Reading James Joyce in a pub… Chris Rock & Ben Stiller sum up the best of Irish culture in our video interview
“I know it’s going to sound like some tourist blarney, but Ireland does feel like a second home to me,” says Ben Stiller in our video interview below. “I feel I know it better than I know Hollywood. At least, I wish I did. It’s been a long time since I made it over there though. The last time, I managed to slice off some guys wing mirror, as we took a spin around the country, but my wife, Christine, has never been, and we’re planning to get over there with the kids real soon.”
Chris Rock then offers his opinion on our fair isle “Of course, I went to a pub and drank. I’m not really a big drinker, but, if you’re in Ireland, you gotta drink. What are you doing in Ireland otherwise? You have to smoke weed in Amsterdam, right?”
The duo appear in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, out in cinemas today. The challenge is the same as any sequel – how do you top a hugely successful first outing? Somehow, Stiller and co. have managed it, delivering a film that’s superior in just about every way. Most importantly, it’s just funnier. Was the man himself surprised by this?
“I feel like we really didn’t want to do it unless we thought we could do something better,” says Stiller, “and I think that the process is so strange really, for an actor, that you learn the first time. And you can’t help but have a better feeling for it the second time. It’s the process too. First time round, you don’t see your character in action yet, but now that we have, you can have a little fun with that. You realise more what can be done.”
To view our video interview just press play below
Madagscar 2 – Escape To Africa is now showing at Irish cinemas nationwide.
We’ll have a video interview with Jada Pinkett Smith on Movies.ie next week.