Jenny Slate Fulfills Dream To Be Romantic Lead in 'I Want You Back' Movie
- Details
- Category: Interviews
- Created: Wednesday, 09 February 2022 21:42
- Published: Wednesday, 09 February 2022 21:42
- Written by Lupe R Haas
Jenny Slate is a romantic at heart and a fan of romantic comedies so starring in Prime Video's rom-com I WANT YOU BACK is one dream she can check off her bucket list. Jenny chatted with CineMovie about her new movie and what it was like shooting the film as a new mom under the COVID restrictions.
Starring opposite Charlie Day and Scott Eastwood, Slate plays Emma who's dumped by Eastwood's Noah for another woman. Soon after, Emma meets Peter (Day) whose relationship has also come to an abrupt end with Gina Rodriguez's Anne. Together the pair hatch a plan to sabotage each other exes new love life to get them back. Manny Jacinto (The Good Place, Nine Perfect Strangers) also stars in I WANT YOU BACK.
Jenny Slate and Charlie Day don't fit the Hollywood mold of romantic leads in a rom-com, so Slate was ecstatic when the project came to her.
"I've never gotten to do this kind of work before, and I'm a really romantic person. I've always been hoping for something like this but I hadn't seen a script like this that was equally funny and romantic that somehow was really sweet and charming in this way," she tells CineMovie. "I really jumped at the chance especially seeing Charlie attached to star opposite me."
For her costar Charlie Day, he also checked off an item on his bucket list in working with Slate.
"She's out of control funny. I always actually wanted to work with her. Not only did I want to work with her, but I also wanted to be her friend. I thought she and I are going to get along. I gotta get to know this person."
Jenny also worked hilariously alongside Manny Jacinto and Gina Rodriguez. Slate's Emma spends most of the movie attempting to steal Jacinto's character away from Rodriguez's Anne. One scene called for an exploratory interaction between the three characters, and Slate reveals the actors had an intimacy coach come in to play out the awkward scene.
"We had an intimacy coordinator who helped us sort of just like make sure that everyone understood the movements within the scene and what everyone's boundaries were, and what was comfortable and what we thought was funny or what we thought wasn't funny. That stuff was planned out so that day we can just focus on the comedy."
The actors and production also had to keep in mind the COVID restrictions but it was especially difficult for Jenny who was a new mom to a 10-week old baby.
"It was hard because I was really tired and because breastfeeding really takes a lot out of you."
The actress had some emotional support in Gina on set. She calls Gina a "special person" who was "incredibly supportive" who had her back during the making of the movie.
I WANT YOU BACK starts streaming February 11.