Michael Cera is really glad Rihanna slapped him in This Is The End
"She really sent me flying, and it was great," said the Barbie actor of his 2013 cameo
Aux News Michael Cera
Michael Cera’s most recent film (Barbie, of course) may have featured a grand beach-off that was more dance battle than down and dirty brawl, but the actor has not always been so lucky to emerge so unscathed from shooting a fight scene. But, according to Cera, he’s actually been very lucky to take a few bumps and bruises along the way. Specifically from international superstar Rihanna.
Remember the (very) 2013 film This Is The End? Written by an actively high Seth Rogen (per his own admission, as well as anyone with a brain and a movie ticket), the film starred pretty much every comedian of the era as partygoers who face the apocalypse and a very large demon to eventually end up in heaven with the Backstreet Boys. Michael Cera got hit on by Mindy Kaling, hit in the face by Rihanna, and did a whole mountain of coke. It was… a lot.
It was also awesome, according to Cera. The actor revisited his scene-stealing cameo and specifically the slap in a recent interview with GQ, saying “Yeah, I mean she definitely hit me. But I really, I wanted that, you know? I mean, I think it’s a lot funnier and a lot more convincing.”
“A fake slap just doesn’t look good, so she hit me hard. She really sent me flying, and it was great,” he continued. “And now it’s on film forever, this pain that I experienced.”
Rogen previously discussed the moment around the time of the film’s release with Sway’s Universe. “He asked her, ‘can I slap your ass for real?’ And she said, ‘You can slap my ass for real, if I can slap you back in the face for real.’ And he was like, ‘Okay!’” he said, before adding that the two filmed the scene “like three or four times.” “She cupped his ear and actually, like, whacked out his equilibrium, and he had to go lie down in his trailer [for] around half an hour,” he continued. “That’s the take we used in the movie, like we didn’t add any sound to that or anything.” Now that is how you do practical effects in a film.
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It’s a good trade.
Consensual, even.
Yeah, worth it for him for sure.
Easily in the top 10 funniest movies of the last 20 years. The Interview is also beyond hilarious, as is Pineapple Express to a lesser extent. Such a shame that Franco got zapped, those guys together were comedy gold, and now we’ve got nothing.
Cera’s 60 seconds onscreen in This Is The End might be the most efficiently outstanding appearance in any film I can remember. He just comes in on fire, never lets up, and goes out spectacularly.
Absolutely agree. He’s the only reason I watch the first 15 minutes of that movie, and then turn it off immediately afterwards.
I mean, Danny McBride absolutely crushes the rest of the first half of the movie. It’s like 1993 Michael Jordan. The porno mag argument is on the Mt. Rushmore of comedy scenes for this century. Gotta watch at least up to that part.
Him blowing the coke in McLovin’s face (I forgot the actor’s name) is beyond hilarious. He steals everything, it’s like a quicker version of what NPH did in Harold and Kumar.
“Who wants a sip? Sip time…” just absolutely kills me every time.
“Hey, does this coke smell funny?”
“the film starred pretty much every comedian of the era”Yeah, not even close but the hyperbole is appreciated.
“he had to go lie down in his trailer [for] around half an hour”Did he say “I’ll be in my bunk?”
And was she with him?(don’t worry, I know the answer to this)
This is the End is an amazing kind of film; it has an insane cast of newly or soon to be famous people, plus great (real-life) tension between two key actors: Jonah Hill and Jay Baruchel (who channels his lack of fame relative to his peers brilliantly). It also lets everyone be bad in a loose kind of way that I’m not sure would happen anymore. It’s a time capsule of a certain era, but it’s also still really visceral. The only thing that could have improved it is if Robert Altman had directed.
It’s great that Baruchel and Craig Robinson are basically the two best characters in the movie too
Danny McBride is the best character by far.
embarrassment of riches situation here. no one i can think of sucks in this film
Best character was the Demon who got frisky with Hill. 🙂
Somehow everyone keeps misspelling Channing Tatum.
This is the End is an amazing kind of film; it has an insane cast of newly or soon to be famous peopleMost of the cast were at least ten years into their celebrity with the leads hitting their “billion dollar cartoon franchise voice acting” phase at this point. It was noteworthy at the time because everyone involved was hugely famous.I think Michael Cera was the least-famous cast member and he was 3 years off of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 6 years off of Juno and Superbad, and Arrested Development had “ended” a whole 7 years earlier.
yeah it wasn’t a breakout for anyone they were already broken out. the notable bit was them all playing themselves, which is more or less accurate to the short film that inspired it.
Given that Baruchel says the film depicts what Hill is actually like in real life, can we assume the same about Michael Cera?
I’m not entirely certain of that. I’ve seen Cera do bits on other sets, basically being a jerk to everyone, but in a truly playful way, but who knows. I feel like we would have heard more about any bad shenanigans by now, but maybe I’m naïve. Baruchel and Hill on the other hand — that tension is real.
I worked for a movie theatre company when this came out, and I went to see it about five times! Something about it just made my day.
Michael Cera’s most recent film (Barbie, of course)it literally isn’t
One of my proudest professional moments: my work was doing a live event and managed to get Jay Baruchel as a guest, and I happened on the gig of conducting the interview.I realized I had an unmissable opportunity – as I introduced him, I launched the music cue:BACKSTREET’S BACK – ALRIGHT!
He walked to the stage to giant applause and it was a fantastic interview. And he told me how much he enjoyed the music choice.
Dated Aubrey Plaza AND got Rihanna to agree to him slapping her ass? What a bloody ripper legend!
Like the scene from The Opposite Sex (‘56) where June Allyson slaps Joan Collins earring off. Joan had been telling June to really hit her and she finally did, stepping into it like she was delivering a fastball. Joan thought she had lost a tooth, and had a welt for 3 days.
Also, Teri Hatcher slapping Piece Brosnan in “Tomorrow Never Dies”. Brosnan, by all accounts, properly felt it.Not “lose an earring and a tooth” felt it, but nonetheless.