Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Jason Segel Pursues Cameron Diaz in “Bad Teacher”



Comic actor Jason Segel plays the irreverent gym coach Russell Gettis whose romantic advances to teacher Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) fall on deaf ears, in Columbia Pictures’ raunchy comedy “Bad Teacher.”



In the film, Elizabeth Halsey is a teacher who just doesn’t give an F. She’s foul-mouthed, ruthless, and wildly inappropriate. She drinks, she gets high, and she can’t wait to marry her meal ticket and walk away from her day job teaching middle school. When she’s dumped by her fiancé, she sets her plan in motion to win over a rich, handsome substitute (Justin Timberlake). Elizabeth’s outrageous schemes and their wild consequences will shock her students, her coworkers, and even herself.



Russell is just a happy-go-lucky guy,” says Segel of his character. “He’s just enjoying life and looking for other people who can hang. I think that’s why he gets along with Elizabeth – if she’d just let her guard down.



How can he keep getting turned down by Elizabeth but keep coming back for more? “He’s just not fazed by rejection,” says Segel. “In fact, there’s something safe about flirting with a girl who tells you right from the beginning that it is never going to happen: there’s no risk. Women can keep saying no – all he needs is one to say yes.



Jason is hilarious, but he plays the only normal person in the entire movie,” says co-screenwriter Lee Eisenberg. “He can call out Elizabeth on her stuff, he can react when she says something ridiculous. He grounds the movie.”



Jason Segel landed his first major picture starring role as Peter in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” which he also wrote. Released in 2008, the film went to make over $100 million worldwide. With Segel’s writing skills now in demand by many studios, he was inspired to fulfill a personal idea and passion by pitching his concept for a Muppet movie. He and Nicholas Stoller would co-write the screenplay for the upcoming film “The Muppets,” in which Segel also stars. The film will be released by Disney this Thanksgiving.



In June 2007, Segel was summoned by Judd Apatow to share the great success of the comedy “Knocked Up” with stars Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. The film grossed over $140 million dollars domestically and won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Movie Comedy.



In 2009, Segel rejoined Rudd in the hit comedy “I Love You, Man.”



Opening across the Philippines August 31, “Bad Teacher” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.



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