Zoolander (2001)

"Deep down, Hansel really admires Zoolander and looks up to him," says Wilson of his brash character. "When we become friends, I let my guard down and say how much I admired his work in the 'International Male' catalogue." For Wilson, filming their characters' conflicts was not as easy as it appears on screen.

"The walk-off scene was uncomfortable for me because I literally have never danced in public, or in private," the actor confesses. "We had to break dance in front of seventy-five extras who were cheering and booing."

For Derek, things start looking up when he gets his first comeback job from ultra-eccentric designer, Mugatu (Will Ferrell). Unbeknownst to him, however, the invitation is only made to lure him into Mugatu's fiendish assassination plot.

"When Derek has this fall from the top, he's vulnerable, and my character has a history of brainwashing models to be hit men," says Ferrell. "Getting him under my control to star in my new line of clothes is just a cover-up."

Ferrell, the versatile "Saturday Night Live" comedian, has always pushed the envelope with a repertoire of eccentric characters, and the outlandish, platinum blonde Mugatu is no exception.

Ferrell elaborates: "Mugatu likes to wear corsets, which were real ones I had to squeeze into. It was insane. Once we stopped shooting, I was addicted to wearing corsets. The big bold decision though, was to dye my hair platinum blonde, no less than three times, as you'll see. A lot of people thought it was a wig. We created this crazy hairstyle and I couldn't cut it. So, half the season of "Saturday Night Live" I had to wear wigs to cover this big head of platinum hair. Total insanity."

Mugatu is assisted by his beautiful cohort Katinka, played by Milla Jovovich in a rare comic turn. Aside from the loyalty to her high fashion boss and their evil mission, Katinka suffers severe repugnance for any off-the-rack department store apparel.

"She's a unique type of intolerant villain," says Jovovich with a laugh, explaining her character. "Snobbery doesn't begin to describe her attitude towards discount retail fashion."

Trying to unravel the tangled plot, Zoolander is assisted by the diligent Time Magazine reporter Matilda (Christine Taylor). After first writing a scathing article on Derek, the tough journalist eventually softens up to the dim, but naive icon.

"I like to call Matilda the straight man in this movie," says Taylor. "It's filled with many over-the-top, funny characters, and Matilda brings a sense of reality to that world. You need to have somebody who is a bit of an anchor; a voice of reason for the audience."

Taylor has particular experience mixing comedy and fashion, having donned those '70s era mini-skirts in the two "Brady Bunch" features as the famously envied, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!"

In addition to his wife, Christine Taylor, who plays Matilda the Time Magazine journalist, Stiller ended up working with his immediate family, which is a quite talented clan, indeed. His mother, Anne Meara, plays a protester at the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards. His sister, Amy Stiller, plays one of Hansel's fashion posse, and his father Jerry, plays Derek's long-time agent, Maury Baulstein. "My Dad has such a specific persona that so many people relate to, and he brought that to the character. He's very prepared, and he comes in with so many ideas," says Ben.

---