Jimmy Kimmel assembled a pretty sweet collection of celebrities for his “I’m F—ing Ben Affleck” video — Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford were just two of the A-list stars featured in the viral sensation — but there was one ’80s icon he just couldn’t land. “You know who we really wanted to be in it but couldn’t because of her schedule was Cyndi Lauper,” Kimmel says of the We Are the World veteran. “We thought it would be great to have her really belting it out right in the middle of the song. But God took Cyndi Lauper away from us and gave us Josh Groban. I think this is some of his best work.”
How did Pitt — who received what Kimmel exec producer Jill Leiderman calls an “impassioned plea” to sign on — wind up as a delivery dude? “It was the middle of the night and we had to give Brad ideas in the morning, and I just scratched out a bunch,” says Kimmel. “I really liked the FedEx idea, and he definitely picked the right one…. Turns out, he’s a very good actor. I think he just needed a part like this to really shine.”
Kimmel was also impressed with Harrison Ford and his commitment to the project. "We said, 'You can be in one or two scenes. If you're in one scene, you can be here from 11 to 1. And if you're in two scenes you'll have to be here from 11 to 5.' Of course we fully expected he'd say, 'One scene.' [But] he said, 'All right, I'll be there from 11 to 5.'" The sight of Ford blowing a kiss at Kimmel and Affleck proved to be an out of body experience for the late-night host. "I think the word surreal is overused but this is the very definition of it," he says. "And what I didn't realize until afterward — somebody pointed this out — it seems like it's a parody of a scene from American Graffiti... but that was completely coincidental."
While Kimmel notes that he and Affleck had never met before this video — which can be seen again tonight on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! — it couldn't have worked out better. "It was a gay blind date that went exceptionally well," he says. "I didn't know much about him personally but we really hit it off in between caressing each other."
Kimmel was also impressed with Harrison Ford and his commitment to the project. "We said, 'You can be in one or two scenes. If you're in one scene, you can be here from 11 to 1. And if you're in two scenes you'll have to be here from 11 to 5.' Of course we fully expected he'd say, 'One scene.' [But] he said, 'All right, I'll be there from 11 to 5.'" The sight of Ford blowing a kiss at Kimmel and Affleck proved to be an out of body experience for the late-night host. "I think the word surreal is overused but this is the very definition of it," he says. "And what I didn't realize until afterward — somebody pointed this out — it seems like it's a parody of a scene from American Graffiti... but that was completely coincidental."
While Kimmel notes that he and Affleck had never met before this video — which can be seen again tonight on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! — it couldn't have worked out better. "It was a gay blind date that went exceptionally well," he says. "I didn't know much about him personally but we really hit it off in between caressing each other."
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Saw this on 23/6 and I thought that it made some very good points, especially “what could be funnier than two guys in love with each other?”
Here’s the piece: http://www.236.com/blog/w/jim_david/jimmy_kimmel_is_fking_ben_affl_4766.php
Thanks E. That was interesting reading.
This was one of the funniest videos that I’ve seen lately! The entire ensemble made it worth while!! Josh Groban was hilarious!!
yeah, i know everyone will go “it’s just a joke”….but that doesnt make this less offensive.
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2008/02/a_tragedy_that_should_never_ha.php
This was the funniest vid I have seen in a while. It was great retaliation for the Sarah-Matt vid; Harrison Ford was funny but Josh Groban blew it away; he really gave it his all!
I saw the vid – it was funny… I think what made it a hit was all the A-list celebs and the fact that they didn’t “under-do” it. And, the fact that it’s Jimmy… I thought Jimmy would go away in 2 years (tops) but it looks like he’s now here to stay. Go ABC!
If you’re a drudge fan: drudgetracker.com
Comic genius at its est!
Comic genius at its est!
I thought the inclusion of Huey Lewis was brilliant! I was stunned that Pete Wentz was there WITHOUT Ashlee Simpson (didn’t know they could separate)
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