Hot Rod (2007)

CAST

ANDY SAMBERG (Rod Kimble) has, with a diverse range of comedic talents, emerged as a captivating and hilarious leading man on screens both big and small. This summer, he stars in his feature debut in “Hot Rod,” directed by Akiva Schaffer and also starring Jorma Taccone, Ian McShane, Sissy Spacek, Isla Fisher and Bill Hader. The highly anticipated film follows the journey of amateur stuntman Rod Kimble (Samberg), whose acerbic step-father Frank (McShane) gives him no respect. When Frank falls ill, it's up to Rod to stage the jump of his life in order to save him. The plan: Jump fifteen buses on his motorcycle, raise the money for Frank's heart operation, and then kick his ass. Paramount Pictures will release the film August 3, 2007.

Currently, Samberg stars in his second season as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live.” Samberg and SNL writers Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone are best known for their innovative SNL Digital Shorts which have re-invigorated the series and spurred many water-cooler moments over the past two seasons.

The first significant breakthrough for Samberg was the music video "Lazy Sunday," a performance collaboration with SNL alum Chris Parnell. “Lazy Sunday” was an undeniable online phenomenon that amassed over five million hits on YouTube.com within a few days and sparked its own legion of Internet imitations. The controversy surrounding the legal ramifications of online video content thrust the clip into the media spotlight, highlighting Samberg as the poster-child for a new generation of DIY filmmakers and comics.

The following season, Samberg, Schaffer and Taccone again made waves with the short video "D**k in a Box," an early-90's R&B spoof, starring Samberg and Justin Timberlake. As of April 2007, “D**k In a Box” was the all-time #4 video on YouTube.com with over 20 million views. The song reached unprecedented levels of popularity both online and in print, culminating in Samberg joining Timberlake on-stage at Madison Square Garden in February 2007 and performing the song live for more than 18,000 fans.

Samberg, Schaffer and Taccone, collectively known as “The Lonely Island,” have been friends since junior high school in Berkeley, CA. In 2000, the trio began writing, directing, and producing their own brand of comedy and showcasing it on their website www.thelonelyisland.com. Some highlights include one of Channel101.com's longest running primetime shows, "The 'BU", a parody of “The O.C.,” and a sketch comedy pilot created for Fox titled "Awesometown."

Thanks to their innovative contributions to “Saturday Night Live” and their previous work as “The Lonely Island,” WIRED Magazine honored Samberg, Schaffer and Taccone with a WIRED Rave award for Television in 2006, alongside geneticists and fellow online pioneers. Honoring the mavericks, dreamers and innovators "changing your mind," the WIRED Rave award recognizes leaders in a wide range of categories including technology, business, television, industrial design and blogs.

Prior to joining “Saturday Night Live,” Samberg performed stand-up comedy in both New York and Los Angeles for seven years and was featured on Comedy Central's “Premium Blend” in 2005.

Samberg attended college at UC Santa Cruz and graduated from NYU's Tisch School for the Arts with a film degree in 2000.

ISLA FISHER (Denise) is most widely recognized for her critically acclaimed performance as Vince Vaughn’s off-kilter love interest in the blockbuster “Wedding Crashers.” Fisher was recently seen in Miramax Films’ “The Lookout” written and directed by Scott Frank and also starring Joseph Gordon- Levitt and Jeff Daniels. She will soon be in the independent feature “Wedding Daze” co-starring Jason Biggs, directed by Michael Ian Black. Later this year she will star alongside Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz and Kevin Kline in the Working Title/Universal film “Definitely Maybe.”

She first appeared stateside in the Warner Bros. liveaction feature “Scooby Doo” in 2002. Since then, she has been seen in Fox Searchlight’s “I Heart Huckabees” for director David O. Russell.

Born in the Middle East country of Oman, Fisher moved with her family to the small city of Perth in Western Australia when she was a young girl. At the age of nine, she was already appearing in commercials broadcast on Australian television. She then became known for her role as Shannon Reed in the popular soap “Home & Away,” which also helped launch the careers of Guy Pearce, Naomi Watts and Heath Ledger. While working on the set of “Home & Away” she also found the time to write and release two best-selling teen-themed novels.

JORMA TACCONE (Kevin Powell) is a versatile actor and writer, who is making his feature debut in “Hot Rod,” as Andy Samberg's geeky and lovable half-brother Kevin. Directed by Akiva Schaffer and starring Samberg, Ian McShane, Sissy Spacek, Isla Fisher and Bill Hader, the highly anticipated film follows the journey of amateur stuntman Rod Kimble (Samberg), whose acerbic step-father Frank (McShane) gives him no respect. When Frank falls ill, it's up to Rod to stage the jump of his life in order to save him. The plan: Jump fifteen buses on his motorcycle, raise the money for Frank's heart operation, and then kick his ass. Paramount Pictures will release the film August 3, 2007.

Currently, Taccone is a writer, composer and director for “Saturday Night Live” and recently received a Writers Guild Award for his work on the 2005/2006 season of the show. Along with his writing partners Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer, he is responsible for creating the popular SNL Digital Shorts, which have re-invigorated the series and spurred many water-cooler moments over the past two seasons. Some of the most notable shorts include “D**k In A Box” (with Justin Timberlake), “Lazy Sunday” (a rap about “The Chronicles of Narnia”) and “The Natalie Portman Rap,” all of which Taccone co-wrote and composed music for with the help of his brother Asa. Many of the videos have garnered unprecedented online interest and acclaim. As of April 2007, “D**k In a Box” was the all-time # 4 video on YouTube.com with over 20 million views. Additionally, Taccone has directed several digital shorts including, "MacGruber" (with Jeremy Piven), "Business Meeting" (with Rainn Wilson and Arcade Fire), and "Sloths."

Taccone, Samberg and Schaffer, collectively known as “The Lonely Island,” have been friends since junior high school in Berkeley, CA. In 2000, the trio began writing, directing and producing their own brand of comedy and showcasing it on their website www.thelonelyisland.com. Some highlights include one of Channel101.com's longest running primetime shows, "The 'BU," a parody of “The O.C.” in which Taccone starred alongside Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs”) as a misunderstood teenage ninja and a sketch comedy pilot created for Fox titled "Awesometown.”

Thanks to their innovative contributions to “Saturday Night Live” and their previous work as “The Lonely Island,” WIRED Magazine honored Taccone, Samberg and Schaffer with a WIRED Rave Award for Television in 2006. Honoring the mavericks, dreamers and innovators "changing your mind," the WIRED Rave Award recognizes leaders in a wide range of categories including technology, business, television, industrial design and blogs.

Taccone is the son of accomplished theatre director Anthony Taccone and a graduate of the UCLA Theater department where he studied acting.

BILL HADER (Dave) is a cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” now in his second season with the show. Hader recently played a lead role opposite Seth Rogen in “Super Bad” for Columbia Pictures. His other feature credits include “Knocked Up,” directed by Judd Apatow and “The Brothers Solomon” directed by Bob Odenkirk.

He’ll next appear in the upcoming features “Tropic Thunder” with Ben Stiller and “Pineapple Express” directed by David Gordon Green.

Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Hader made an early splash on the show, debuting his uncanny impressions including, most notably, Al Pacino and Vincent Price (hosting macabre holiday specials). Prior to joining the cast of “Saturday Night Live,” Bill lived in Los Angeles and supported himself as an assistant film and TV editor while performing with the sketch comedy group Animals From the Future.

A Second City Los Angeles alum, Hader also worked as a “field agent” on MTV’s “Punk’d.” He currently lives in New York with his wife, filmmaker Maggie Carey.

SISSY SPACEK (Marie Powell) is one of the industry’s most respected actresses. Her many honors include an Academy Award®, five additional Oscar® nominations, three Golden Globe Awards and numerous critics awards.

She first gained the attention of critics and audiences with her performance in Terrence Malick’s widely praised 1973 drama “Badlands,” in which she starred opposite Martin Sheen.

In 1976, Spacek earned her first Academy Award® nomination and won a National Society of Film Critics Award for her chilling performance in the title role of Brian De Palma’s “Carrie,” based on the Stephen King novel. The following year, she won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for her work in Robert Altman’s “Three Women.”

In 1980, Spacek starred as Loretta Lynn in the acclaimed biopic “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” winning the Oscar® and Golden Globe Award for her performance. Spacek also swept the New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics, National Board of Review and National Society of Film Critics Awards for her portrayal of the country music legend.

Spacek received another Golden Globe nomination the next year for her work in “Raggedy Man,” directed by her husband, Jack Fisk. She earned her third Oscar® and Golden Globe nominations for her role in Costa-Gavras’ 1982 drama “Missing,” opposite Jack Lemmon, and her fourth Oscar® and Golden Globe nominations for her work in 1984’s “The River,” in which she starred with Mel Gibson.

In 1987, Spacek gained her fifth Academy Award® nomination and won another Golden Globe and the New York film Critics Circle Award for her performance in the dark comedy “Crimes of the Heart.” Her most recent Oscar® nomination came for her portrayal of a mother grieving for her murdered son in the drama “In the Bedroom,” for which she also won a Golden Globe Award, an Independent Spirit Award and an AFI Film Award for Best Actress. In addition, she garnered Best Actress Awards from a number of critics organizations, including the Los Angeles, New York and Broadcast Film Critics. Her work in “In the Bedroom” also brought Spacek two Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nominations, one for Outstanding Lead Actress and another for Outstanding Cast, shared with the rest of the film’s ensemble.

Spacek’s other film credits include “A Home at the End of the World,” “The Straight Story,” “Blast From the Past,” “Affliction,” “The Grass Harp,” “JFK,” “The Long Walk Home,” “’night Mother,” “Marie,” “Nine Lives” and “North Country.” She will next appear in "Lake City."

Spacek has also been honored for her work on the small screen, where she has starred in several highly praised longform projects. She received Emmy Award nominations for her portrayal of Zelda Fitzgerald in “Last Call” and for her work in Tommy Lee Jones’ Western “The Good Old Boys,” as well as SAG Award nominations for her performances in “Midwives” and “A Place for Annie.” Her additional television credits include “If These Walls Could Talk,” “Beyond the Call,” “Streets of Laredo” and “A Private Matter.”

IAN MCSHANE (Frank Powell) will next be seen in Paramount’s “Case 39,” in which he plays a detective opposite Renée Zellweger. McShane starred opposite Matthew McConaughey in the Warner Bros. true-life drama “We Are Marshall” and in Woody Allen’s “Scoop” alongside Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman.

He is currently filming the adventure fantasy “The Dark Is Rising,” directed by David L. Cunningham, in which he plays Merriman Lyon. Following production, Ian will relocate to New York City to return to Broadway in Daniel Sullivan’s revival of Harold Pinter’s “The Homecoming.” It’s a 40th anniversary for both as Ian made his Broadway debut in a production of “The Promise” in 1967, the same year “The Homecoming” made its Broadway debut.

McShane’s unique voice will be heard in two upcoming DreamWorks Animation releases, first as Captain Hook in “Shrek the Third,” due out this year, as well as the voice of the villainous snow leopard Tai Lung in “Kung Fu Panda,” which will hit theaters in 2008.

He will be voicing the role of Mr. Bobinksy in Laika Entertainment’s first animated feature, “Coraline,” an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s international best-selling book and directed by Henry Selick. In addition, he voiced the role of Iorek Byrnison in “His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass” alongside Nicole Kidman and directed by Chris Weitz.

Voted by People Magazine in 2006 as “TV’s Sexiest Villain,” McShane is still capturing audiences as the charismatic and alluring Al Swearengen in HBO’s hit series “Deadwood.” In 2005, he carried home the coveted Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama, and also received a 2005 Emmy and SAG nomination for Lead Actor for his versatile Swearengen performance.

Having starred in over thirty films including the recent critically acclaimed indie “Nine Lives,” written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia, McShane’s impressive résumé also includes roles in “The Battle of Britain,” “The Last of Sheila,” “Villain” (co-starring Richard Burton) and “Sexy Beast.”

McShane’s diverse career in both British and American television includes the seminal 1970s miniseries “Roots” and the BBC and BBC America’s “Trust.” He has played starring roles in many superb miniseries, including “Whose Life Is It Anyway?” for Granada TV; “Wuthering Heights” for the BBC; and Harold Pinter’s Emmy Award-winning “The Caretaker.” McShane played Judas in NBC’s “Jesus of Nazareth” directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and Prince Rainer in the network’s “The Grace Kelly Story.” He also played the title role in Masterpiece Theatre’s exceptional miniseries “Disraeli.”

In the late ’80s McShane produced, directed and starred in the much-adored series “Lovejoy” for the BBC and A&E, which is currently enjoying a revival with audiences worldwide.