Tina Fey and Steve Carell Dish all things “Date Night” at NYC Premiere
Phil and Claire Foster are married New Jersey suburbanites who are frazzled and tired from the daily routine of work, kids, collapsing and then repeating it the next day. So Phil plans a special date night in New York City, which goes horribly awry when they pose as “The Tripplehorns” to secure a table at a swanky restaurant. Unfortunately the Tripplehorns are amidst an extortion plot involving a mobster and some crooked cops, which leaves the Fosters dodging bullets and bad guys on their hot night out.
At the New York City premiere, the leading couple, Tina Fey and Steve Carelll, as well as Jonathan Morgan Heit, who plays their son Oliver, stopped to discuss the film, relationships, bad dates, and things you should never do on a date.
Q: So Tina, what was it like working with Steve Carell?
Tina: A nightmare. It’s a nightmare. Torture! Everyone has to walk on eggshells around him, no, he’s very nice.
Q: What do you have in common with your character Claire?
T: We’re both exhausted. We have little kids and we’re married. I relate to the effort it takes to be present for your spouse when you’re exhausted at the end of the day.
Q: If you could go on a date with any celebrity, who would it be?
T: Well I’m married, but I would like to have dinner with Ina Garten (host of the Food Network’s program, “Barefoot Contessa), because I just want to eat her food.
Q: What’s the worst date you’ve had?
T: Pass.
Q: One thing someone should not do during a date?
T: Take you pants off…during dinner.
Q: What was it like working with Will Ferrell in “Megamind”?
T: It was so nice to be able to work with him and see him again, because I was with him a long time at “SNL.”
Q: Is Matt Damon really coming to “30 Rock”?
T: Yes (smiles widely).
Q: Are we going to see more of Sarah Palin, perhaps at Tea Parties on “SNL”?
T: Yes, check it out this Saturday and see what’s up!
Q: Steve, what was the worst date you ever had?
Steve: I went to a Jethro Tull concert at the Boston Garden with my older brothers and they were just merciless to me. I was so embarrassed, I just wound up shaking the girl’s hand at night. It was pretty horrible.
Q: If you could take any celebrity out on a date, who would it be?
S: I’m a married man! I would never take – well my wife (actress Nancy Carell) is sort of a celebrity, so I’d take my wife.
Q: What do you have in common with your character Phil?
S: I have a lot in common with him. We’re both married, we both love our wives and we both have two little kids. Tina and I both identified with our characters, mostly with the fatigue of family life and kids and jobs and all that.
Q: Well you paint a lovely picture!
S: It is a lovely picture, but in terms of this movie, what the couple is finding is that all these other things are taking priority over each other. And they just need to draw themselves back into recognizing how important the other is.
Q: You’ve been married since 1995, what’s your secret to your relationship success?
S: I’m not an expert of any sort, but I will say my wife and I will remind one another in subtle ways as to how we feel about each other. That’s more important than anything, not the big romantic gestures but the little tiny things that you’re able to remind each other.
Q: What was it like working with Tina Fey?
S: Fantastic! She exceeded any expectation I had of her. She’s so smart and funny and really kind. She’s a gem!
Q: What are some of your favorite restaurants in the city?
S: On the way in we drove by Shun Lee and when we lived here, my wife and I ate there all the time. And John’s Pizza – it’s always good.
Q: What’s the one you shouldn’t do on a date?
S: If you’re at a fancy restaurant, don’t eat with your hands. And if you do, please wash them.
Q: Jonathan, what did you like about working on “Date Night”?
Jonathan: Everything was great – the experience, the actors and the director is really nice. He was so nice to me and he’s an overall great director.
Q: Do you remember any funny moments on set working with Tina?
J: She said little things that would make everyone laugh. One of the times Tina had these glasses on and one of the light things kept moving on them and then she swatted them and the glasses flew off her head – they shot off – and everyone completely started laughing.
Q: You’re not quite of age for dating yet, but if you were dating, what would be the one thing you should not do on a date?
J: Sneeze in the food at dinner.
Q: You’re also in “Dinner for Schmucks” – who do you play in it?
J: I’m in the opening scene and I got to work with a live vulture. I set up one of the main characters – this weird zoo guy that has a vulture as a pet.
Q: So are you not afraid of vultures now?
J: I actually like vultures now…but I’m really scared of ants. I got attacked by a nest of fire ants so I’m really leery of ants.
Q: Back to “Date Night” – why should moviegoers see it?
J: It’s obviously really funny and the actors are really good together.
