Wedding Crashers is almost 20 years old at this point, but the film remains as funny as ever. The specific brand of raunchy comedy that rose to popularity in the 2000s is ever present, and produced unforgettable quotes spoken by actors like Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. Some of the film is considered to be outdated by 2024 standards, but Vaughn’s way of delivering comedy is evergreen. Bradley Cooper thinks so too, as the Maestro actor recently lauded Vaughn for his immense talent, especially within Wedding Crashers, which they both starred in. Now, Vaugn is explaining his approach to comedy, and why it worked so well for the 2005 film.
Vaughn recently participated in a Hot Ones interview where host Sean Evans brought up Cooper’s admiration for the fellow actor, and asked him to explain his approach and thought process surrounding comedic delivery. The Swingers star explained that the comedy in that film comes from immense commitment, and treating ridiculous scenarios as deeply serious and important. This is also essential to improvising, which he compared to a conversation, saying:
I think any time you have to be committed and totally bought in -- and a comedy is kind of an overcommitment to the absurd --so if the situation's odd, you're playing it like it matters. Like this is the most important thing. With improvising, which is really kind of like writing in the moment, you're listening and reacting honestly to what's happening, because it's like you talking each time you experience this [Hot Ones]. It's not the same, the conversations aren't the same, how the wings are hitting you that day may not be the same thing.
The fact that this was Vince Vaughn’s approach to Wedding Crashers totally makes sense. The breakfast scene in particular comes to mind, when his character Jeremy comes down for breakfast after an insane night and tells his friend John, played by Wilson, what had just happened to him. Vaughn plays the scene completely serious, despite the insanity of what he is saying, which makes the scene even funnier. It is one of the best scenes in the movie, and having Vaughn explain his thought process behind-the-scenes on Wedding Crashers enhances the film for me.
Cooper specifically admired Vaughn’s willingness to continue asking for takes after he had nailed a comedic scene, and that he was willing to fail even after getting everything right. Vaughn explained that this was one of his favorite parts of the acting process, and embracing repetition can be an exciting way to be creative. He said:
So you have to be present to respond truthfully to everything that's going to happen [sic] so in that case, if you get the chance to do a scene again, and there's a lot of things going on, it's just exciting to give yourself over to that process.
This is such sound advice, and a great way to encourage actors to put ego aside when they approach a scene. The best comedic moments come from trial and error, especially when actors surprise their scene partner with a previously unwritten joke or delivery. It also helps to have a co-star like Owen Wilson, who can seamlessly adapt to anything thrown at him in the moment, and make it even funnier. It makes me miss seeing these two on screen together. There were rumblings in the past about a Wedding Crashers 2, but no news as of recent. Nevertheless, I’d still love to see the duo reunite on the big screen again, and maybe even bring Bradley Cooper along for the ride.
Fans can revisit Vince Vaughn’s comedic talents in Wedding Crashers now by renting the movie on Amazon. You can also see the actor in his latest project, Bad Monkey, which is a drama series set to stream with a AppleTV+ subscription on August 14, 2024. For more information on other buzzy titles coming soon from The Break-Up star, make sure to consult our feature on upcoming projects starring Vaughn.