Jason Sudeikis Recalls Owen Wilson’s Backhanded Compliment Making His First Big Movie

Jason Sudeikis recalls a funny backhanded compliment Owen Wilson gave him while the pair were filming Sudeikis’ first big studio movie as a leading man, Hall Pass. The movie, which was released in 2011, starred Wilson and Sudeikis as Rick Mills and Fred Searing, respectively, two men who are given a one-week hall pass by their wives during which they can do anything without retribution. Hall Pass is known for its underrated cast of characters played by iconic comedians.

While battling spicy wings on the YouTube show Hot Ones, Sudeikis was reminded of an experience he had on the set of Hall Pass. Sudeikis recalled how, during the filming of a scene at a sports bar, he actually ate the wings on the table while the crew was filming Wilson’s takes. This prompted a rather odd compliment from Wilson. Check out the full quote and video below (quote begins at 10:23):

Jason Sudeikis: I did this movie, Hall Pass, it was me and Owen Wilson, but then also Stephen Merchant, JB Smoove, Larry Joe Campbell. We did this scene taking place at a sports bar and we’re eating wings, and it was my first time being in a big studio movie lead, like Owen and I were on the poster kind of thing. We’re going around [the table], when you shoot all the people around, you have to keep moving the camera when you have the time and money, which they do for studio movies. And there were hot wings — and they weren’t this hot — and I’m eating them while the camera’s on Owen.

Sean Evans: They tell you not to.

Sudeikis: I know, well they didn’t before that, and I hadn’t done enough to have my method. [Chuckles] At some point, I’m eating them, and he just goes, “Gosh, you’ll just put anything in your body, huh?” And I’m like, “Oh, yeah.” He goes, “I’m so curious what you’d look like if you actually worked out and took care of yourself.” [Laughs]

How Jason Sudeikis Went From SNL To Movie Star

Sudeikis first came to relative prominence as one of the leading cast members on the iconic sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 2003 to 2013. Sudeikis played many classic characters on SNL, including Joe Biden, Mitt Romney, and the hilarious backup dancer on the recurring segment “What Up With That?”. The comedic range he displayed on the show helped him go from TV veteran and movie newcomer to Hollywood leading man in the span of a decade.

While Hall Pass was a mild success, Sudeikis’ movie career really took off a few months later when he starred in Horrible Bosses alongside Jason Bateman and Charlie Day. The movie was a major financial success and essentially served as the springboard for Sudeikis’ career as a lead actor. That film was followed by more hits with 2013 comedy We’re The Millers and 2014 sequel Horrible Bosses 2, which cemented Sudeikis as a bona fide movie star.

In 2016, Sudeikis lent his voice to the lead character in The Angry Birds Movie and did so again for its 2019 sequel. More recently, Sudeikis has shown a more dramatic side as the eponymous main character on the TV series Ted Lasso. The Apple TV+ show has turned Sudeikis into a household name as it has allowed him to show that he can play emotional, scared, and angry just as well as he can do funny. His journey from newcomer on Hall Pass to Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor for Ted Lasso has been a sight to see.

Source: Hot Ones