cameron diaz movies
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 Chapter 2 - Casting Process
Casting What to Expect was a daunting task – the filmmakers had to balance an ensemble cast of twelve leads – but actors were incredibly responsive to the film's subject matter and the strength of Cross' and Hach's script. Says producer David Thwaites, "You can't ever be 100% sure about chemistry between actors until the cameras are rolling, so you have to follow your instincts. Kirk and I spent a huge amount of time working out that balance. I think we have a tremendous cast – there isn't a single role that I'd change or an actor who hasn't exceeded my expectations."
"It was incredible how everybody who we really hoped would be in the movie ended up in the movie," adds author Heidi Murkoff, who also serves as executive producer on the film. "What amazed us watching the performances is how real they were. You could tell the actors wanted to be in this movie, that they were invested in it, and they were connected to the whole experience. I think that makes a big difference."
Among the five couples in the film, the one that faces the biggest lifestyle change with the on-set of pregnancy are Jules, a celebrity personal trainer with her own weight loss TV show, and her partner, Evan, a professional dancer. Played by Cameron Diaz and Matthew Morrison, Jules and Evan have become the favored champions on the current season of Evan's show, Celebrity Dance Factor, and their three-month run has seen both their professional and personal lives become increasingly intertwined.
"Jules doesn't think she can get pregnant; but she does, accidentally, and it sort of speeds things up for them as a couple," explains Diaz. "They're both dynamic people with really busy careers, and Jules in particular is ‘Type A.' She's used to being in control at all times, and now that's going to have to change."
Morrison, currently showcased on the hit television series Glee and a veteran of musical theater, is the other Alpha parent in the power couple. "Jules and Evan are two very strong-minded people," he says. "They butt heads all the time, and they're challenged to find a compromise in nearly every situation or decision about the baby. From the little things up to the biggies, like circumcision."
Jones adds, "With a baby about to enter the picture, Jules and Evan realize they have to become less selfish. They have to work with each other for the good of their child, whether that's something that comes naturally to them or not."
As played by Jennifer Lopez and Rodrigo Santoro, Holly and Alex are also of a similar mind: they are both creative spirits who are used to their freedom and to making their decisions spontaneously. "Holly and Alex have a lot of fun together," says Lopez. "He's into music and she's into photography, and they've been married for a while. But their relationship has been mostly based on having a good time. There needs to be a transition into growing up, becoming a family, and really getting serious about their lives. They've been trying to have children, but they can't. So they decide on adoption. And that leads to a series of other decisions they have to make along the way."
As Holly, Lopez was able to explore the intense pressure that many modern women, who have their own careers and tend to have children later in life, experience with regard to having a family. "Holly lives with a tremendous guilt for not being able to do certain things and one of them is the fact that she can't have a baby," she says. "The one thing that women are supposed to be able to do, she feels like she can't deliver that. So she's always pushing to make this perfect life. ‘Let's have the house and the baby and the this and the that.' You realize how much it's all weighing on her."
The anxiety of impending parenthood also affects Alex, who isn't sure he even wants to be a father. Says Santoro, "He's a very interesting character because he represents a bunch of guys on this planet who are scared of becoming fathers, of growing up, actually. That was what made me really want to work on the movie."
Alex's doubts lead him to seek advice from the "Dudes Group," an informal support group of Dads who, with toddlers in tow, meet at the park once a week to share the often hilarious, always unvarnished, truth about the vagaries of fatherhood. The leader of the Group is Vic, played by Chris Rock. Says Rock, "Vic is the head of the Dudes Group. He's got the most kids, he's the most into being a dad. From what I can see, he knows the most about being a parent. He's the elder of the Dude Group. "
Rock is joined by the comic performers Rob Huebel (as Gabe), Thomas Lennon (as Craig) and Amir Talai (as Patel). "The Dudes are a sort of Greek chorus," offers co-screenwriter Shauna Cross. "They're a chorus of misfits, but they really love being dads."
As a whole, the Dudes Group represents the male perspective of what it is like to raise a child. "The Dudes Group is a very clear representation of how guys feel about pregnancy," maintains Jones. "Often, the dads aren't mentioned at all or, if they are, they're shown to be very passive with their partners. These guys say what they think about all of it. And Chris, Rob, Tom and Amir were brilliant at improv and working together." In fact, the chemistry worked so well between the Dudes that the studio expanded the shoot to allow more time to capture their winning, off-the-cuff comedy. Continues Jones, "When you've got four guys who are so adept at improv trying to one-up each other, all you want to do is sit back, listen and enjoy…and toss in the odd idea every now and again."
As if to throw their struggles in even starker light, the Dudes have one friend among them, a perpetual bachelor named Davis, who represents everything they've given up in the name of fatherhood. Davis has a swinging single life of casual sex, frequent travel, unlimited time to work out and no accountability, and he's brought fittingly to life by "True Blood" heartthrob, Joe Manganiello. "Davis is the coolest guy in the world," explains Manganiello. "He's a jet-setter; he has beautiful women waiting for him in different countries; he photographs surf competitions. All of the dads live vicariously through him, his pictures and the girls. But it winds up catching up with him in the end."
Like Lopez's Holly, the character of Wendy, played by Elizabeth Banks, is also struggling with fertility issues. "Wendy and Gary are on this crazy schedule, with timed ovulation and closely watched body temperature – everything is so scheduled," says Banks. "They've been so focused on this goal of creating a baby that they've forgotten the goal of having a happy marriage."
When she successfully conceives, Wendy expects to be a shining example of motherhood. After all, she's an acknowledged lactation expert who owns a store called The Breast Choice, which helps women master nursing. But for all her expertise and self-righteousness about the pregnancy process, Wendy is completely undone when she finally experiences it herself. Says Banks, "I think for a lot of women, just like it is for Wendy, pregnancy is really uncomfortable, and that's one of the things that Heidi Murkoff does really well in her book –she really lays that out for you. It's different for everyone and, for Wendy, it's very different in that it's the worst of everything."
Explains Jones, "All the not-so-wonderful things about pregnancy that are possible, like flatulence, acne, constipation, swollen ankles, fatigue and anxiety, happen to Wendy. Elizabeth Banks is just a genius comedian, and she played everything so beautifully."
Wendy's husband, Gary, played by Ben Falcone, has a front row seat to every one of Wendy's physical and emotional crises. Formerly overweight, Gary has worked hard to get in shape, gain a measure of self-esteem and defend himself against the relentless competitive impulses of his former NASCAR driver father, Ramsey. But when Wendy gets pregnant, Gary falls off the wagon. Says Falcone, "Gary just finds that the pregnancy brings up old issues in his life and with his dad. He's kind of an emotional eater so he puts on a lot of sympathy weight with Wendy."
Wendy and Gary are also tormented by the gloating of Ramsey and his much younger wife, Skyler, who is pregnant with twins and coasting through a trouble-free pregnancy. "Some women just sail through their pregnancy, and in this film it's Skyler," explains Jones. "She has no problems whatsoever. She looks and feels amazing. She has the glow and everything."
Cast as Gary's superstar dad, Ramsey, is veteran actor Dennis Quaid, who is paired with Brooklyn Decker as Skyler, Gary's shockingly young "stepmom." "Dennis has got a fantastic presence," avows Jones. "He's been around for a while. He's seen and done a lot, and his innate confidence that comes from real-life experience was perfect for Ramsey."
Quaid also brought with him his experience of fathering his nearly twenty-year-old son. "I remember with my first, just before he was born, guys were telling me about how it's a club, and I didn't understand what it was like to be in that club until he opened his eyes in the room," says the actor. "Once they're born, you suddenly get what it's like to be in the club, and basically, that your life as you knew it is over, that's it's no longer just about you. Now it's all about putting someone else first. And that's a great experience."
After recently starring in Peter Berg's Battleship, model-turned-actress Brooklyn Decker relished the opportunity to play a character with broad comedic potential. "I was really excited about Skyler because she's so over-the-top," says Decker. "I grew up in North Carolina which is NASCAR country, and Skyler is a NASCAR wife. When I read the script I thought, I know this girl. I grew up with this girl."
Decker is aware that pregnancies like Skyler's are few and far between. In a spirit of solidarity, she admits, "I remember at one of the fittings for the prosthetic belly, I looked at myself in the mirror, with not a pound gained, with a fake belly that had been bronzed and toned and tanned, perfectly sculpted to my body, and I just knew that I was setting such an unrealistic standard not only for myself, but for every woman out there. I have to apologize in advance to all the moms-to-be!"
Actors Anna Kendrick, known for her work in Up In The Air and The Twilight Saga, and "Gossip Girl's" Chace Crawford round out the quintet of couples as Rosie and Marco, two young, ambitious chefs who operate rival food trucks and grapple with an unplanned pregnancy after a one-night stand. Crawford explains, "Marco and Rosie make a bet on who can sell the most signature items during the rush, and afterwards they have some drinks and, well, one thing leads to another."
When she learns she's pregnant, Rosie is as blindsided as Marco, and her experience reflects the film's motto: when it comes to pregnancy, expected the unexpected. Explains Kendrick, "She wants an answer. She wants a solution. And she wants him to have a great plan. But it's never that simple."
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