Comedian Nick Swardson, most famous for his portrayal of Jeff from cult classic “Grandma’s Boy” and Terry from Comedy Central’s “Reno 911,” plays Jennifer Aniston’s fake love interest in the box office hit “Just Go With It,” also starring Adam Sandler.
Swardson conducted a conference call Friday with college newspapers, including The Daily Reveille, about his experience working on the film.
Swardson said he got involved in the production through Sandler, who saw Swardson’s stand-up comedy routine when Swardson started out in Los Angeles.
“[Sandler] just called my manager and was like, ‘I want to meet this guy,'” Swardson said. “And he gave me a movie to rewrite, and that was ‘Grandma’s Boy,’ and he liked what I did with the script. And we basically … have been working together ever since.”
Swardson began his career performing stand-up routines and in small movie roles in Los Angeles, but things changed once Sandler noticed his abilities.
“I had already been working and stuff, but the transition [from stand-up to acting] wasn’t hard,” Swardson said. “When I started working with Sandler, I started getting more and more comfortable, especially working with bigger actors. I got more relaxed and was able to find my voice. Adam gave me the freedom to do that.”
Working with co-star Jennifer Aniston, Swardson said he was not surprised by her comedic chops.
“She didn’t surprise me because I always thought she was funny on ‘Friends.’ She is somebody who really had great timing,” Swardson said. “This is a movie that showcases her really well and kind of makes people … remember how funny she is and how talented.”
Joelle Fabian, biology sophomore, agrees with Swardson’s assessment of Aniston.
“I love both Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. I think they’re funny,” Fabian said. “I like the movie because it seems lighthearted and doesn’t demand too much attention.”
Swardson said his “Grandma’s Boy” character helped the most in preparing him to play Eddie Simms.
“There’s no real Terry in this guy. There’s more Jeff than Terry,” Swardson said. “It’s kind of a hybrid between Jeff and myself and Meryl Streep.”
Lying is an integral part of the plot, according to Swardson. His best lie comes out at dinner.
“There’s a scene where my character is drunk at the dinner table, and I’m kind of talking about my past and my history. I kind of snowball these lies about me being an Internet sheep herder,” Swardson said. “I kind of just started improvising.”
Swardson’s improvisation isn’t always welcome.
“They’re always yelling at me to get the lines right because I’m constantly like making stuff up and raving like a lunatic,” Swardson said. “I mean, we always make sure we get the script, but we fool around a lot.”
Swardson also had to interact with live animals in the film.
“I just remember screaming ‘roll it’ because I just didn’t want to get mauled by the sheep,” Swardson said. “It would be really embarrassing to have to go to my friends and they’d be like, ‘How did your balls get cut off?’ And I’d be like, ‘Oh, the sheep just smashed them.'”
Swardson’s favorite line from “Just Go With It” stems from a scene in which he gives a sheep CPR.
“It’s when I come home drunk, and I just gave CPR to a sheep and saved his life,” Swardson said. “I’m hammered, and I’m trying to tell Sandler’s character about it. I’m so drunk that I start crying, and I go from happy to sad in like two seconds.”
Swardson said the film is a chick flick both guys and girls will enjoy. Swardson discussed strategies for men to get their girlfriends on board.
“There’s hot chicks in it, and if you tell your girlfriend like, ‘Hey, you wanna go see a romantic comedy,’ your girlfriend will be like, ‘Oh cool, that’s really sweet,'” Swardson said. “There’s a lot of bikinis and stuff for guys that they’d really like.”
 
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