1 Actor Who “Lost His Mind” During ‘Hangover’ Audition Later Became the Best Part About the R-Rated Film Series
If we talk about the most successful R-rated comedy movies at the box office, one name that would probably pop into our mind is Todd Phillips’ The Hangover which received immense commendation from fans for its humor.
However, little did many know that one of the cast members: actor Ken Jeong, who played the significant role of Mr. Chow in the film gave an eccentric audition that amazed the makers. The director mentioned Jeong going out of his mind while auditioning for the role that plays a crucial part in the leading characters’ lives.
The Hangover Star Ken Jeong Lost His Mind While Auditioning
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The Hangover is indisputably one of the best R-rated comedy movies which succeeded with an impressive box-office collection of $468.81 million worldwide over a budget of almost $35 million. While talking about the making of the film, its cast, and storyline, director Todd Phillips shared that Ken Jeong who played Mr. Chow through the installments of the film slayed his audition and stunned the makers.
The director told The Hollywood Reporter that:
“My first exposure to Ken Jeong was his YouTube videos with Mike O’Connell. The Mr. Chow character that we wrote was always supposed to be a 60-year-old Asian guy, and I kind of resisted bringing in Ken for it. He came into my office, and we did this read-through, and Ken just lost his mind. The whole place was, “What the f– is going on in there?”
The trilogy starring Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Ed Helms in the leading roles, showcases Jeong as Mr. Chow, a gangster whose character evolves through the films and becomes a significant part of the lives of the three friends. The film franchise is known not only for its humor but also for the chemistry between the three actors. The sequels received comparatively less commendation than the original film but remain one of the most successful franchises in the comedy genre movies.
The Hangover Was Initially Titled What Happens in Vegas
The Hangover was initially titled What Happens in Vegas when screenwriters Jon Lucas and Scott Moore brought the idea of a bachelor’s party with a twist. However, when Warner Bro, took over, they named it The Hangover. Throughout the original movie, there were significant challenges including Ed Helms’s scheduling conflicts due to The Office, script changes, and other notable aspects.
While talking about the beginning of The Hangover, Todd Phillips told The Hollywood Reporter that:
“I was sort of doing this other project at Warner Bros., possibly with Jack Black, and Jack pulled out of it. I took this spec script [for The Hangover] and thought, “This is a really interesting idea.”
Explaining how the idea of The Hangover emerged, the director added:
“I brought it to Jeff Robinov at Warner Bros. and said: “Look, here’s this movie. We’re going to rewrite it.” The thing that was there was that these guys lost the groom and couldn’t remember what they did. That was all there.”
Bradley Cooper then shared about the script changes that were made including the incorporation of Ken Jeong’s character Mr. Chow by the director in the movie which turned out to be an impressive idea. The sequels of the original Hangover received mixed reviews from fans but it did not affect the films’ success.
The Hangover is streaming on Netflix.
