The Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore comedy "Blended," which opens Friday, filmed a key scene at a metro Atlanta Hooters store, and local waitress Ashley Pike was chosen for a role as a Hooters girl.
"I think I'm Bunny," Pike said.
Actually she's Britney, reports imdb. Casey Luckey is Bunny, Miss Hooters International 2013 Marissa Raisor is Bethany and Anna Colwell, who's worked on locally shot projects including "Term Life," "The Change-Up," "Fast and Furious 7," "Let's Be Cops," the "Steel Magnolia" and "Coma" television movie remakes, "The Game" and "Anna Nicole," is Bubbles.
The comedy stars Sandler and Barrymore as a Jim, a widower with three girls, and Lauren, a divorced mom of two boys. They meet on a blind date at Hooters and things don't go so well. Lauren isn't keen on how familiar Jim is with the Hooters quartet, but just hold up there, Lauren. Maybe there's more to Jim's friendship with Britney, Bunny, Bethany and Bubbles than meets the eye.
Not to give away the plot but things do take a turn for the better. (How surprising is that? It’s an Adam Sandler film! Plus, the trailer kind of gives you an idea of what to expect.)
Atlanta-based Hooters is portrayed in a pretty positive light, which Pike was happy to hear.
“My favorite thing about wearing the orange shorts would be the opportunities that come with it,” she said. “Working for Hooters, we’re all family. I love that.”
A Woodstock High School graduate now in her second year at Southern Polytechnic University, Pike was given a shot at the movie role after placing in the top 11 during last year's Miss Hooters International pageant. She models and has worked on other locally shot projects including the Lifetime show "Drop Dead Diva" and the movie "Last Vegas," starring Morgan Freeman, Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas and Kevin Kline.
Pike works at the Hiram Hooters but trekked up to the Lawrenceville store for the movie shoot.
“It was a very long day,” she said. “We got here at 6 a.m. and I think we left about 9 p.m. We were waiting outside to get our hair and makeup done. Adam Sandler drove by and he was like, ‘What’s up, ladies?’ From then on out, it was the best day ever.”
Her role was delivering a plate of cheese sticks to the unhappy couple.
“I don’t think I was nervous,” she said. “Drew and Adam made me feel very comfortable.”
While Sandler could be a cut-up, when the cameras started rolling, he was all business, Pike said. Barrymore was gracious, thanking the restaurant workers again and again, she said.
Pike planned to see the movie on opening night, and has a new appreciation for films now that she knows how many long hours are needed to create just a few minutes on the screen.
“I think when I go see movies in a theater, I’ll have in the back of my mind, ‘This is what it takes,’” she said. “What comes to mind is, it’s a lot of hard work.”
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