Naïve, good-hearted fish tank cleaner, Deuce Bigalow thought his career as a gigolo was over. But just when he thought he was out… T.J. Hicks pulls him back in.
In Columbia Pictures’ Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Deuce is seduced back to his unlikely pleasure-for-pay profession when Hicks, his former pimp, is implicated in the murders of Europe’s greatest gigolos. Now Deuce must go back “undercover” in order to clear the name of his good friend.
Along the way, he must compete against the powerful European Union of prostidudes (The Man-Whore Society) and court yet another bevy of unusual female clients, including the beautiful Eva (Hanna Verbooom), who suffers from acute obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Just A Gigolo – Again
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo originated from a simple premise. Writer and star Rob Schneider thought it would be funny to do a story about a guy who housesits for a gigolo. The 2001 release was a resounding success, grossing almost $100 million worldwide.
While Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo starts where the original film left off, its premise is far more complex — as was the task of convincing the star to make the movie. As Schneider tells it, “I never really thought about doing a sequel. But people really liked the character and I just kept hearing it for so long that I thought, ‘Well, you know what? It might be fun.’ Then, I started flirting with the idea that maybe we should revisit these characters. It would be great to be able to write for Eddie Griffin as TJ. And there’s something to be said about the ‘everyman’ — or in this case, the ‘slightly-less-than-everyman.’
With the seed planted, the new project began to blossom when Schneider started thinking about that other classic gigolo film, Paul Schrader’s American Gigolo. “It was ridiculous,” Schneider laughs. “I mean, like Lauren Hutton, supermodel, needs to hire a gigolo? So I thought, ‘Who are the real women that need gigolos?’ And that’s how it started.”
Along with writers David Garrett and Jason Ward, Schneider toiled away at the script for almost a year. The story was fleshed out to include two major new elements – the European continent and the notorious ‘International Man-Whore Society.’ “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a whole bunch of other gigolos that Deuce had to compete with?,” Schneider posits. The writers then asked themselves where this secret Society might be based. “The best gigolos in the world — this Society of Man-Wores? Why in Amsterdam, of course.”
Schneider didn’t want to forget the original Deuce audience, but also wanted to include newcomers in his further adventures. “I didn’t approach this as a sequel,” he says. “If you never saw the first movie, you won’t miss a step in this one.” Moving the story to Europe had other advantages, he says. ”Deuce has never been there before. So, he’s really like a fish out of water and I think the audience is able to see through Deuce’s eyes how he’s taking everything in.”
Before long, the writers had developed a layered story revolving around a string of murders and a glimpse into the secret inner sanctum of the sacred and ancient “International Man-Whore Society.” “And pretty soon the whole idea was funnier than the first movie,” according to Schneider. “I didn’t want to just make a movie that was similar to the first one. I wanted it to be an entirely different experience.”
Back in the role of TJ is Eddie Griffin. TJ is now living and pimping in Amsterdam, with his base of operation situated on a canal aboard a decidedly purple houseboat aptly christened Pimp Of Da Sea. “I don’t think there’s anybody better than Eddie Griffin honestly. I really think he’s just got it,” says Schneider.
Griffin shared Schneider’s enthusiasm for the script of Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. “Most sequels aren’t as good as the first one. This movie, I guarantee you, is definitely better than the first.”
The casting of Dutch-born Jeroen Krabbé (Ocean’s Twelve, The Fugitive) as Gaspar Voorsboch proved to be a little more unorthodox. It was the actor’s teenage son who convinced him that he had to take the part. Recalls producer John Schneider, “Jeroen went to his son Jakob and said, ‘Why do you think I got offered this crazy movie?’ And his son responded, ‘What do you mean crazy? This is a great movie, Dad.’”
Once his son had finished telling him about Deuce Bigalow, Krabbé grasped the story’s charm. “This innocent American guy Deuce Bigalow is confronted all of a sudden with our society, with the coffeeshops, the sex shops and the general openness of my country,” he notes. “And that’s what makes it so funny — because it’s his reflection on our world. He’s completely dumbfounded by it.”
The producers were thrilled that Jakob Krabbé was able to convince his father to appear in the film. “Jeroen was a real catch,” John Schneider says. “He brought so much to the role. He is Gaspar personified.”
Another key role is that of actress Hanna Verboom as Eva Voorsboch, Deuce’s romantic interest. At the beginning of Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo we learn that Deuce’s beloved wife Kate has been killed in a freak accident during their honeymoon. Deuce is still mourning his her loss — he keeps Kate’s prosthetic leg in a prominent position in his living room — and it is clearly going to take a special woman to help him let go of the past and love again. Eva Voorsboch, as played by Verboom, fits the bill perfectly, says John Schneider, bringing not only beauty and a natural feel for humor to the role, but also a sweet innocence and the ability to embody the peculiar symptoms of Eva’s Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Verboom says she was unaware of the nature of the role when she first got a call from her agent. “When I heard that I was going to do an audition, I rented the first film immediately,” she recalls. “My roommate came in and we watched it together and we were basically laughing hysterically throughout.”
Unlike the first movie, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo called for a group of hunks to portray the members of the venerable “International Man-Whore Society.” John Schneider recalls, “We were looking for an eclectic, international group of guys.” The varied male gigolos include German actor Til Schweiger who plays Heinz Hummer. Australian Alex Dimitriades portrays Enzo. Carlos Ponce from Puerto Rico is Rodrigo. Greek Kostas Sommer plays Assapopolous and Taiwanese-born Topper is Lil’ Kim.
Taking further advantage of the available local talent, the producers also cast European MTV personalities Alex Zane (from England) and Mouloud (France), as well as British personality Johnny Vaughn to portray the masters of ceremony at the “Man-Whore Awards.” The remaining members of the female cast also reflect the film’s international scope. Rachel Stevens and Kelly Brook are from England and Elizabeth Canalis is Italian.
Somehow hiring a director with a name so similar to the main character seemed to make perfect sense for the project, though when Mike Bigelow heard he was meeting with the producers of Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, he suspected it might be a practical joke. “I thought, ‘this must be a goof.’ They said, ‘let’s bring in Bigelow ‘cause he’s got the same name.’”
These production notes provided by Columbia Pictures.
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Starring: Rob Schneider, Eddie Griffin, Edwin Alofs, Til Schweiger, Hanna Verboom
Directed by: Mike Bigelow
Screenplay by: David Garrett, Rob Schneider, Jason Ward
Release Date: August 12th, 2005
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive strong crude, sexual humor, nudity, drug content.
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $22,400,154 (49.7%)
Foreign: $22,709,407 (50.3%)
Total: $45,109,561 (Worldwide)