nice obligation to have as an actor, if someone is telling you that they may give you some career stability — especially with characters that we love to play. It’s not a bad thing.
TV: Were you aware that it was going to be a holiday-themed film?
KP: When we got the script.
JC: I heard that they were thinking about doing a third one, and then when I talked to the writers, they mentioned that they were enamoured of a holiday picture idea.
TV: That being said, what does it feel like to compete with the holiday classics many have come to know and love, like Macaulay Culkin’s Home Alone series and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Jingle All the Way?
JC: It feels victorious.
KP: [laughs] I never felt like we were competing as much as paying homage. The thing about the Harold and Kumar movies is…
JC: I feel like we’re defeating. Devastating. Raping and pillaging.
KP: There’s always a lot of love for the movies that we love. Like in the first one, there’s a reference to Karate Kid, you know. And in this one, there’s a lot of love towards A Christmas Story and a lot of the claymated stuff we used to watch as kids.
JC: This is a movie made by and for fans of Christmas films. We grew up on claymated holiday specials and enjoy the genre. This is a movie that aspires to be part of that genre and I think we made one and I hope that people who enjoy those movies will enjoy our goof on those movies, you know?
TV: How much say do you guys have in the script? Is there a lot of improvisation or is it dead-set?
KP: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, two guys that wrote these films, are so good at what they do that even if we wanted to, we wouldn’t have to improvise very much. We sometimes add a line here or there, but for the most part, no. The movies are also very low budget, so we don’t have a lot of time to redo takes and try improvising.
JC: Our input is more, “Hey, this scene doesn’t feel quite clean, can we…” or “it’s not working at the end, and this line feels awkward.” It’s that kind of stuff, just the day-to-day actor stuff; we don’t really interfere with the big picture. I’m sure they would be open if we were to say, “Please don’t show my penis stuck to a frozen pole,” but I didn’t say that, for some reason, [laughs]. Why did I not say that?
TV: Do you feel as if you’re being objectified?
KP: Sadly, no!
JC: I don’t feel objectified, I feel humiliated.
TV: Were there any notable differences while filming in 3D?
JC: Yes. The biggest difference was it takes a lot longer to light, so we were even more hurried than the first two. You have to light for a much deeper depth of field, and the camera is just really much bigger, so when you’re doing over-the-shoulder shots, the crew would film us, and the camera would be right here doing your coverage. Typically, the actor is right next to the camera, and we could look at each other and say our dialogue, but because the camera is so big, I couldn’t be close to the camera and you’d have to say your lines to a piece of tape. So that, particularly for establishing this relationship was tough, it was complicated, but in the end, we made a masterpiece of American cinema! [laughs] So the story ends well.
TV: What was it like auditioning for the first Harold and Kumar movie?
JC: Rigorous.
KP: It was really long. It probably took place over the course of three to four months, which is rare. Usually, auditions are maybe a week or two, max, with the call-backs. But there is no shortage of actors to play these parts, and so they looked in New York, Toronto, Chicago, LA…
JC: They came to a foreign country?! To play Americans?!
KP: We also shot the first movie here.
JC: I don’t care! TV: Where did you shoot it?
KP: On your campus, partially. Look for it.
TV: Do you like Toronto?
KP: Love Toronto.
TV: Why?
KP: People are so friendly. The food’s really good. It’s just a great vibe.
TV: Do you feel at home here?
KP: Yes.
JC: Actually, I do now. We’ve spent enough time here that it feels good coming back. It feels familiar. Toronto is a great city.
KP: I used to get veggie dogs on Spadina all the time… from a vendor.
TV: Having done The Namesake and Star Trek, is there a certain resistance to the idea that a lot of people know you as Harold and Kumar, or does that just come with the territory?
KP: The joy of being an actor, something that made me want to pursue it, was this magic that comes from being able to make somebody laugh or cry, or suspend an emotion or feel something they hadn’t intended to feel before. It’s flattering to know that people enjoyed the Harold and Kumar movies. My experience is that it’s opened doors in some really unexpected ways, [like] having a chance to have a little arc on 24, or audition for Superman Returns. It seems like the really smart producers and directors and writers are more willing to take a risk and see if you can play something different, rather than it being a real hindrance. The story with The Namesake is that I lobbied really hard to get in a room with Mira Nair, and the reason she didn’t want me to audition at first was because of Harold and Kumar. But her 16-year-old son kept lobbying, unbeknownst to me, before bed every night saying “Mom, you gotta audition Kal Penn,” and I wrote her a letter at the same time as her son was really beating her over the head with it, so she let me come in and audition.
JC: He didn’t really beat her over the head. There wasn’t—
KP: They understand.
JC: There wasn’t any bludgeoning associated with that movie.
KP: Wow.
JC: I’m sure it has probably closed a few doors, but the big story is that it’s opened many more.
TV: What words of wisdom would you have for university students who are jaded and don’t know what to do with their lives?
JC: Just give up. It doesn’t get better after graduation.
KP: Oh my God!
JC: No, I didn’t mean that.
KP: Oh, my goodness. I think everybody is sometimes confused. Look, I’ve had three careers so far, I cannot make up my mind. I’m easily distracted. Sometimes that can manifest itself in legit confusion, like “what am I actually doing?” I think as long as you’re doing something that you love, you’re going to be true to yourself, wouldn’t you say? Who the hell am I to say some shit like that? Who the hell, who the hell are you to say some shit like that?!
JC: I would say, real-talk, real-talk, yeah, take your time. You know what? There’s a pressure on college kids. “Oh, you just graduated from high school? Time to figure it out!” You know, relax. You’ve got time to figure it out.
TV: Jungian word association test. You ready?
JC: Okay.
TV: America.
JC: Opportunity.
TV: Christmas.
KP: Harold and Kumar.
TV: Neil Patrick Harris.
KP: Awesome.
JC: Sexy.
TV: Jugs.
JC: Sexy.
KP: Boobs.
TV: Wafflebot.
KP: Awesome.
JC: King.
TV: Canada.
KP: Fun.
JC: Word.
