Here’s the thing with celebrity interviews. They only ever give you little morsels of information, keeping back any real behind-the-scenes insight for the Vanity Fair’s and GQ’s of this world. Their media training is so strict that generally you’ll get the same rehearsed goddam answer not matter what you ask or how many times you tell them you simply looooved their small budget passion piece movie. You totally didn’t. If you really want to get the juiciest stories, you have to go straight to the brains of any operation: To the writers room, where neither publicists, daylight nor leafy greens can penetrate.
In a recent Reddit AMA, regular Parks and Recreation writer Megan Amram – who’s promoting a “sexy science” book -- bestowed upon the world a bounty of hilarious set stories. Of course, anything to do with the universe’s most beloved Star-Lord and we’re all ears, but just when you didn’t think you could love him more, Amram tells us about the funniest moment she ever witnessed on set.
“Chris Pratt is one of the best humans on earth. I was filming an episode last year and he was supposed to hit a phone out of someone's hand, and instead he DROP KICKED A FAX MACHINE ACROSS THE SET. It hit a phone and you could so loudly hear the dial tone as it laid off the hook. I think it's the hardest I’ve ever laughed. Didn’t make it in the show, though :( :(“
Ummm, here's a serious question -- why the hell would they cut that? Any gag starring Andy Dwyer is worth it's weight in gold. By which I mean its weight on like a neutron star. As for another tasty tidbit we gleaned from Amram's AMA, she says the scripts are less improvised then you would guess, but sometimes good things do happen in the spur of the moment.
“[The cast] aren't in the room as we write usually, and our scripts are less improvised than a lot of people think, but there are definitely a lot of improved lines that get in the show. So, so many incredible improvisers in our cast. Amy [Poehler] and Pratt are especially incredible!”
Seriously, working on this show would be a blast, even if it was short-lived one. The comical stylings of Chris and Amy is one thing, but even Megan Amram is a pretty hilarious gal in her own right. Have you checked out her punchy Twitter account? Do it. Especially when she’s happy to answer deeply informative questions on what smells better: Adam Scott’s hair or Home Depot’s latest employee of the month, Nick Offerman's mustache? The answer:
“Nick Offerman's mustache -- it's like a cast-iron skillet. He’s never washed it, so it's finely aged with every food he's ever eaten. There’s a whole turkey leg in it!”
I may very well buy this girl’s sexy science book after finishing up Poehler’s “Yes Please.” Cue ‘em up ladies.
