Goodbye, Stu. Goodbye, Andy. Hello, Ed Helms.
We got a chance this week to talk to the Atlanta native best known for his characters in “The Hangover” movie series and NBC’s “The Office.” The television comedy aired its finale earlier this month, while the third and final “Hangover” hits theaters in widespread release Thursday.
“It’s just been a fun ride,” Helms said of the movie trilogy. “I’m sad to see this roller coaster pull into the station.”
“The Hangover Part III” brings the four guys with a knack for epic misadventure back to Vegas, where it all began.
“I just am enormously grateful to have been on board,” Helms said. “When we made the first ‘Hangover,’ none of us were well-known actors. The biggest celebrity was Todd Phillips, the director. We didn’t know what to expect. We just figured, ‘If we do our job, it’ll be a good movie, something we can be proud of.’ It turned out to be this incredible rocket.”
He attributes the movies’ popularity to the characters he, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha and Zach Galifianakis, who call themselves “the Wolfpack,” play.
“Particularly in the first movie, these are good guys, and they look out for each other and they love each other,” he said. “This term ‘the Wolfpack’ refers to their brotherhood. We all want to belong to a community.”
We asked Helms how much he personally relates to the capers Stu, Phil, Doug and Alan get into. Answer: not much.
“I was a pretty dorky guy in high school,” he said. “Sort of a rule follower. In a lot of ways, these movies have allowed me to live out these fantasies. I’m sort of a boring guy.”
His “Office” character, Andy, on the other hand, bears a bit more resemblance. Andy’s always been one to break into song at a moment’s notice and has been known to play the banjo. Helms, who plays in a bluegrass band called the Lonesome Trio, started picking as a high school student when his alma mater, Atlanta’s Westminster Schools, performed a production of Tom Key’s “Cotton Patch Gospel.”
“It’s hard to describe the experience of making that show,” Helms said of “The Office.” He said the cast became “a second family” and that the end was poignant.
“I’m so proud to have been involved,” he said.
Steve Carell, known for his long-running role as “Office” chief Michael Scott, and David Koechner, who played Todd Packer on the series, have recently been in Atlanta filming the movie “Anchorman 2.” Craig Robinson, another “Office” cast member, was just in town promoting the movie “Peeples.” So when might Helms return to make a movie in his hometown? Stay tuned.
“‘Vacation’ was scheduled to shoot in Atlanta. It’s not happening yet, but hopefully it will soon,” he said, referring to the currently on-hold remake of the Chevy Chase comedy. “All my friends have made movies in Atlanta. I really love the city. I love it more when I come back.”
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