Cameron, Justin get candid about 'Bad Teacher'

With her mile-long legs and her killer smile, Hollywood’s 17-year veteran returns to the silver screen once again in a slightly less straight-laced, but just as spunky, avatar as “Bad Teacher” readies for a UAE release on June 23.
 
This is as good as it gets with Cameron Diaz, who may be sporting a few new wrinkles as she approaches the big four-oh next year, but her surfer girl persona still shines through, especially if you spare a glance at her thigh-skimming dresses that show off perfectly toned and tanned pins, which could turn even 20-year-olds green with envy.
 
Currently, those legs, along with the rest of her, have been indulging in a promotional blitzkrieg for the comedy by Columbia Pictures and Mosaic production. Diaz’s last two weeks has seen her in Moscow, London, Berlin and back in New York for her film’s premiere, which also stars the hilarious Jason Segal from “How I Met Your Mother” and former boyfriend and musical powerhouse, Justin Timberlake.
 
Of course, the buzz about the former flames sharing screen space has given rise to speculation if some chemistry would sizzle off-screen, especially considering Timberlake is now officially split from long-time girlfriend, Jessica Biel – even though Diaz is still very much with Alex Rod.
 
Those not in the know, Diaz and Timberlake dated for three years before splitting five years ago ¬– and it seemed obvious that the film’s promoters were holding Timberlake back to create a frenzy for the US premiere.
 
And of course, the one-time couple did not disappoint, duly sharing a kiss on the red carpet, and creating the ideal photo op for the army of flashbulbs that were waiting patiently.
 
She did a bad, bad thing
 
In her new film, Diaz has attempted to shed her goody-two-shoes image that has been something of a signature style ever since she shot to fame with 1998’s smash it “There’s Something About Mary.” This time round, the kid gloves come off, as attempts to stretch her acting prowess to come across as a gold-digging teacher whose biggest aim in life is to ensnare a rich sugar daddy who can fund her breast implants.
 
Yet, amidst this melee, she still finds time to hunker down and flash those pearly whites in a bid to explain what makes her character, Elizabeth Halsey, so different from her previous films.
 
“Elizabeth isn’t a teacher because it’s noble – it’s just a job, a necessity: she has to pay the rent,” says Diaz. “In fact, her whole motivation is to find a way that she never has to teach again.”
 
The opportunity to play a character that is so over-the-top outrageous but at the same time fully drawn is what appealed to Diaz.
 
“You just don’t come across parts like this,” she says. “It just doesn’t happen. And particularly for women. The script is just so subversive and brilliant and so funny. By the time I finished reading it for the first time, there was no question – I had to play her.”
 
And how misguided is this chracter?
 
“She’s driven to get money so that she can get a new pair of boobs,” Diaz explains. “She’s looking for a guy who is rich enough to take her away so she never has to work again, and she’s convinced that if she gets those D-cups they’ll be her ticket out.”
 
“She isn’t aggressively mean – she just thinks she’s above it all,” Diaz explains further. “She has no passion for teaching, no desire for the kids to learn anything. Even when she finds out she can get a big payday if the kids do well on the state test, it doesn’t make her want to be a better teacher; she just wants the scores. I love that she never changes.”
 
“Elizabeth isn’t a hard worker, but she knows how to work it and she’s a piece of work,” says Diaz. “She shows up for the car wash in a pair of short shorts and heels and a shirt tied up, washing cars for the parents.  It all seems pretty simple to her – she worms her way into being in charge of the car wash and then takes her cut of the earnings.”
 
He’s bringing sexy back
 
After Diaz’s character finds herself dumped, she sets her sights on a rich, handsome substitute – the heir to a watch fortune –Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake). But when Scott starts to fall for Elizabeth’s colleague, the self-described perfect teacher, Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch), her jealousy and vindictive nature go into overdrive. 
 
Taking the role opposite Diaz, former boyfriend Timberlake had no qualms sharing screen space with his ex and stepping up to the challenge of what was required.
 
“On paper, Scott is very, very nice,” he says. “He seems like your average, rich, blue-blooded guy, and very non-confrontational. That’s actually fun to play, because as Lucy’s and Cameron’s characters get more and more petty, he gets more and more awkward.”
 
Timberlake says that with the writers on set and a director who encourages collaboration, “Bad Teacher” was a fantastic experience.
 
“The role, as it was written on the page, was really funny. Then, when we were in the middle of a scene, Jake would have great instincts, adding a layer each time we did it. The writers would have very funny alternate lines to build on. All of this helped make the character more and more specific, and, I think, funnier and funnier.”
 
“I like it best when the comedy is based around character, not gags,” he says. “In drama, if there’s an emotional moment in a movie, it’s because the viewer has followed the character through the journey and it means something to them. Comedy is the same way – if you’ve followed the characters, it makes it even funnier.”
 
Surrounded by such a funny cast, he says, was a blast.  “I’m just a fan, I really am,” he says.  “It’s great to play in the sandbox with these brilliant comedic minds.” (with inputs from Bindu Suresh Rai)

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