Christine Taylor’s role as Matilda Jeffries in Zoolander, which she played alongside her husband Ben Stiller, was not the original concept for the movie.
On Tuesday’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress most known for her role in Friendsgiving stated that, before to getting cast in Zoolander in 2001, she was genuinely interested in working with Ben Stiller on a different film.
“My joke with that movie was that we had just gotten married and he was reading lots of actors for the part [of Matilda Jeffries], and I had auditioned for Meet the Parents… and I didn’t get the part,” Taylor said.
While Taylor was dating Ben Stiller at the time of the casting call for the character of Zoolander, she said that she “was not going to audition” for the part. Nevertheless, destiny had other ideas for her.
“If it were a job, I would certainly try out for it; nevertheless, I don’t want to put us in the awkward position of having to answer the question, “What if they don’t want to cast me in it? ‘But what if?’, “Drew Barrymore, who was hosting, was informed by Taylor.
Hence, she said that she “kind of pulled herself out of it,” and that the part was instead offered to other well-known actresses of the period, such as Sarah Jessica Parker.
Taylor poked fun at herself by saying, “I usually joke that I’m fourth choice and cheap, which is why I cast in it.”
She went on to say that since the movie’s debut, she has been taken aback by the very wonderful reception it has received. Taylor praised it by saying, “It’s the finest.” “With each passing decade, people have shown that their passion for it only deepens.”
Stiller recently appeared in a commercial for Pepsi Zero Sugar that will air during the Super Bowl 2023. The ad will feature Stiller in his classic role from the film.
Stiller said in an interview about the commercial that it is “always enjoyable” for him to play the Zoolander persona again, even if it is just for a little period of time.
“Whenever I get the opportunity to go back to doing it again, it’s feeling this connectedness,” he added, “it’s been a long time since we’ve had that.” “[I have] such nice recollections from working on the movies throughout the years, going all the way back to when we first did the character.”
It’s been a long history with him, so it’s fantastic that people still want to see Derek in their lives, he continued. “I believe that he embodies something for people in terms of a sugary vapidity that is extremely charming,”