cameron diaz movies
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Chapter 4 - On the Side of Angels (Again)
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle was not a foregone conclusion, even after the enormous success of the first film, according to Cameron Diaz. "I never saw myself coming back to do a sequel. I like to work with different people, different directors, different stories. Then Drew called with a new twist on the storyline and said 'let's do it again!' and Drew doesn't stop until she gets what she wants. She is so enthusiastic and gives you so many good reasons to participate in her adventure that there's no way to go against it."
But what really convinced Diaz to sign on again, she confesses, was the camaraderie she experienced with Barrymore, Liu and director McG. "It's a great partnership. Each day is an adventure. You're never sure exactly what you're going to be called on to do. In this film, among other things, I learned to weld, I surfed, I was in a roller derby, and performed a number with this amazing group of beautiful, sexy dancers called the Pussycat Dolls."
Synchronicity was also an irresistible draw for Barrymore. "We are constantly looking out for one another. It's rare to find that kind of consistent support and encouragement."
Another reason her ardor never flagged was the kinship she feels with the character of Dylan, Barrymore adds. "She's such a concrete character. I relate to her on so many levels: Her need for stability, for family, her need to go out there and protect the ones she loves and be the best that she can be. She's so strong and fearless that I find my life dramatically changing when I'm playing her. Plus, I love what a court jester she can be."
Liu's motivation for returning was to demonstrate to the audience that, as much as they enjoyed the first film, "this time we're really going to show them something new."
With the three principals on board, producer Goldberg discovered that actors were actively clamoring to be part of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. "With the first movie, people were interested, but they were a little unsure," he recalls.
"They wanted to know if it was a spoof or just an extended episode of the TV series. When they saw it, the reaction was so positive that when we called them for the new film, they immediately signed up. In some cases we didn't even have to ask. They called us."
A welcome addition to the Angels team is Bernie Mac who plays Jimmy Bosley, the liaison between the Angels and their mysterious billionaire employer Charlie. Explains McG, "Bernie has an amazing energy, a unique voice and brand of comedy. He brings a fresh dimension to the movie."
When he first received the script for Charlie's Angels®: Full Throttle, Mac says he was a bit concerned about following in the footsteps of one of his comedic idols, Bill Murray, as a member of the Bosley family. "I knew that I was not going to succeed in this movie if I simply tried to fill Bill's shoes," Mac confesses. "No one could ever do that."
So he constructed a backstory for himself in which Murray's character had related his adventures with the Angels and about his secret-agent experiences. "When I first get the opportunity to join the Angels, I'm a bit overwhelmed. It's like when you get something you really want but aren't prepared for what it's really going to be like."
Mac also decided to take the character of Bosley in a more paternalistic direction than his predecessor. "I wanted to show a warm side of Bosley, almost a father figure to the Angels. They take him under their wing and make him family. What I liked about the character was that he didn't come off as a superhero. He started as someone who was in over his head, but worked hard and made real progress. You see him becoming part of the program and how he builds his relationship with the Angels and how it gets better day by day."
In Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, the Angels also meet one of their heroes the retired Angel they aspire to be. Madison Lee was the Angel in the '90s. She could do everything and anything. And she still has surprises up her sleeve. "When we started thinking about a worthy adversary," explains Juvonen, "we wondered about where had all the past Angels gone. What happened to them? And that also became one of the themes of the movie. The Angels wonder: 'Should I stay on? What will happen if I leave?'"
The character of Madison Lee was written specifically with one ac t ress in mind Demi Moore. "She just feels like an Angel," says McG. "But she wasn't in a big rush to return to moviemaking so we brought out our secret weapon, Drew."
Since Moore was the template for Madison, Barrymore was definitely not going to take "no" for an answer when she approached the actress. "If she had turned us down which I wasn't going to let happen 'I was going to camp out on her doorstep until she said 'yes,'" laughs Barrymore.
McG suspected that when Moore read the part of Madison Lee, she would realize how well it suited her and how much fun she could have playing it.
"Madison is not only beautiful, but physical as well. Happily, Demi took to that and we developed the character even further from there."
Moore recalls when McG first contacted her. "McG might call Drew his 'secret weapon,' but the truth is, they were a one-two punch. Their mutual enthusiasm and passion was very persuasive."
Next Page: Returning Heroes & A Villain
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