SACHA BARON COHEN - STARS APPEARING AS THEIR CHARACTERS IN MOVIE PROMOTION

Following the success of its publicity campaign for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan in which star Sacha Baron Cohen remained in character for TV and print interviews and other public appearances, 20th Century Fox is keeping the entire cast of Reno 911: Miami in character for the film's promotional push, USA Today reports. The cast is familiar to those watching their show on Comedy Central, but to those watching them on fake bike patrols on college campuses, they may appear like refugees from the Village People. In an interview with the newspaper, Hollywood Reporter columnist Borys Kit warned that Fox's strategy could backfire. "You have to be funny when you do it. If you aren't, you could turn people off to the character -- and the movies." The practice is not new. The late Peter Sellers once participated in a decidedly un-PC interview as his Pink Panther character, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Asked how he had developed his interest in karate, Sellers (as Clouseau) corrected the interviewer: "Eet ees not karate. Eet ees zeh Israeli martial art of Jew-do. Vee get zeh leverage from zeh nose."


16/02/2007