Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis — two of the funniest men alive — face off in The Campaign as rival Southerners vying for a seat in Congress.
The two men took a break from stumping to answer some hard-hitting questions about the film.
What appealed to you about this project?
ZACH: Well, the timing seemed right for the subject matter, and I hadn’t really seen a film like this since Wag The Dog. Also, I got to work with Will Ferrell, who I believe is the best comedian ever. If Will had asked me to do a four-and-a-half-hour-long silent movie in which we play grasshoppers, I would have said, ‘OK!’
What makes The Campaign different from other political satires?
WILL: The idea of trying to do something satirical about politics has been done before, but they have been subtler. I don’t think there has ever been anything this broad, over-the-top and kind of vulgar.
Who is Congressman Cam Brady?
WILL: Cam is a charming person who has been able to rise to the top with the least amount of work. I think initially he wanted to make a difference, but then found it was easy to get re-elected and slacked in the job. And he is confident and has great hair! I believe he would sink to any depth to get reelected.
And how do you see Marty Huggins?
ZACH: I think Marty is a really sweet guy who gets swept up by human ego, even though he is innocent and down-to-earth. He comes from a political family and wants acceptance from his father, and this election is a way to achieve that. So, he is a fish out of water that kind of gets lost in the shuffle of the power of politics. We see him change, and that was fun to play. Marty is the black sheep of the family, and the need for recognition from his father is the motivation behind him. I don’t think he would have run without that need.
What comedic opportunity did this political scenario give you?
WILL: It gave us the opportunity to be really funny and appeal to a big audience.
Was there a lot of improvising on set?
ZACH: There was quite a lot of improvising. Sometimes you just do it to keep things fresh and try to make the people around you laugh when they are not supposed to. But Will is a tough nut to break!
And how does it feel to have villains of the calibre of Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow in your movie?
ZACH: We were really very fortunate to get those guys!
Do you believe that the political scenario could do with some healthy humour?
ZACH: Yes, because politics is kind of like professional wrestling or reality TV these days.
WILL: You would think this film could be a perfect antidote to everyone getting constantly bombarded with presidential politics and offer a nice departure from all that.
Speaking of having your finger on the pulse, you use the term ‘insourcing’ in the movie.
WILL: Yes, and the fact that it is also out there is exciting to me.
What was it like to embrace the Southern accent?
WILL: It was easy for Zach because he is from North Carolina. I was just trying to avoid sounding like George Bush all the time. So I had to constantly work on mine.
