Zach Galifianakis talks about 'The Hangover,' 'Between Two Ferns,' and more!

Anyone who has seen The Hangover (opening tomorrow) will tell you that they're already intoxicated by the film's breakout star, 39-year-old Zach Galifianakis. The comedian has developed a cult following for his stand-up act and popular Funny or Die web series, Between Two Ferns. But what's going on underneath his unruly, scruffy head of hair? Galifianakis took time out of his hectic schedule to chat about The Hangover, getting serious with Sean Penn, and what he hopes to do after he's done with "this whole showbiz nonsense."



ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You're a tough guy to get on the phone. Besides anticipating The Hangover's release, what else do you have on your plate?ZACH GALIFIANAKIS: I'm working on this TV show that's taking up some time. It's called Bored to Death. It's an HBO show that will be on in the fall.
What do you play?I play a comic book illustrator who is sexually frustrated. Jason Schwartzman is the main character. It's a very well-written show.
I have a feeling that fans will be tuning in to that one, especially since you've been garnering plenty of good buzz for The Hangover. And Warner Bros. has already made a deal for a sequel. Are you stoked?Well, I mean, talk about [setting] it up for a major jinx. Look, it's flattering that they're thinking that way, but wait until the movie comes out and see what happens after that. I would like to do it. Very much. It was a lot of fun to film The Hangover. I think we're doing the third one in...no. [Laughs]
Hey, I wouldn't be surprised to see a trilogy. In the film, you play Alan, the deranged, jockstrap-wearing, socially awkward brother of the bride. How in the world do you prepare for that kind of role?Well, I wish I had a concrete answer to that. In my mind, I just gave him [a] history. So the history was that he used to carry records to raves for a DJ. And one time when he was at a rave 15 years ago, he dropped too much acid. He wasn't born really dumb, but the drugs made him really stupid, and [he's] missing a part of his brain that is responsible for normal social interactions. And then when we shot [the film], these other subplots [popped up], like that he's not supposed to get near children. But that storyline is not that he did anything malicious. He just wanted to hang out with anybody that would hang out with him, and sometimes those were 12-year-olds. So it was never a sexual thing. It was just, hey, there are kids in the park skateboarding, so I'm going to see if they can be my friend. And the other subplot I think was the fact that he had this kind of adulation for Bradley's character and wanted to be really good friends with him.