Interview: New York magazine (April 2010)

Rashida and her Monogamy co-star Chris Messina talk to New York magazine

Vulture:
Monogamy’s Rashida Jones and Chris Messina on Why Geriatric Public Sex Is Really Hot

In Murderball director Dana Shapiro’s intimate new drama, Monogamy, Woody Allen alum Chris Messina and Parks and Recreation star Rashida Jones play a comfy Brooklyn couple whose relationship starts to disintegrate when Messina’s character becomes fixated on a hot blonde exhibitionist. The real-life buddies are in New York for the movie’s premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, and they checked in for a frank conference call about the film, their thoughts on monogamy, and the peculiar ins and outs of having sex in public.

So Rashida, did you really just escape the ash?
R: Can you believe it? I was stuck in Europe. I had to drive thirteen and a half hours from Paris to Madrid. It was pretty crazy. I just got out Monday night.
C: Of course, the whole time I was worried about you. And then I was even more worried that you wouldn’t make it to the screening.
R: You’re such a dick! [Laughs.]
C: Rashida and I are friends, but we really know each other through my girlfriend. We obviously don’t have any of the history that the couple in the movie does, so it was really kind of wild, weird, and cool to go down that road with her and get pretty dark.

Did that make playing a couple awkward?
C: Well, it’s always strange to kiss someone with 10, 20, 40 people around. And when you’re looking at someone who was, like, holding your baby in her arms in your house in California last week, you know, it’s odd. I was nervous about it, to be honest with you.
R: Were you really? I didn’t know that.
C: I think I’m always nervous about all of it, and then I was nervous because I wanted Rashida to have a good time. As you do with all these things, you’re taking a risk. I mean, Dana Shapiro, he’s terrific. He did this movie called Murderball and it was fantastic, but who knew if he could make a narrative? I’m super happy with the way it turned out, but it could have obviously gone another way.

So what are your respective thoughts on monogamy – the way of life, I mean, not the movie?
C: Well I have two boys and a girlfriend, so I obviously believe in it, but it’s still hard! I don’t know how natural it is, at least for me — for a lot of men I know. I would love to close my eyes and see myself with my girlfriend when we’re 99 years old and I have a pipe and she’s knitting a sweater, and I hope that’s the way it goes. I think it’s a challenge every day.
R: I agree – I don’t think it’s necessarily a natural state of being for animals such as human beings, but I do think the rewards of sticking with it are pretty fantastic. That being said, I really don’t think there’s a lot of that going on right now. There’s a lot of fear and running and bullshit irresponsible behavior. I think dudes are acting out right now in a huge way. Guys are freaking out. I think as a culture we’re going to have a really hard time with it.

What about having sex in public? There’s a lot of that in the movie, too.
R: I totally get how people get off on it. It makes perfect sense to me. If that’s the thing that works for you, do your thing. Whatever gets you to the mainland.
C: Yeah! I’m down with that answer. I mean, I’ve liked having sex in bathrooms when there were people knocking on the door … that was fun. But I don’t know – these characters take it to a place that I never have. I have a tough time showing public affection.
R: I think it’s weird, right? It’s one thing to make out in public, but to actually have sex in public? That’s tough to do. I was just in Naples and I saw two young people making out on a corner. It was pretty awesome. But they were young.
C: Young – that might be the answer right there. Or maybe it’s old people, too. Like maybe if you saw an 80-year-old couple making out you’d be like, "That’s incredible!"
R: That’d be kind of cool, actually.
C: If you saw two, like, 80-year-olds, fucking on the corner of Bleecker Street?

I really have no idea how I’d respond to that.
R: You would love it! Oh my God. You would love it.
C: Yeah, you’d totally take your iPhone and take a video of it. And it’d be on YouTube the next day. It’d be like, "Hey, how do I get to that site again?" "Google 80-year-olds fucking on Bleecker." "Oh, there it is."

--Sara Cardace, nymag.com, 4/27/10

Movies: Monogamy Premiere, Part II

More from the Monogamy premiere:

Justin sent a sweet note about meeting Rashida

I just wanted to write and say I was very lucky to meet Rashida at the premier of Monogamy. I'm in a wheelchair and she went out of her way to stop and take a picture with me, it was really cool and she couldn't have been nicer. I saw the film also, and I really felt she was the key to what made the movie work so well. I'm looking forward to seeing it again!

Justin

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Regular contributor Jen found this Q&A at the screening and a short interview in Metro New York

external link: youtube

Thanks guys!

Appearances: Monogamy Premiere, NY

10 HQs from the Monogamy premiere and after-party on Saturday, April 24.

Rashida wears a skirt from the Proenza Schouler Fall 2010 collection
Pictured with co-stars Chris Messina and Meital Dohan
Premiere at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, after-party at Beba in Soho

Style: Theory's Fashion Insider: Stylecause

Rashida is the first celebrity stylist for Theory's new Fashion Insider: Stylecause campaign. She's created three summer outfits using her favorite pieces, notably the Bindi TS Blazer which features in all three. Love the classic, preppy look! All the pieces are available online and in Theory stores, with 10% of sales going to her charities of choice: Peace First and Children Mending Hearts.

“I’m delighted to be working with Theory on such a wonderful project that benefits two organizations so clearly dedicated to young people - Peace First and Children Mending Hearts.”

Images via Just Jared

Movies: Monogamy Preview (Video)

indieWIRE has posted an exclusive preview of Monogamy, Rashida's next film, ahead of the Tribeca Film Festival premiere on April 24.

Click for the clip at indiewire.com

Tribeca: Exclusive Monogamy Preview
Forget celebrity bad boys like Eliot Spitzer, Tiki Barber, Jesse James and Tiger Woods. Fidelity in everyday relationships seems to be a hot topic in films these days, from Date Night to micro-indies like Breaking Upwards and The Freebie. Add Dana Adam Shapiro’s feature directing debut Monogamy to the list. The low-budget indie-financed film debuts April 24 at the Tribeca Film Festival (Submarine is selling). Check the exclusive clip below.

The feature debut of journalist/novelist/documentarian Dana Adam Shapiro (Murderball), Monogamy was co-written by Shapiro and Evan M. Wiener and filmed on the Red camera in 22 days around Brooklyn and Manhattan. Thanks to producer Tom Heller (Precious) and casting director Billy Hopkins, Shapiro was able to land Chris Messina (Julie & Julia) and Rashida Jones (I Love You Man) to play an engaged couple who are forced to re-examine their relationship after the wedding photographer takes on a side gig to shoot from afar a mysterious blonde (Weeds’ Meital Dohan) as she poses—increasingly provocatively—in various public Manhattan locations.

The photographer’s reaction to the woman throws his future marriage into new relief, says Shapiro: “He’s struggling with, ‘Am I going to be able to be a good husband over a lifetime with this person?’”
-- Anne Thompson, April 13 2010

Talk Show: Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2008)

The lovely Jen has found another talk show clip worth checking out: this one is with Conan (and Will Ferrell) back in February 2008.

Link only because it won't embed. The audio is kind of whack too.

Keep 'em coming Jen :)

TV: 6-bee on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Check out Rashida and the Parks and Rec cast singing and dancing in Late Night's 6-Bee: Episode 2.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Video Blog
6-bee Episode 2: Featuring the Cast of Parks & Rec + The Roots!
Posted by Sara Schaefer April 9, 2010 12:30 AM

The Late Night glee club is back with Episode 2 of 6-bee! This time, as Jimmy and the rest of the gang prepare for sectionals, they realize they will have to compete against the cast of Parks & Recreation (Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Jim O'Heir, and Retta). Things get really tense when The Roots show up - to sing for the other side! Also back this episode: Abby Elliott and Fred Armisen! If you don't think this is massively awesome, you're a jazzhole.

Awesome, but no Aziz :(

Talk Show: Watch What Happens Live

A couple videos from her Watch What Happens Live interview last Thursday night.

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