Zach Galifianakis has made his way to main stream! After his big break through role in The Hangover, he has been riding high on the tidal wave of fame. Although Zach has been a stand up comedian for years, he never garnered attention until he played the lovable but clueless brother-in-law Alan Garner in The Hangover.
He most recently hosted SNL, a gig that every comedian dreams of!
Zach shaved his beard for this sketch. He was literally backstage during commercial break frantically shaving!
Now that’s dedication to his work!
It isn’t all laughs when Zach talks about comedians being looked over for awards.
“I get frustrated,” he opines, “because with serious movies anybody can look at the camera and say these words. But when you’ve got to make it funny, it’s harder.”
Putting comedies and musicals into one awards category, he adds, makes the whole situation even worse: “They are two different things. It’s insulting,” he says.
Right now his schedule is jam packed with four new movies (plus five more in development) and the second season of popular Showtime comedy series Bored to Death coming out this year.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story, which co-stars Emma Roberts, is a departure from the typical comedy films he is known to play in. In an interview with Variety, Zach talks about how this film is different. He says “It’s dramatic, a smaller movie”
Just being released this year is Rogues Gallery, something he made 2 1/2 years ago with Emilie de Ravin. Zach plays Hermit and Emilie plays Heirophant. Sound like odd names? Well they should! The movie follows a battle between government spy teams who take their names from the Tarot deck. The action film also stars Ving Rhames and Ellen Barkin.
Next up to bat is Dinner for Schmucks with a July release date. The premise of the movie is based off an old French film titled Le Diner de Cons or The Dinner of Idiots, which is a comedy masterpiece and was praised by fans and critics alike. The remake stars Zach Galifianakis, Paul Rudd, and Steve Carrell, and is directed by Jay Roach (who directed all the Austin Powers movies and Meet the Fockers)
Zach tells Variety that;
“I play a guy who thinks he can read minds and manipulate people with his mental powers,” he says. “I didn’t do much research.”
Lastly, Galifianakis stars in the autumn release Due Date, which Zach says is “a buddy movie with Robert Downey Jr. But we’re not buddies. It’s a traveling across America kind of thing.” At first you might think of 80’s comedy ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles’ but it’s actually about a high-strung man forced to hitchhike across America to make it in time to see his baby born. ‘Due Date’ also stars Jamie Foxx and Juliette Lewis and was directed by Todd Phillips of ‘The Hangover’ fame. So it was a reunion of sorts, sound like comedy gold!
When asked what has changed for him since the success of ‘The Hangover’ Zach had this to say!
“I get a better table at Long John Silver’s. Other than that, not to be thinking too much about it,” he says. “People keep telling me, ‘Your life’s changed.’ Not really. I’m 40. I think I have a sensible attitude. I don’t want to be recognized, but what can you do?”
Just keep on making those funny movies Zach!
