Paul Rudd and Jason Segel really love each other, man

They finish each other’s sentences, are dressed alike and constantly make each other laugh – you just can’t fake this kind of chemistry. Frequent collaborators, and real life BFFs, Paul Rudd and Jason Segel recently visited Toronto to talk about I Love You, Man, an openly bromantic comedy that boldly turns the buddy comedy on its head.

Rudd stars as Peter Klaven, a benign, seriously repressed real estate salesman whose recent engagement to Zooey (a luminous Rashida Jones) has forced him to realize an unfortunate truth: he has no guy friends. With the help of his brother Robbie (a surprisingly subdued Andy Samberg) he seeks out a potential best man for his upcoming nuptials by going on a series of hilarious and misguided man-dates. Until, that is, he fatefully runs into Sydney Fife (Segel), a just-shy-of-sleazy bachelor whose outgoing nature and fearless attitude has Peter loosening his tie and divulging secrets over pints of beer and fish tacos.

Both actors, known for their comedy chops in recent hits Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up and Role Models, were drawn to what they considered an innovative and naturally funny story that effectively filled a void.

“It’s a romantic comedy, in a way, that’s just [about] platonic male love,” offered Rudd while speaking to cineplex.com about the film alongside his co-star. “I know when I read it, I thought it was really fresh and I couldn’t believe a version of this movie hadn’t really been done. It also had a relationship between the two guys that was realistic – the guys weren’t alpha males who spoke in that locker room clichéd way. I know that most of my friends, we can talk about real stuff. We can often wear our emotions and hearts on our sleeves and talk about things that are not considered ‘macho-football’ talk. We can do karaoke together and not feel self-conscious.”

The Bromance Phenomenon

While mining laughs from a lead character whose severe lack of self-confidence yields some hysterically awkward exchanges between him and his gregarious man-in-waiting, writer-director John Hamburg reveals he stumbled onto a cultural trend.

“It’s kind of weird. None of us – Paul, Jason – nobody associated with the movie had heard of the term ‘bromance’ when we started making this,” said Hamburg while in Toronto promoting the film. “It wasn’t in our minds and suddenly it becomes this buzz word. Somehow it’s reached this tipping point where I feel like maybe people are becoming more comfortable with male friendship as time goes on. But I don’t really know. I think maybe in five years, I’ll go, ‘Okay, now I understood what was happening.’”

Expanding on the platonic love explored in recent comedy juggernauts Superbad and Pineapple Express, ILYM takes what was previously an effective b-storyline and makes it the main focus. Casting actors who could realistically portray two opposite ends of the dude spectrum, while not reverting to clunky clichés, was integral to maintaining Hamburg’s naturalistic style.

“I base everything, probably, on the basis of my own awkward existence, or the people around me, and life is full of those moments. I like comedies about awkward people who are just trying to get through the day the best way they can and have an inner sweetness to them," said Hamburg. "I thought the way to do it was to [make it] as real as possible and not a wacky parody of a romantic comedy but a real, human story. To continue that tone, we cast Paul Rudd and Jason Segel because if we cast giant movie stars who bring a lot of iconography to their work, then you’re watching those guys onscreen. But with these guys, I think that they just fit into these characters like an old pair of shoes.”

Watch the trailer

Though both Rudd and Segel deftly inhabit their roles, audiences may be surprised to find them playing against type in ILYM. Rudd’s grinning smart-ass has been replaced by a nebbishy dork – albeit a cute one – and the aw-shucks nice guy perfected by Segel has been swapped for a more debonair lad that may be familiar to some.

“I get to do one movie a year because of my TV schedule and I make it a real point to try and play a different type of character every time,” revealed Segel. “Knocked Up is very different from my TV character and very different from the Sarah Marshall character and when I read this, it actually reminded me of Russell Brand from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I was very envious of how good Russell was in [the film] and I thought this was my chance to be Russell,” he laughed.

Indeed, Segel is refreshingly bold and delightfully unhinged in many scenes, notably one that involves – wait for it – Lou Ferrigno putting Segel’s character in a sleeper hold. Described by Hamburg as a cross between a golden retriever and a serial killer, Segel possesses the rare ability to be both vulnerable and terrifying at the same time and uses it to get full-on laughs in the film.

Night at the Improv

With two comedic pros at the helm, improvising was an inevitability – Segel admitted he hasn’t had to properly know his lines in years – and both agreed that the spontaneity factor can mean more natural laughs.

“This is our third movie together and we’ve become acquainted with each other’s styles and how we like to work,” said Segel. “I’d like to think that’s what you feel and the naturalism of it is that we really do enjoy each other’s company. We’re comfortable with each other, we know how to talk to each other…”

“We trust each other too,” Rudd offered, jumping in. “I know that wherever Jason takes something, it will be great and funny and we can play off each other. [And] that style makes for a really fun night of filming. Because going to work and really trusting and liking the people you’re working with, and if it’s material that you like, to go and not know what’s going to happen, is just a really fun day at work. You get a sense of creative fulfillment that isn’t necessarily the case with other things that I may work on. There’s something great about feeling you’ve made a contribution in a bigger way.”

And just how would they like to see their film, with its progressive message about love between bros, contribute to society in general? Segel has that one figured out: “I hope it shatters stereotypes and shatters the barriers that keep men from being able to hug without patting. It’s an awkward thing. I don’t like when someone pats me on my back.”

I Love You, Man opens in Cineplex Theatres March 20.

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Hey guys - listen up! What's the most bromantic thing you've ever done for a friend? How far would you go for your bro? Share your stories about what you'd do for a friend!