Zach Galifianakis Weighs In On Mel Gibson 'Hangover 2' Flap

'As far as hiring and firing of actors, I have no insight into that world whatsoever,' actor/comedian explains on 'Today' show.
By Jocelyn Vena

Zach Galifianakis appears on the "Today" show on Monday
Photo: NBC

When Zach Galifianakis stopped by the "Today" show Monday morning (November 1) to promote his forthcoming Todd Phillips comedy "Due Date," he was asked about the controversy surrounding his other Phillips-directed comedy, "Hangover 2." His take on the whole Mel Gibson hiring/firing for the movie?

"I do not consult on the movies that I'm in. I just show up and I say my lines, usually terribly, and I do consult on dialogue," he explained. "But as far as hiring and firing of actors, I have no insight into that world whatsoever."

Galifianakis said in a recent radio interview that he was "in a deep protest" with a movie he was working on, presumably referring to "Hangover 2" and Mel Gibson's role in it. Though he wouldn't say much about Mel Gibson on "Today," he was open to discussing another famous Gibson. "If you have any questions about Debbie Gibson, I can answer that," he joked. "Debbie Gibson, if I remember correctly, lives in this neighborhood and has a very nice toilet."

Phillips himself has been vocal about Gibson being replaced by Liam Neeson in the film. Last week, he explained, "No one was ever fired. It's a term that is so obscene to me ... Someone was doing me a favor to come in for a two-minute cameo, and we changed it. It wasn't like we fired somebody. [Gibson] was just doing a favor from the beginning."

Phillips recently released a statement saying that he had wanted Gibson in the film, but that not everyone agreed with his decision so Neeson was brought in last minute to play a tattoo artist.

"I thought Mel would have been great in the movie," read the statement. "And I had the full backing of [Warner Bros. Pictures president] Jeff Robinov and his team. But I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew."

Check out everything we've got on "Due Date."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1651182/20101101/story.jhtml

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