Nick Frost is a screenwriter, stand-up comedian, film producer and actor who is now in Fox’s latest film, “Unfinished Business,” which opens Friday.
Frost has starred in British comedies such as “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz” and “Attack the Block.” Frost will be in theaters alongside Vince Vaughn, Dave Franco and James Marsden in “Unfinished Business.” The movie is about a European business trip that goes completely wonky for Vaughn, who plays a small-business owner, and his two associates, Dave Franco and Tom Wilkinson, who want to close a major deal. The Miami Hurricane sat down with Frost to talk about his upcoming film.
TMH: Tell us about your character Bill Whilmsley.
NF: He’s just a bloody good egg. I think he works for a man who he sees is really horrible and that man is James Marsden, a man who in real life really isn’t horrible. He’s actually really beautiful. And I think Bill’s had enough and wants to make sure the good guy comes out on top for once and I like that about him and the character. He’s jovial and a little bit sad, single, and lonely, but he picks himself up and I love that, you know.
TMH: Can you relate to him in any way?
NF: Yeah, I think Bill’s just the kind of everyman really, apart from the fact that he is kind of a leather-clad bear. And I think I can relate to his bear-ness and the fact that he just decides that he wants to do the right thing, you know, that’s not always necessarily the easiest choice to make. And I’m glad he makes it in the film.
TMH: What are the differences between British and American comedy?
NF: I think generally even though a script will always be important for a film, a movie, I think over with you guys, you guys are always keen to go over a little more and improvise and find things in the script that perhaps weren’t there before.
And I think as an actor, for me personally, anyway you have to come on set a.) knowing your lines but b.) knowing that at one point that script is gonna go away. At that point you get to freewill it slightly, which is when you’re working with Dave Franco, and Tom, and Vince and James and Sienna– they’re all just clever actors.
TMH: How did you prepare for your role in this film and did it differ form other roles?
NF: For me the preparation never changes. I just work hard. I work on the scripts all the time. I make a point of knowing my lines and knowing the script, and knowing everyone else’s lines. I just work hard. I probably do six hours of rehearsal and line learning on the weekends and probably an hour and a half every single day. You know, I never want to be in a position where I don’t know my lines, or my business, I’ve never seen a film crew necessarily have a bad day, do you know what I mean? I don’t think it’s fair for actors to go to set and not nail it, like the crew does time after time.
TMH: Do you have any fun behind-the-scenes stories from filming that you can share?
NF: No not really, we just have a laugh. It’s not like there is one thing and we all have a laugh. Literally everyday we have just great fun. We got taken to see Fleetwood Mac one night in Berlin only because they did a four hour set and I know only one Fleetwood Mac song. About an hour in I whispered to Dave Franco ‘maybe we should leave,’ but Vince caught us trying to leave and we had to stay there for the rest of the concert.
TMH: What are your plans for the future?
NF: Take time to develop things for myself and for other people, and to direct, and to potentially write a memoir, and just you know that kind of thing. I think I was really aware of the last four years. I’ve done quite a lot of films and I just wouldn’t want anyone to kind of get sick of my angelic face. You know change up, take a couple of years out and re-emerge as something else and I’m happy to do that you know.
Featured photo courtesy Gage Skidmore via Flickr.