- Notes provided by Paramount Pictures. -

Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. lead an ensemble cast in "Tropic Thunder," an action comedy about a group of self-absorbed actors who set out to make the biggest war film ever. After ballooning costs (and the out of control egos of the pampered cast) threaten to shut down the movie, the frustrated director refuses to stop shooting, leading his cast deep into the jungles of Southeast Asia for "increased realism," where they inadvertently encounter real bad guys.
DreamWorks Pictures Presents A Red Hour Production A Ben Stiller Film "Tropic Thunder" starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Steve Coogan, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Brandon T. Jackson, Bill Hader and Nick Nolte. The film is directed by Ben Stiller from a screenplay by Justin Theroux & Ben Stiller and Etan Cohen. The story is by Ben Stiller & Justin Theroux. The film is produced by Stuart Cornfeld, Ben Stiller and Eric McLeod. The executive producer is Justin Theroux. The director of photography is John Toll, ASC. The production designer is Jeff Mann. The film is edited by Greg Hayden. The costume designer is Marlene Stewart. The music score is by Theodore Shapiro. The music supervisor is George Drakoulias. This film has been rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, violent content and drug material.
THE CAST
Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) is a pampered action superstar on the wane. His "Scorcher" series of post-apocalyptic action epics have played out, and after a desperate attempt for an Oscar® nod backfires, Speedman is counting on "Tropic Thunder" to put him back on top.
Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) is the star of a popular gross-out comedy franchise called "The Fatties," and now he's looking to branch out, to show the world that there's more to him than just getting laughs from passing gas.
Aussie thespian Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), the quintessential "method" actor, has won five Oscars® and is always on the lookout for new challenges and ways to transform himself for his "art."
Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) seems to have it all. But the multi-platinum hip-hop-star-turned-entrepreneur is eager to move on up to the ranks of serious actors.
And newcomer Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel), well, he is just happy to have a job.
In "Tropic Thunder," this unlikely group of self-absorbed prima donnas come together to film an epic war movie and unwittingly wind up in a real battle.
"On the surface, the actors cast in this war movie appear to be very different people," says the film's producer Stuart Cornfeld. "But at their core, they're all trying to do something different with their careers, something new, and they're hoping this war movie will be the way they reach that next level. The problem is that all of them, except maybe Kevin Sandusky - who's worked really hard so that he'll do well in the film - are so caught up in themselves, that they'll never be able to achieve those goals."
After the studio head threatens to shut down production, frustrated British director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) refuses to stop shooting and, instead, leads his unsuspecting cast deep into the jungles of Southeast Asia to complete principal photography "guerilla style." With no assistants, entourages, or cell phones, the cast soon encounters a very real and very dangerous band of drug lords. Mistaking the actors for American DEA agents, they resolve to capture the "American invaders."
In the movie-within-the-movie, Tugg Speedman (Stiller) plays John "Four Leaf" Tayback, the courageous real-life war hero whose memoir about his Vietnam exploits are the basis for the film.
"Speedman was the highest paid, highest grossing action star of all time," says Stiller, who also co-wrote, directed and produced the film. "He's completely pampered, completely out of touch. He is coming off of a few flops, including a blatant attempt to win an Oscar®. That movie is called 'Simple Jack,' in which he plays a mentally impaired farm hand who can talk to animals. And it totally backfires. It is one of the worst reviewed movies of all-time. Now, even his action movies aren't doing well and he is in a really bad place. So, he needs this war film to work."
Following Stiller's vision of producing a genre-bending action-comedy, the filmmakers assembled an ensemble cast with actors who could pull off the comedic elements while still being believable in the movie's more realistic moments.
For the role of Jeff Portnoy, the gross-out comedy star best known for his multiple roles in the "The Fatties" comedy franchise, the film makers had only one actor in mind: Jack Black. "Jack plays the archetypal, crazy, out-of-control comedy guy," says Stiller. "The thing I love about Jack is that he is unique. Nobody else has his persona, his comedic vibe. He's also committed. He took this character and embraced every aspect of him."
"Jeff Portnoy takes things to a whole new level. Portnoy has made a career out of fart movies," Black says. "I've done some gross-out movies myself, but Portnoy is at the next level above Jack Black in terms of dominating the world of farts."
Although Portnoy's lowbrow humor has made him an international superstar, Black explains, he now wants more respect as an actor. "Portnoy is trying to branch out and get a little more legit," Black says.
As Portnoy and the rest of the cast get stranded in the jungle, we learn something else about him - he has a major substance abuse problem.
As Stiller observes, "You get to watch Portnoy going cold turkey. Jack naturally did it in a very entertaining way, but he also made it very believable. Being able to strike that balance is tough, but Jack totally committed to it."
One of Black's memorable moments occurred at the bad guys' compound. In an attempt to rescue Tugg Speedman, Portnoy enters the compound semi-naked and hogtied, riding on the back of a water buffalo.
"I'm in my underpants strapped to the back of the water buffalo and my concern was how the water buffalo hide was going to feel against my naked belly and chest," Black says. "Is it going to be a rough surface? Would I have an allergic reaction? But actually it was very soft, like one of those fancy tiger rugs you see in front of the fireplace in some movies. But she didn't seem to be all that thrilled with me on her back. She gave me a couple of swats with her tail and looked around at me like, 'I'm gonna buck your butt off!' I could have sworn there was anger in her eyes," he laughs.
The overly committed Australian actor Kirk Lazarus goes to the most extreme measures to realistically portray every one of his characters - in this case, having his skin surgically dyed to play an African-American sergeant, Lincoln Osiris.
"Oscar®-winner Kirk Lazarus is specifically drawn to the character of Lincoln Osiris, who happens to be a black man," says Cornfeld. "He seriously sees this as his next great acting challenge. Naturally, the studio doesn't grasp how absurd this is. They just jump at the opportunity to have him in the film.
When Lazarus reports for duty on set, he is Lincoln Osiris, and he refuses to drop out of character at any time throughout the entire movie."
Lazarus is committed one hundred percent to the role. "Kirk's heart is in the right place," Downey says. "The way it's portrayed is self-deprecating. He has literally gotten so into the role that he cannot get out of it, even when there's no indication they're making a movie anymore. Certain of us actors have gone that method route at times, but only up to a point. There's professionalism and dedication; and then there's total narcissism," he laughs.
Justin Theroux, executive producer and co-writer of "Tropic Thunder," observes that Robert Downey Jr. is "the man of a million characters. He's an actor who can pull off virtually anything - comedy, drama - and like Ben, he's a master of improv. Just watching them do a scene together was a joy to behold. It's sort of like watching a beautiful little tennis match, because they're both such talented and capable comedic talents."
Co-starring opposite Lazarus in the film is Alpa Chino. Portrayed by actor-comedian Brandon T. Jackson, Alpa Chino is a multi-platinum selling hip-hop star, (whose most recent hit was "I Love Tha' Pussy") with an extensive merchandise line that includes the "Booty Sweat" energy drink brand, "Bust-A-Nut" candy bars and a menswear line for the Gap called "Alpa Chinos."
Alpa has now set his sights on legitimate acting, playing a character named Motown, a badass soldier from Detroit who wears customized fatigues covered in graffiti. "My character is just this over-the-top, ridiculous guy," Jackson says. "He's so obsessed with the movie 'Scarface' that he has named himself after that film's star, Al Pacino. And he's a stickler about his name, too. People are always saying it wrong, so he's always spelling it out: A-L-P-A."
While Alpa Chino sees the war epic as a new career opportunity, he resents the fact that the role of Lincoln Osiris has been cast with Kirk Lazarus, which leads to some testy altercations. "Our characters are always getting into it," says Jackson. "Alpa is insulted that the role wasn't given to a black man. Yet, when he tries to argue this point with Kirk, it's like talking to a wall."
"Alpa Chino respects Kirk Lazarus the same way he respects Al Pacino," Downey says, "because he grew up watching Lazarus in these Oscar®-winning parts. But, clearly, Lazarus has crossed a line and when the movie starts to go south, and they're in real danger, his behavior becomes extremely irritating. Eventually, however, they develop a bond, which proves to be a really interesting twist."
Rounding out the main characters is Kevin Sandusky, an earnest young actor who gets his first big acting break playing newbie soldier Brooklyn. The role was given to up-and-coming comedy actor Jay Baruchel, who was recently seen in the summer 2007 hit "Knocked Up" and is currently filming his first comedy lead role in "She's Out of My League."
"Sandusky is the wet-behind-the-ears rookie actor, really eager and super-psyched to be there," Baruchel explains. "He's the only one of the cast who auditioned for the role, who bothered to read John 'Four Leaf' Tayback's book, attended the actors' military boot camp, and researched the role. So when things go bad for the cast, he becomes the de facto go-to man for all the answers. He's the only one that actually knows how to read a map or load a gun properly. So, naturally, they all assume that he knows how to do things like fly a helicopter, too."
Sandusky gets caught up in a power struggle between Speedman and Lazarus as both vie for his expertise to help them navigate their way out of the jungle. "That makes for an interesting turn by the climax of the film, one that I think a lot of people are going to enjoy," he smiles. "I know I did."
A host of talented actors comprise the supporting cast of "Tropic Thunder," including award-winning veteran actor Nick Nolte. In "Tropic Thunder," Nolte plays the real-life John "Four Leaf" Tayback, whose Vietnam memoir is the basis for the war film and is the basis for the character Tugg Speedman portrays.
Tayback is also on hand, serving as the movie's technical advisor, and when things start to fall apart, he becomes the catalyst for the insanity that follows.
"I'm just living on the beach while all these spoiled brat actors are in their big hotels or special trailers with their personal trainers," Nolte explains. "The young English director of this film can't control them, and when there's a major screw-up with a battle scene and the studio shuts down the film, I convince the director to get some video cameras and shoot it wild; take four or five days to go through the jungle, take the special effects guy along to blow some stuff up around them, and convince him that he'll get real emotion from these guys. He'll get real fear."
Four Leaf, however, has some secrets of his own and he inadvertently lands the actors in a real battle against members of the Flaming Dragon, a drug-manufacturing guerilla army based in the Golden Triangle.
Damien Cockburn, the war movie's frazzled director, is portrayed by British actor Steve Coogan, a major English comedy star, who is best known as the title character in BBC's "I'm Alan Partridge," and for his portrayal of Tony Wilson in Michael Winterbottom's "24 Hour Party People."
"I play this director who is drowning in this monolithic beast of a Hollywood production and the comedy springs from my misfortunes," Coogan says. "Cockburn has to deal with all these actors and their huge entourages and a budget that is spiraling out of control. It looks like everything's going to crash and burn but, ultimately, the film emerges unscathed."
He pauses and then adds, "No thanks to me."
Coogan was intrigued by how "Tropic Thunder" both pokes fun at and emulates how movies are made. "The film starts out looking like a big Hollywood war movie and then quickly becomes a high-concept comedy," Coogan says. "It laughs at itself, and Ben's sort of laughing at himself in the film as well. Although he's playing a fictitious movie star, he really is a movie star. He's mocking big movie stars who have a bunch of assistants running around, but Ben has a bunch of assistants running around him. He's taking reality and just distorting it, caricaturing and exaggerating it to make it funny. We're kind of showing the underbelly of Hollywood filmmaking and I think audiences will enjoy seeing how vulnerable everyone is in these situations."
Danny McBride, whose comic chops will also be seen this summer in the "The Foot Fist Way" plays the film's explosives expert, Cody, a trigger-happy explosions expert whose behavior is equal parts hilarious and scary. "SNL" regular Bill Hader, who has appeared in such recent hit comedies as "Knocked Up" and "Superbad," plays Rob Slolom, a meddling mid-level studio executive - the quintessential Hollywood bootlicker.
Tran, the head of the dangerous Flaming Dragons, is played by newcomer Brandon Soo Hoo. Stiller explains, "he is great in the film. He plays a 12-year-old who's got this army of guys manufacturing heroin for him. This is his first movie and he is a great young actor. Just the way he looks at you, you know he could take you down. And when he starts fighting, it's pretty amazing."
Backing up Tran is his first lieutenant, Byong, played by Reggie Lee, best known for his work in "The Fast and the Furious," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Prison Break."

FROM CONCEPT TO CREATION
"The inspiration for 'Tropic Thunder' goes back to 1987," says Stiller. "I had a really small part in Steven Spielberg's 'Empire of the Sun.' At that time all my actor friends were doing Vietnam films like 'Platoon' and "Hamburger Hill" and going off to fake boot camps for two weeks. Then during interviews they would say, 'This boot camp was the most intense thing I have ever experienced in my entire life and we really bonded as a unit and a group.'"
Stiller pauses and laughs. "It was funny to me that actors were talking about this incredibly intense experience when in reality it was nothing like being a soldier and going to war. That sort of self-important, self-involved thing seemed funny to me; I just couldn't figure a way to make that into a movie."
Stiller teamed up with fellow actor Justin Theroux and began working out a first draft and outline for "Tropic Thunder." "We had a first act and an outline for a few years," says Theroux. "But getting the rest of the logic and story beats to work took a while. There were many, many drafts over the course of about five years".
With Theroux living in New York and Stiller in Los Angeles, the two wrote scenes and e-mailed them back and forth. "Screenwriter Etan Cohen then joined in and it became a sort of free-for-all," Theroux continues "It was exactly what you would want a writing experience to be - a whole lot of laughing and a whole lot of fun. "
The trio's work eventually evolved into a shooting script, "about an incredibly bloated, top-heavy Hollywood production with a bunch of actors who didn't do the work, didn't do the research, barely learned their lines, and who are more obsessed with how they're all going to come off in a war movie than with the subject matter," Theroux explains. "The director, of course, has no control over his actors, which makes him go bananas. So he and John 'Four Leaf' Tayback - who wrote a best-selling memoir called Tropic Thunder - hatch a plan to kidnap the cast, take them to the jungle, and shoot the film 'Blair Witch' style. No more chefs. No more assistants. No more masseuses. No more trailers. No more TiVo. They're just going to do it dirty, gritty, in the mud - the real deal, with real fear and real emotion."
With that concept in mind, Stiller was adamant that the film not become a spoof. "The challenge was that it wasn't just an action movie and it wasn't a send-up," Stiller explains. "At the end of the day, you need to invest in the reality of the situation, and care about these people or it doesn't work. It was definitely influenced by a lot of real war movies, because I love that genre. I'm a real fan of those films. But it's also about Hollywood and how it works on an extreme level. As stretched as things get in this movie, there is still a basic level of reality."
"Ben has a tremendous gift for movie making," observes Stiller's producing partner Stuart Cornfeld. "In order to write something you really have to envision it, and then once you've envisioned it, directing is about delivering on that vision. Ben saw the film very clearly along these specific lines, knew exactly what he wanted to do and how much more there was to the movie than what was just printed on the page."
"Writing, directing, producing and acting is a lot of work, but I always knew Ben could handle it," continues Cornfeld. "When we worked together on 'Zoolander,' I was always astounded to see him carry the responsibility of a director and producer behind the camera, and then walk in front of the camera and deliver this amazing performance. I've come to believe that the acting really energizes him. When he steps in front of the camera, he is really able to dive into the character and deliver the performance, the improv and the energy. In a strange way, I think wearing all those hats is energizing for the whole production."
Co-star Jack Black agrees. "Ben has made so many great movies, and now he's also writing and directing. But this is the biggest movie he's ever directed. It's got huge, epic shots with helicopters coming through the mist and dodging mountains, machine gun fire, major explosions, tons of extras. Then he's got to make it funny. And he does. He's a pro, totally knows what he wants to do, and it was great working with him."

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
DreamWorks and Red Hour Films, Stiller and Cornfeld's production company, brought in producer Eric McLeod, who had recently served as executive producer on the back-to-back productions of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." The team knew McLeod would be up for the challenge of shooting a film largely on location. "This was bigger than any movie I've ever been involved with in terms of scale," says Cornfeld. "Eric had experience mounting major productions and was well-versed with working in exotic locations and with state governments and handling major set construction and explosions without harming the existing environment. He was the key to working out the logistics of this production."
With a script in place and the producing team assembled, the filmmakers recruited costume designer Marlene Stewart ("JFK," "True Lies") to manage regular wardrobe needs and to research and acquire accurate Vietnam-era military uniforms, as well as to design hip-hopper Alpa Chino's clothing line. Stiller and Cornfeld also recruited award-winning cinematographer John Toll ("Braveheart," "The Thin Red Line") and production designer Jeff Mann ("TRANSFORMERS") to help bring their vision to life.
"We initially considered shooting in Southern California to double for Vietnam and Burma/Myanmar in Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle," explains producer McLeod. "But all of us wanted a unique, lush, and different look to this film, and that's what Kauai offered."
A frequent destination for movie and television crews, the 32-mile wide island of Kauai has been utilized over the years for such notable films as "South Pacific" and the Costa Rica game preserve in Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park." Kauai's various jungles, rivers, cliffs, waterfalls and other diverse terrains provided the crew of "Tropic Thunder" with multiple locations to mimic the film's Southeast Asian locales and added an important realism factor that wouldn't have been possible in California. In total days, scope of filming and manpower, "Tropic Thunder" is the largest production ever staged on the island.
Production designer Jeff Mann recalls that early in pre-production he and Stiller spent up to 25 hours over the course of six to eight weeks in a helicopter flying over the island looking for film locations, primarily the Hot LZ ("landing zone") and the Flaming Dragon compound. "We were looking for mountain ranges and environments that didn't feel recognizably Hawaiian - without the red earth and vertical ridges of the Na Pali Coast," Mann says. "We needed to discover someplace that felt more like the Golden Triangle."
McLeod compares the film's massive six-month pre-production process to "adult adventure camp." He recalls, "As most of the movie was shot on Kauai, we scouted by helicopter, by boat, by ATV. We wanted unique locations, places that hadn't been shot before. That required more work on our end, but in the end we found everything we needed and it was well worth the work."
The movie's exterior filming took place at seven locations primarily on Kauai's northern and eastern sides before relocating back to Los Angeles for the Los Angeles locales and various interiors, which were primarily filmed on legendary Stage 12 at Universal Studios in Universal City, California (where, coincidentally, scenes from the Kauai-based production of "Jurassic Park" were also shot).
Starting with the first day of filming, Stiller led the cast and crew in filming a major battle scene for the fictional epic war film. Reminiscent of memorable war scenes in films from "Apocalypse Now" to "Saving Private Ryan," this is where we first meet the heroes of the film-within-a-film.
The movie's two major set pieces, the Hot LZ and Flaming Dragon Compound, were both shot on Kauai. The Hot LZ was situated on an expansive valley of tropical land, part of the privately-owned 40,000-acre Grove Farm property in Kauai's county seat of Lihue. A few miles inland, across rocky, winding roads, was the Flaming Dragon Compound where the movie's final action sequence takes place. The expansive set was built over several months at the edge of Mount Waialeale, a site that is noted for having 350 rainy days per year - more rain than any other place in the world.
"We had to deal with a lot of rain and a lot of mud," laughs Black. "But the locations looked great and they really added to our scenes. When you arrived on set, you kind of knew you weren't making a typical comedy or a typical action film, and I think when people see the film they'll understand why Ben picked those locations."
"We were actually looking at one possible location for the compound when, all of a sudden, Ben and Jeff Mann said, 'What about down there?'" recalls producer McLeod. With that, the crew hiked down a cliff and found a couple of hydroelectric plants from the 1930s. Says Mann, "Since 'the hand of man' had already been here and excavated part of the property, it afforded us a road to get in and out. We selectively cleared some of the vegetation to create space for the set, but we were careful not to upset the visual balance of the environment."
The filmmakers brought in construction crews from Oahu and Los Angeles to widen the road for film production trucks, trailers and the other equipment needed to support the cast, crew and hundreds of technicians. Sets were then built, including a working hundred-foot wooden bridge leading into the compound. This bridge plays an integral role in the movie's finale, so Mann and his team worked with a structural engineer on its construction. "The whole thing took a little over three months," says Stiller. "The bridge is my favorite because it's something that was conceived in a drawing, was integral to the story, and Jeff totally pulled it off. It makes for a great ending to those scenes in the compound."
"When we first went out there to rehearse I realized what a drive it was," remembers Downey. "Anyone can attest to the fact that it was just insane. It didn't seem like there was any good reason why we should be shooting here. We could've just gone off the side of a major thoroughfare somewhere and made it look like this. But the truth is, we couldn't have because this was so remote and so complete in its realism and isolation. It was so tough and so knee-deep in mud and rain, but we were blessed because there wasn't a day that we didn't enjoy, which is so rare. Oftentimes when you go into those situations or locations you think it's going to be hell, but this was a very enjoyable purgatory for a month or two."
One cast member had very few complaints about shooting in Hawaii, never letting it get in the way of her own agenda on the set. The filmmakers found Bertha, the water buffalo that Black's character rides, in Texas and flew her to Kauai on a special plane. But about midway through filming, everyone was in for a big surprise. "One day the trainer called us and said, 'Oh, by the way, Bertha can't work because when we showed up at the corral this morning, she had a calf,'" recalls producer McLeod. "We didn't know she was pregnant. No one knew she was pregnant. Bertha having this baby was definitely kind of a humorous morale booster for everyone." In honor of Jack Black, the animal trainer named Bertha's baby "Little Jack."

MAKING THE BATTLE SCENES BELIEVABLE
"'Tropic Thunder' opens with a major battle sequence, with soldiers running everywhere, helicopters crisscrossing, and tons of smoke; it feels as real as any Vietnam movie," says production designer Mann.
Comedy is familiar territory for Stiller and Theroux, but the action elements were another matter, so the writing team consulted with famed military advisor Dale Dye to make sure the military action and jargon depicted in the film's war sequences were accurate. Dye and his company, Warriors Inc., have lent their talents to dozens of films and television projects over the years, from "Band of Brothers" to "Saving Private Ryan," and Stiller attributes their insight to making the first part of the story so strong and credible. Then to continue that authenticity throughout production, Warrior Inc.'s advisors Mark Ebenhoch and Mike Stokey were on set as technical advisors for the first few weeks of filming the Vietnam battle sequences.
"Ben had a mandate that the film's opening scene be as real as possible, as if the actors had been through actual boot camp," says Ebenhoch, a retired Marine gunnery sergeant. "We worked to get the actors up to speed with weapons handling, tactical moving - basically giving them the look of realistic soldiers. We then took them out for training with the weaponry - how to fire, hold their weapons, and reload." According to Ebenhoch, his biggest surprise was how adeptly Jack Black took to working with the weapons. "Jack had to fire an M60 machine gun and took to it like a baby takes to milk. He became very proficient with the weapon, which holds several hundred rounds." "We trained with some very powerful artillery," Black recalls of his brief training. "And somehow I got stuck with the heaviest gun, an M60; they call it a 'pig.' People were saying that I was a natural, though it's disturbing to think that I could be such an effective, steady killing machine. Apparently when the chips are down, the fellas want me in that foxhole."
Dye also worked closely with costume designer Marlene Stewart to check all the military uniforms for authenticity, as well as with stunt coordinator Brad Martin and his team of stuntmen who portrayed the U.S. Army infantrymen, Viet Cong soldiers, and Tran's guerilla army. "Mike and Mark made everything look better," says Cornfeld. "So when the movie opens, you're really into it like you're watching a regular big-budget action film." To capture the feeling of being in a grand war movie, aerial coordinator Alan Purwin was brought in. Purwin's credits include some of the best-known war films of the last two decades, as well as "Die Hard," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," and "TRANSFORMERS," among numerous others. He was responsible for bringing in and flying the Vietnam-era Huey military helicopters used during filming, as well as manning the aerial choppers used for air-to-air and air-to-ground filming.
Special effects coordinator Michael Meinardus and his team were responsible for all the practical effects such as bullet hits, fire and smoke, rocket explosions, squibs and the aforementioned napalm explosion in Vietnam's Hot LZ. This explosion was created with a 450 foot-long row of explosive pots filled with 1100 gallons of a 90/10 gasoline/diesel mix that were arranged across a field lined with coconut palm trees. In one take and at the flick of a switch, 11 cameras captured the controlled explosion that created a mushroom cloud fireball reaching 350 feet in the air. The entire staggered explosion consisted of 12 separate explosions, the full run of which was completed in 1.25 seconds.
Summing it all up, producer Eric McLeod notes that "Ben wanted to make everything the best it could be, and he was one of the hardest working guys on set. He wanted everyone to understand that this was not only a comedy, but an action film as well. He didn't want to compromise. Ben made everything important, and when you watch the film you'll see how the littlest details ended up being important for the film."

ABOUT THE CAST
BEN STILLER (Tugg Speedman/Director/Screenplay/Story/Producer) is a prolific actor, director, producer and writer who continues to imprint his unique perspective on film, television and stage.
Stiller has been directing, acting and producing films consistently over the last decade, including "Reality Bites," his motion picture directorial debut in 1994, "The Cable Guy" starring Jim Carrey, which he directed in 1996, and "Zoolander," which he co-wrote, directed and produced in 2001 through his production company Red Hour Films, along with producing partner Stuart Cornfeld. He has also starred in numerous hits, including "Flirting with Disaster," written and directed by David O. Russell, "Meet the Parents" and its sequel "Meet the Fockers," "There's Something About Mary," "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," "Starsky & Hutch" and the animated hit "Madagascar," as well as the box office blockbuster "Night at the Museum" for 20th Century Fox, which grossed nearly $600 million worldwide. In 1998, Stiller portrayed Jerry Stahl in "Permanent Midnight," the true-life story of a heroin-addicted comedy writer. That same year, he also appeared in "Your Friends and Neighbors" written and directed by Neil LaBute.
Producer credits include "Zoolander," "Starsky & Hutch," "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," "The Ruins" and the smash hit "Blades of Glory," starring Will Ferrell.
Stiller earned an Emmy Award for his writing on the critically acclaimed television series "The Ben Stiller Show," which lasted all of 12 episodes. He also appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning production of "The House of Blue Leaves" by John Guare, and off-Broadway in Neil LaBute's "This is How it Goes" directed by George C. Wolfe.
JACK BLACK (Jeff Portnoy) has appeared in many motion pictures, but it was his scene-stealing performance as John Cusack's sarcastic music store employee in Stephen Frears' acclaimed comedy "High Fidelity" that cemented his place in the hearts of audiences. That breakout role in 2000 garnered him a Blockbuster Entertainment Award in the supporting actor category and a nomination for an American Comedy Award. Black then co-hosted the "2002 MTV Movie Awards" with Sarah Michelle Gellar; the program was the highest-rated MTV Movie Awards show ever and the top-rated cable program of the year.
In September 2003, Black proved his box-office draw with a #1 opening for Paramount Pictures' "School of Rock" from director Richard Linklater and writer Mike White. Black received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -Musical or Comedy.
In December 2005, Black was seen in Peter Jackson's cinematic blockbuster "King Kong," joining a cast that included Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis and Colin Hanks.
2006 saw Black starring in the box-office smash "Nacho Libre," directed by Jared Hess ("Napoleon Dynamite"), and in the ensemble comedy "The Holiday," directed by Nancy Meyers and also starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law.
As the lead singer of the rock-folk comedy group Tenacious D, which he created with friend Kyle Gass, Black most recently starred in the feature film "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny," which Stiller and Cornfeld also produced. Tenacious D's self-titled album was released in 2001 and quickly certified at gold-selling status.
Earlier this year, Black voiced the title character in the animated hit "Kung Fu Panda." He recently wrapped "Year One," with Michael Cera, directed by Harold Ramis and produced by Judd Apatow.
His screen credits also include the Farrelly brothers' "Shallow Hal" opposite Gwyneth Paltrow; Jake Kasdan's "Orange County"; "Jesus' Son" with Billy Crudup; "Saving Silverman"; and the 1996 Stiller-directed comedy "Cable Guy," which was the first time Black and Stiller worked together. He also provided the voice of Lenny in the hit DreamWorks animated feature "Shark Tale." Black made his feature film debut in Tim Robbins' "Bob Roberts."
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. (Kirk Lazarus) has evolved into one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. Downey most recently starred in the title role of the international hit movie "Iron Man" alongside Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub and Gwyneth Paltrow. He will be seen later this year in the drama "The Soloist" opposite Jamie Foxx and Catherine Keener under the direction of Joe Wright ("Atonement").
Downey received an Academy Award® nomination and won the BAFTA (British Academy Award) for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of "Chaplin," released in 1992.
Downey was also seen as the high school principal in "Charlie Bartlett"; in David Fincher's "Zodiac," alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo; in Richard Linklater's 2006 summer hit "A Scanner Darkly," co-starring Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder and Woody Harrelson; and "Fur," opposite Nicole Kidman in a film inspired by the life of Diane Arbus, the revered photographer whose images captured attention in the early 1960s.
In 2005, Downey was in the Academy Award®-nominated film "Good Night and Good Luck.," directed by George Clooney. He was also seen in the action comedy "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang," directed by Shane Black and co-starring Val Kilmer.
In 2003, Downey starred in two very different films: "The Singing Detective," a remake of the popular BBC hit musical drama featuring Downey singing and dancing alongside Adrien Brody, Katie Holmes and Robin Wright-Penn; and "Gothika," starring Halle Berry and Penelope Cruz, in which Downey played a psychiatrist who works in a mental institution.
Downey made his primetime television debut in 2001 when he joined the cast of the Fox-TV series "Ally McBeal," playing the role of attorney Larry Paul. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television, as well as the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Comedy Series. In addition, Downey was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
In 2000, Downey co-starred with Michael Douglas and Toby Maguire in "Wonder Boys," directed by Curtis Hanson, in which he played a bisexual literary agent. In April 2000, he appeared alongside Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy in the hit comedy "Bowfinger."
In 1999, he starred in "Black and White," written and directed by James Toback and co-starring Ben Stiller, Elijah Wood, Gaby Hoffman, Brooke Shields and Claudia Schiffer. "Black and White" is about a group of white high school teens and their excursions into the lives of Harlem's black hip-hop crowd. He also played the villain opposite Annette Bening and Aidan Quinn in "In Dreams," directed by Neil Jordan.
In 1998, Downey co-starred with Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes in "U.S. Marshals," directed by Stuart Baird, and with Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner in the critically acclaimed "Two Girls and a Guy," directed by James Toback.
In 1997, Downey was seen in Robert Altman's "The Gingerbread Man," along with Kenneth Branagh, Daryl Hannah and Embeth Davitz, as well as "One Night Stand" directed by Mike Figgis and starring Wesley Snipes and Nastassja Kinski.
Other film credits include "Restoration," "Richard III," "Natural Born Killers," "Short Cuts," "The Last Party," "Soapdish," "Air America," "Chances Are," "True Believer," "Johnny Be Good," "Less Than Zero," "The Pick-up Artist," "Back to School," "Weird Science," "Firstborn" and "Pound," in which he made his feature film debut and which was directed by Robert Downey Sr.
On November 23rd, 2004, Robert Downey Jr. released his debut album, "The Futurist," on the Sony Classics label. The album, which contains eight original songs, showed off his sultry singing voice.
STEVE COOGAN (Damien Cockburn) was born and raised in Manchester UK, where he trained as an actor at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre. While studying, he saw stand-up as a way of obtaining an Equity card. He was spotted by a television scout and offered a spot on "First Exposure," which led to many television appearances, including "The Prince's Gala Trust for the Prince and Princess of Wales," "Stand-Up," "Up-Front," "Paramount City," "London Underground" and "Word in Your Ear." He was also a regular voice on "Spitting Image" for several years.
In 1992, he won the Perrier Award for his show "Steve Coogan in Character with John Thompson," in which he launched his character Paul Calf. Paul Calf became a regular on "Saturday Zoo"; on this show, he introduced a new character, Paul's sister Pauline Calf. He went on to write and perform in "The Paul Calf Video Diaries," for which he won a BAFTA for his performance in Pauline Calf's wedding video "Three Fights, Two Weddings and a Funeral."
While working in radio, he created his character Alan Partridge in "On the Hour," which transferred to television and became "The Day Today," and from which came the show "Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge" that was also transferred to television and received huge critical acclaim along with numerous awards.
At the 1994 British Comedy Awards he won Top Male Comedy Performer and Top Comedy Personality, and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" won Best New Television Comedy.
Coogan went on to star or appear in several films and television shows such as "Resurrected," "Harry," "The Indian in the Cupboard," Terry Jones' "Wind in the Willows," the BBC 2 series "Coogan's Run," "Revengers Comedies," and "The Fix."
He wrote and starred in a Christmas special for BBC 2, "Tony Ferrino's Phenomenon," for which he received the Silver Rose of Montreux Award, and he won two BAFTAs' for Best Comedy Series and Best Comedy Performance for his series "I'm Alan Partridge."
He completed a successful, sold-out tour of the UK with his live show "Steve Coogan: The Man Who Thinks He's It," which won a South Bank Show Award and broke all box office records for a comedy show in London's West End.
Coogan then took a couple of years out to write the film "The Parole Officer," with his business partner Henry Normal, which became one of the top-grossing British films of the year.
Three years ago, Coogan and Normal set up their own production company, Baby Cow Productions, and have produced a number of award-winning programs, such as "Marion & Geoff," "Human Remains," "The Mighty Boosh," "Gavin and Stacey," "Sensitive Skin," "Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible," "A Small Summer Party," "Up in Town," with Joanna Lumley, and the BBC 2 TV film "Cruise of the Gods."
April 2002 saw the release of the cult classic "24 Hour Party People," directed by Michael Winterbottom, about Factory Records and the rise and fall of Tony Wilson, played by Coogan.
In autumn 2002, he released a new series of "I'm Alan Partridge," which again received rave reviews. In 2003, Coogan played Samuel Pepys in the BBC2 historical drama "The Private Life of Samuel Pepys," charting the famous diarist. He then co-starred in Frank Coraci's "Around the World in 80 Days" as Phileas Fogg, with Jackie Chan as Passepartout. He was also featured in a segment of Jim Jarmusch's film "Coffee and Cigarettes," which debuted at the 2004 Venice Film Festival.
More recently, Coogan has appeared in several films, including Michael Winterbottom's "A Cock and Bull Story," Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" and the Ben Stiller family comedy-adventure "Night at the Museum," in which he memorably played miniature Roman warrior Octavius.
He appeared on Larry David's HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and recently completely filming the second series of his BBC 2 comedy show "Saxondale."
Coogan is currently starring in the 2008 Sundance Film Festival break-out hit comedy "Hamlet 2," directed by Andrew Fleming and starring Catherine Keener, Amy Poehler and David Arquette.
Before his debut as the star of the critically acclaimed FOX-TV series "Undeclared," JAY BARUCHEL (Kevin Sandusky) was relatively new to American audiences. Baruchel began acting at age 12 when he landed a job on the Nickelodeon hit television series "Are You Afraid of the Dark?," transforming what was to be a one-time guest appearance into a recurring role. The role was a springboard for his career, leading to his first Canadian series, "My Hometown."
The Canadian-born actor has since appeared in a number of feature films, including "Nemesis Game," "The Rules of Attraction" and, in the memorable role of Vic Munoz, the obsessed Led Zeppelin fan in "Almost Famous." However, roles in a string of films since, including the Academy Award®-winning movie "Million Dollar Baby," opposite Clint Eastwood, Hillary Swank and Morgan Freeman, have helped cement his place as a rising star in Hollywood.
Baruchel reunited with "Undeclared" creator Judd Apatow last summer in Universal Pictures' smash hit "Knocked Up" opposite Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl. He also starred opposite Rose Byrne in the Canadian indie "Just Buried," as well as in "Real Time" opposite Randy Quaid.
Other feature film credits include "I'm Reed Fish," co-starring Alexis Bledel, which premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, the Canadian independent film "Fetching Cody," which premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival, and the upcoming Weinstein Company feature "Fanboys."
Baruchel recently fulfilled his dream and directed a short film entitled "Edgar & Jane," which he also wrote, produced and shot in Montreal.
He will next star in the DreamWorks comedy/romance "She's Out of My League."
Baruchel currently resides in Montreal.
DANNY MCBRIDE (Cody) first gained industry awareness with his starring role in David Gordon Green's "All the Real Girls," winner of the 2003 Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. McBride attended the North Carolina School of the Arts, alongside David Gordon Green, Jody Hill and Ben Best, where he received a BFA in filmmaking. McBride re-teamed with Hill and Best in the 2006 Sundance smash hit comedy "The Foot Fist Way," which he co-wrote with director Hill and was released last May by Paramount Vantage.
McBride currently stars opposite Seth Rogen and James Franco in "Pineapple Express," directed by his longtime collaborator David Gordon Green. McBride has also starred in such comedies as "Hot Rod" with Andy Samberg and "The Heartbreak Kid" with Ben Stiller. He recently wrapped production opposite Will Ferrell in the action-comedy "Land of the Lost," due for release in Summer 2009.
McBride starred in the HBO pilot "East Bound and Down," which he wrote with his longtime collaborators Hill and Best and which will go into production later this year.
While most kids growing up in Detroit, Michigan found school to be dull and unbearable, BRANDON T. JACKSON (Alpa Chino) somehow managed to laugh his way through it. Comedy was the perfect outlet to get through all of life's drama. Jackson held the title of "class clown" and grew his passion for comedy and acting by doing talent shows and performing at youth nights at his father's church. By age 14, Jackson's career as a stand-up comic evolved from local school shows to community projects such as the Motor City Youth Festival.
Jackson took an internship at local Detroit radio station 93.1 FM and soon found himself as a guest host at 105.9 FM. As his following grew, so did his hunger to become the funniest young comedian. He began to get calls to open for and work with comedians such as Chris Tucker and Wayne Brady. Jackson delivered sidesplitting performances at New York City's "Showtime at the Apollo" and BET's "Comic View." It was only a matter of time before his life would completely change.
His high school sketches eventually lead to film roles. The then 20-year-old actor/comedian was cast in his first major movie role as Bow Wow's best friend, Junior, in "Roll Bounce," directed by Malcolm Lee, which also featured Chi McBride, Nick Cannon, Khleo Thomas, Mike Epps, and Meagan Good. He recently launched and hosted the "Teens of Comedy Tour," presented by BET, featuring Lil JJ' and the nation's funniest teenage comedians, and can also be seen as a cast member on MTV's "Wild 'N Out."
Jackson, who is one of seven siblings, credits his sense of humor to his dad, Bishop Wayne T. Jackson. As if he didn't have enough pressure, his mother also serves as the pastor of their church. Jackson's comedic inspiration comes from top comedians such as Sinbad, Martin Lawrence, Will Smith and Chris Tucker. Growing up Jackson saw both sides of life. He had one foot in the suburbs and the other in the inner city. Much of his material touches on politics, the ups and downs of being young, dating, God, and just about any issue.
Communicating to and motivating youth is a mission etched in his heart. When he is not doing movies and performing in comedy clubs and television, Jackson is reaching back to his own contemporaries. "I've gone through the same typical stuff most kids go through. I want to help kids see beyond the same mess that continues to oppress us. I want them to take their lives to the next level in every aspect. Young people need direction and I want to use my talents to do just that."
In 2005 and 2006, Jackson hosted his brainchild "Teens of Comedy Tour," featuring some of the country's funniest young comedians. In 2006, Jackson hosted the "Up Close and Personal Tour," featuring Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Lil Wayne, Juelz Santana, and Dem Franchize Boyz. It ended up being the largest teenage music tour of the season. His sketch comedy special "The Brandon T. Jackson Show" recently aired and was nominated for a NAMIC Vision Awards. The movie version of the "Teens of Comedy Tour" is currently in development.
Jackson aspires to be the funniest man in America, to show his range as an actor and to reshape the world of comedy into one that inspires, teaches and uplifts people.
BILL HADER (Rob Slolom) recently concluded his third season as a cast member on NBC's venerable comedy institution "Saturday Night Live" and has made time in his busy schedule to appear in several films. Last summer, he starred in two Judd Apatow hit comedies, "Knocked Up" and "Superbad," both opposite Seth Rogen, as well as "Hot Rod" and "The Brothers Solomon." This year, he starred in two other Apatow-produced comedies, "Pineapple Express," again with Rogen, and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." He will next co-star in the comedy "Adventureland" directed by "Superbad" director Greg Mottola.
A Second City Los Angeles alum, Hader currently lives in New York with his wife, filmmaker Maggie Carey.
A two-time Academy Award® nominee, NICK NOLTE (John "Four Leaf" Tayback) has sustained a discernible level of integrity throughout his career, leading him to the biggest role of his life --international super-stardom, and to his role as producer of many of the projects in which he appears under the banner of his production company Kingsgate Films.
With the ability to masterfully portray a wide range of roles, Nolte was most recently seen in Paramount Pictures' "The Spiderwick Chronicles"; Sony Pictures Classics' "The Beautiful Country," directed by Hans Peter Moland and executive-produced by Terrence Malick; the Olivier Assayas-directed "Clean," costarring Maggie Cheung; "Peaceful Warrior," adapted from the Dan Millman novel Way of the Peaceful Warrior and directed by Victor Salva; and "Neverwas," directed by Joshua Michael Stern and co-starring Ian McKellan, Jessica Lange and William Hurt. He also voiced the character of Vincent the Bear in DreamWorks' animated feature "Over the Hedge."
Nolte's additional recent film credits included playing the United Nations commander in the critically acclaimed feature "Hotel Rwanda," starring Don Cheadle, as well as director Neil Jordan's crime caper "The Good Thief," Ang Lee's "The Hulk" for Universal Pictures and the Polish brothers' "Northfork" for Paramount Classics. Nolte also re-teamed with director Alan Rudolph to film "Investigating Sex," in which he starred opposite Neve Campbell and Robin Tunney.
Nolte returned to his acting roots when he starred along with Sean Penn in the stage production of Sam Shepard's play "The Late Henry Moss."
In recent years, Nolte has successfully added to his credit top contending films such as director Paul Schrader's "Affliction," in which he received Academy Award®, Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations for Best Actor; Oliver Stone's "U Turn," co-starring Sean Penn and Jennifer Lopez; "Afterglow," produced by Robert Altman; "Jefferson in Paris," in which he portrayed Thomas Jefferson; Martin Scorsese's thriller remake "Cape Fear"; and "The Prince of Tides," in which he starred opposite Barbra Streisand, and for which he received an Oscar® nomination for Best Actor and won the Golden Globe as Best Actor. He starred opposite Julia Roberts in "I Love Trouble" and as a basketball coach in "Blue Chips," for director William Friedkin. Additionally, Nolte starred in "I'll Do Anything" for writer/director James L. Brooks, and in the critically acclaimed "Lorenzo's Oil," co-starring Susan Sarandon.
His production company, Kingsgate, currently has in development "White Jazz," with a James Ellroy script based on his best-selling film noir novel, and "The Last Magic Summer," an adaptation of the Peter Gent novel of the same name.
Nolte, an Omaha, Nebraska native, played college football before he discovered theatre, and began his acting career at the Pasadena Playhouse. He studied briefly with Bryan O'Byrne at Stella Adler's Academy in Los Angeles. He then traveled for several years performing in regional theatres.
Landing a breakthrough role in the legendary television miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man" marked only the beginning for Nolte, launching him into international fame. Following its success, he made his feature film debut starring in "The Deep" opposite Jacqueline Bisset.
Diversity of character became Nolte's signature in his early film career, with roles as a drug-smuggling Vietnam veteran in "Who'll Stop the Rain," a disillusioned football star in "North Dallas Forty," which he developed with author Peter Gent; free-spirited beat-era writer Neal Cassidy in "Heart Beat"; and a reclusive marine biologist in "Cannery Row."
Nolte continued to challenge himself with such character roles as the philosophical vagrant in "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," a tough cop in "48 Hrs.," an American photojournalist in "Under Fire," and a determined lawman in "Extreme Prejudice." He created another unique character in "Weeds," an ex-con turned playwright.
Other Nolte film credits have included "Three Fugitives," "Farewell to the King," Scorsese's segment of "New York Stories," Karel Reisz' "Everybody Wins," and Sidney Lumet's "Q & A."
BRANDON SOO HOO (Tran), born November 2, 1995, makes his feature film debut in "Tropic Thunder." He is a native of Pasadena, California and will soon be starting the seventh grade. He began his acting career last year and has since appeared in several commercials and print advertisements.
Soo Hoo currently lives in Temple City, California, with his parents and sister, where he enjoys hanging out with friends and drawing. He also plays piano and holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He won multiple gold and silver medals in Tae Kwon Do exhibitions throughout California. He will next be seen in the action spectacular "G.I. Joe."
REGGIE LEE (Byong) is best known for his role as Secret Service agent Bill Kim on FOX-TV's hit show "Prison Break" and for playing Chow Yun Fat's villainous right hand man Tai Huang in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." He is currently filming Sam Raimi's "Drag Me to Hell," which is due in theatres in 2009. Later this year, Lee will be seen playing the lead role in the independent feature "Chinaman's Chance," opposite Ernest Borgnine, Timothy Bottoms and Danny Trejo.
Since he starred as Lance Nguyen, the snakeskin-wearing, motorcycle-riding, cold-blooded killer in Universal's high-octane blockbuster "The Fast and the Furious" in 2001, Lee has also appeared in "Masked and Anonymous" with Bob Dylan, the Sci-Fi Channel's thriller "Frankenfish," "Net Games," "X.C.U." and, most recently, the horror film "Dimples."
On television, Lee portrayed the role of Zhing Zhang in the FOX comedy "Luis." He also appeared as Officer Jim Chang on Lifetime's "The Division," Dr. Oliver Lee on "Judging Amy" and Assistant District Attorney Brian Chin on "Philly."
Lee has guest-starred on more than 20 television shows, including "ER," "Ellen Again," "Strong Medicine," "Mad About You," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Diagnosis Murder," "Chicago Hope," "Beverly Hills 90210," "Babylon 5," "Party of Five" and "The Magic Pearl," the first all-Asian animation for TV.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
BEN STILLER (Director/Screenplay/Story/Producer/Tugg Speedman) See bio in About the Cast section above.
JUSTIN THEROUX (Screenplay/Story/Executive Producer) is an accomplished film and stage actor who gained industry notice with his unforgettable performance as director Adam Kesher, opposite Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring in David Lynch's "Mulholland Dr."
Theroux recently teamed up again with Lynch in last year's "Inland Empire." Lately, Theroux has starred in Zoe R. Cassavetes' "Broken English," David Wain's "The Ten" and, earlier this year, as John Hancock in HBO's acclaimed dramatic miniseries "John Adams" alongside Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson.
Theroux's other film credits include Mary Harron's "American Psycho" and "I Shot Andy Warhol"; "The Baxter,"; "Strangers with Candy"; "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle"; Ben Stiller's "Zoolander"; Greg Berlanti's romantic comedy "The Broken Hearts Club,"; and "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion."
Theroux's television credits include a recurring character on HBO's acclaimed series "Six Feet Under" and guest spots on numerous network television shows.
Theroux's directorial debut, "Dedication," was released by The Weinstein Co. after its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. Theroux produced and developed the script with writer David Bromberg. The film stars Billy Crudup, Mandy Moore, Tom Wilkinson, Diane Wiest and Bob Balaban. The dark romantic comedy centers around a misogynistic children's book writer (Crudup) who is forced to collaborate with a young female illustrator (Moore) when his writing partner and only friend dies.
Theroux began his acting career in New York theater, starring opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman in the critically acclaimed "Shopping and Fucking," followed by "Three Sisters" with Calista Flockhart, Billy Crudup, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Lily Taylor. Theroux's most recent stage appearance was at Lincoln Center, starring in Frank McGuinness's' "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme." For his performance, Theroux was honored with a Lucille Lortel Award as well as the Boston Critics Award for Best Male Actor.
Theroux resides in New York City.
ETAN COHEN (Screenplay) has established himself as one of the premiere feature comedy writers in the business, having written projects for some of the movies' biggest directors and stars, including Jay Roach, Mike Judge, Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell. He began his career at 19 while studying in a Jewish seminary on the West Bank in Israel, when he wrote a spec episode of "Beavis and Butthead" and made a cold submission to the show's staff. Mike Judge, who created and was running the show, read it and asked Cohen to start writing for "Beavis and Butthead" immediately. His sophomore year at Harvard coincided with the beginning of what became a three-year stint writing for the popular series. Among the episodes he wrote was one that featured Beavis and Butthead counterfeiting money by simply photocopying it and, shortly thereafter, a group of Columbia University students were found to have adopted the counterfeiting process they saw in the episode.
Cohen graduated from Harvard with a degree in Yiddish and moved to Los Angeles. Once there, he entered into a deal with Disney Television Animation. After that, he went to be a staff writer on ABC's "It's Like, You Know" (created by Peter Melman of "Seinfeld"), with Jennifer Grey playing herself. Cohen was then recruited by Judge to work on FOX's "King of the Hill" as a story editor and ended his stint there as co-executive producer. During that time, Cohen signed an overall deal with FOX TV and won an Annie Award for outstanding writing in animation for the episode "Ceci N'est Pas Une King of the Hill" (2004). During that period, Cohen began writing feature scripts and has since transitioned into exclusively writing features.
Cohen recently wrote and directed the short film "My Wife is Retarded," which debuted at the 2007 U.S. HBO-Aspen Comedy Arts Festival, where it won the prize for Best Short Film.
Cohen married his college sweetheart, Emily, whom he met while they were both working on The Harvard Lampoon. She is currently working as an artist and illustrator in Los Angeles. They have three children.
STUART CORNFELD (Producer) is Ben Stiller's producing partner at Red Hour Films. Their credits include "Zoolander," "Starsky & Hutch," "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny," "Blades of Glory" and "The Ruins."
Before teaming up with Stiller, his career included producer, co-producer and executive producer credits on an eclectic slate of films, including "The Elephant Man," "National Lampoon's European Vacation," "The Fly," "Wilder Napalm," "Kafka" and "Mimic."
ERIC McLEOD (Producer) recently served as the executive producer of the global box office smash hits "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." His wide range of production experience as a producer, executive producer and unit production manager made him a superb candidate to handle the massive logistics required for mounting both films consecutively.
Just before he boarded the "Pirates" ship, McLeod served as producer of the smash hit "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. He was also executive producer of "The Dukes of Hazzard," "The Cat in the Hat," "Showtime" and "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," and producer of "Austin Powers in Goldmember," "The Cell" and "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me."
Earlier in his career, McLeod was co-producer of "Feeling Minnesota" and "Now and Then," line producer of "Corrina, Corrina" and "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and associate producer of "Live Wire." He has also served as unit production manager on several of the above films, as well as on "Enemy of the State," "Wag the Dog," "Wide Sargasso Sea" and "The Rapture." McLeod began his work in motion pictures as a production coordinator on John Waters' "Cry-Baby," starring Johnny Depp, and Gus Van Sant's "Drugstore Cowboy," and as a production supervisor on "8 Seconds."
JOHN TOLL, ASC (Director of Photography) has the distinction of winning back-to-back Academy Awards® for Best Cinematography: the first in 1995 for Edward Zwick's sweeping romantic drama "Legends of the Fall," and a second in 1996 for his work on Mel Gibson's epic drama "Braveheart," which additionally won him an American Society of Cinematographers Award and the BAFTA Award.
His work on Terrence Malick's World War II drama "The Thin Red Line" earned him the American Society of Cinematographers Award, both the New York Film Critics Circle and Chicago Film Critics Association Awards for Best Cinematography and a Jury Special Mention at the Berlin Film Festival, as well as an Oscar® nomination and a nomination from the British Society of Cinematographers.
Toll has collaborated three times with writer/director Cameron Crowe, photographing "Almost Famous," "Vanilla Sky" and "Elizabethtown." He also filmed "The Last Samurai" and the romantic drama "Captain Correlli's Mandolin."
Among his additional credits as a director of photography are "Simpatico," the Francis Ford Coppola film "The Rainmaker" and Carroll Ballard's "Wind." Toll's most recent credits include Ben Affleck's directorial debut, "Gone, Baby, Gone," and "Seraphim Falls."
From his thunderous debut on the hit film "Gone in 60 Seconds," JEFF MANN (Production Designer) has created acclaimed looks for one successful film after another, each time lending his director his own exacting and invaluable aesthetic.
Mann's mercurial, dazzling, and varying visual style can be seen in stunning relief in such diverse films as "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," "Swordfish" and "TRANSFORMERS."
Mann, a native of Southern California, developed his keen visual style not by apprenticing on backlots, but rather by immersing himself in Los Angeles' ecstatic music and art scene. Encouraged by his tight knit group of artist friends, Mann continually honed his talents in unique and varied ways. By nature of his circuitous route to production design, something he often credits to his "left of center" visual style, he continually provides a unique and often unorthodox approach to his work.
After working in the art department on numerous music videos, Mann quickly segued into work on television commercials. His natural artistic ability and adroit engineering skills, in conjunction with his tireless work ethic, helped to catapult him through the ranks. In a few short years, Mann had shot past many of his contemporaries and, by 1995, he found himself working at the top of his craft as one of the most sought after commercial production designers in the industry. Mann's resume of commercials includes award-winning advertisements for directors Michael Bay, Antoine Fuqua, Dominic Sena, Lance Acord, Jonathan Glazer and the late Herb Ritts. His corporate client list (which included Kodak, American Express, Nike, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, and many more) likewise reflected Mann's inestimable value to whatever he levels his eye at.
Mann currently lives in Los Angeles with his daughter and his wife, who is also an artist.
GREG HAYDEN (Editor) has edited such films as "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason," Ben Stiller's "Zoolander" and Jay Roach's "Austin Powers in Goldmember" (shared credit). His additional credits as an additional editor or coeditor include "Blades of Glory"; "Meet the Parents"; "Mystery, Alaska"; "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me"; "Krippendorf's Tribe"; "The Beautician and the Beast"; "Dunston Checks In"; "Cabin Boy"; "Forever Young" and "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken."
MARLENE STEWART (Costume Designer) earned her first credits working on music videos, including memorable designs for fashion-forward pop superstar Madonna. Stewart created image-shaping costumes for 11 Madonna videos, including "Vogue," "Material Girl," "Like a Prayer," and "Express Yourself."
Stewart's film work spans a wide variety of genres, periods and looks. She has collaborated with an intriguing array of directors, ranging from Alejandro González Iñárritu on "21 Grams" to Oliver Stone on "The Doors" and "JFK" to Michael Mann on "Ali" and Beeban Kidron on "To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar."
Most recently, Stewart designed the costumes for Nancy Meyers' romantic comedy "The Holiday" and Kimberly Peirce's drama "Stop-Loss."
Her credits also include Andy Tennant's "Hitch," James Cameron's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and "True Lies," Mary Lambert's "Siesta," Joel Schumacher's "Falling Down," James L. Brooks' "I'll Do Anything," Curtis Hanson's "The River Wild," Joe Pytka's "Space Jam," Rob Bowman's "The X Files," Tony Scott's "Enemy of the State," Dominic Sena's "Gone in 60 Seconds," David McNally's "Coyote Ugly," and Antoine Fuqua's "Tears of the Sun."
After earning a degree in History at the University of California, Berkeley, Stewart studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. She received the Bob Mackie Award for Design for her student work and began her design career by launching her own women's clothing line, Covers.
A Boston native, Stewart designed the costumes for three Madonna tours as well as tours for Cher, Paula Abdul, and Gloria Estefan. She created music video looks for Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart, Bette Midler, Debbie Harry, Smashing Pumpkins, the Bangles, and the Eurythmics, and was the first recipient of the American Music Awards' Best Costume Design Award for the video "Material Girl."
THEODORE SHAPIRO's (Music) versatility and talent are evident in his scores for a wide range of feature films, as well as his works for the concert hall. His most recent work includes scores for the worldwide hit "The Devil Wears Prada"; the Will Ferrell comedies "Semi-Pro" and "Blades of Glory" (which Stiller also produced); "Mr. Woodcock," starring Billy Bob Thornton; the indie dramas "The Girl in the Park" and "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh"; Mike Judge's comedy "Idiocracy"; the caper comedy "Fun with Dick and Jane"; "The Baxter"; "13 Going on 30"; and the Ben Stiller comedies "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," "Starsky & Hutch" and "Along Came Polly" (BMI Film Music Award winner for all three).
Additional feature film composing credits include Todd Phillips' hit comedy "Old School," as well as the comedies "You, Me and Dupree," "View from the Top" and "Not Another Teen Movie"; David Mamet's "Heist" and "State and Main"; and the indie circuit hit "Girlfight" for director Karyn Kusama.
Next up for Shapiro is "Marley and Me," starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.
Among Shapiro's symphonic compositions are "Chambers" (for small orchestra), performed by the L.A. Philharmonic and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra; "Avenues" (concerto for piano and orchestra), performed by both the Seattle Symphony and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; and "Of Blood and Carnations" (for orchestra), premiered by the N.Y. Chamber Orchestra and later performed by the Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra.
GEORGE DRAKOULIAS (Music Supervisor), a veteran musician, record producer and music industry executive known for discovering and helming albums for such artists as the Black Crowes and the Jayhawks, has supervised the select tracks, scores and soundtracks of numerous feature films and television series.
Those feature credits include "Margot at the Wedding," starring Nicole Kidman and Jack Black; "Mr. Woodcock," starring Billy Bob Thornton and Seann William Scott; "Blades of Glory," starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder; David Fincher's "Zodiac," starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr.; two Todd Phillips comedies, "School for Scoundrels," starring Billy Bob Thornton, and "Starsky & Hutch," with Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Snoop Dogg; "Blade: Trinity," the third installment of the hit vampire thriller franchise starring Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson and Jessica Biel; "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story"; and "Zoolander," Ben Stiller's comedy starring Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and Jon Voight. He also produced the soundtrack for "Zoolander" and received a "special thanks" for his work on Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou."
He supervised the music for the television series "Wonderland" and more than 20 episodes in the 2006-2007 seasons of "Lost."
In addition, Drakoulias has produced cuts on six feature film soundtracks, including two Richard Linklater comedies: "Bad News Bears," starring Billy Bob Thornton, Greg Kinnear and Marcia Gay Harden, and "The School of Rock," starring Jack Black and Joan Cusack. He also produced the soundtrack cuts for "Herbie Fully Loaded," Trey Parker's twisted animated adventure "Team America: World Police" and "Big Daddy."
A bass player as a youth, Drakoulias would grow up to become a staff producer and A&R executive at the Def American label. It is there he discovered and later produced albums for such bands as the Black Crowes and the Jayhawks.
BRAD MARTIN (Stunt Coordinator) is also an accomplished director, writer, producer, 2nd unit director and stuntman. He is currently in negotiations to direct his 2nd feature, "Descendants" (produced by Len Wiseman and Lakeshore Entertainment), a sci-fi/action story which he and Wiseman created.
As a native of Sun Valley, Idaho, Martin grew up skiing (he is a former member of the U.S. Development Ski Team) and practicing martial arts (he has his Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and is well versed in numerous other styles) as well as mastering other sporting and athletic endeavors. After graduating with a degree in Philosophy from the University of Washington, Martin made the move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film.
Excelling in martial arts and acrobatic stunts, Martin is distinguished among the top stunt performers in the world, having worked in scores of feature films and dozens of television episodes. Some other of his more recent stunt credits include: "Mr. & Mr. Smith," "Constantine," "Spider-Man 2 & 3," "Dawn of the Dead," "Daredevil" and "SWAT," as well as the last two "Matrix" films. He has stunt doubled for some of the industry's elite actors, and was the exclusive stunt double for George Clooney in "Batman & Robin," "The Perfect Storm," "Three Kings," "Out of Sight," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "The Peacemaker."
Martin's stunt coordinating experience primarily focuses on feature films such as "Live Free or Die Hard," "Underworld" and "Underworld: Evolution," "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," "Zoolander," "Rock Star," and "American Pie 2."
MIKE FINK (Visual Effects Supervisor) has been involved with visual effects since he was a young boy, when he created his first miniature shot - a still of a rocket to the moon - in the hallway of his parents' home. He began working in film on "China Syndrome," in 1977, and then "cut his eye teeth" on films such as "Star Trek the Motion Picture" and "Blade Runner."
Fink received his first effects supervisor credit on "War Games," for which he created entirely new graphics software and the design of three custom film recorders, since off-the-shelf recorders for the job did not yet exist. He supervised the design and installation of the first real-time 24-frame-per-second computer system for displaying data and simple graphics (in 1982) on 120 video monitors simultaneously.
His credits also include "Buckaroo Banzai," "Project X," "Seventh Sign," (for which he received his first second unit director credit) and "Batman Returns," which earned him his first Academy Award® nomination. Under Fink's direction, Warner Bros. launched a full service visual effects facility, Warner Digital Studios, which produced highly lauded effects on films such as "Eraser," "Mars Attacks!" and "Batman & Robin."
In October 2001, Fink was honored at the Premio Imaggine in Milan, Italy for his contribution to the art and science of digital filmmaking. In 2008, he received an Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects, as well as a BAFTA Award for "The Golden Compass."
MIKE MEINARDUS (Special Effects Coordinator) has lent his special effects skills to several of the most action-packed films of the last decade, including "Live Free or Die Hard," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Starsky & Hutch," "Torque," "Cradle to the Grave," "Showtime," "Rush Hour 2," "Swordfish," "Gone in 60 Seconds," "Enemy of the State," "U.S. Marshals," "Conspiracy Theory," "The Rock," "Twister," "Bad Boys," "Speed," "True Romance," "Ricochet" and "Die Hard 2."
Other credits include "The Number 23," "The Reaping," "Just My Luck," "Bewitched," "Along Came Polly," "Austin Powers in Goldmember," "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and "Vegas Vacation," among others.