LESLIE MANN JOINS FORCES WITH “THE OTHER WOMAN”

Three women unexpectedly form a strong bond and decide to give a three-timing cheater what he deserves, in this very funny film which centers on the relationship between women – “The Other Woman.”

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

 

                Life seems to be going well for Kate (Leslie Mann) and her husband Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) until Carly, the lawyer portrayed by Cameron Diaz, knocks on their door one day.  Carly never suspects for a moment that Mark is lying to her – until the day he tells her he cannot make it for a date he had committed to.  Realizing something is not right, she drives to the house where she thinks he lives alone and discovers that he has been deceiving her and is   leading a double life. His wife Kate (Leslie Mann) answers the door. In fact, Mark is a triple-timer! He is also dating the lovely, unsuspecting Amber, played by Kate Upton.

                Leslie Mann, who portrays suburban über-homemaker Kate, has, says producer Julie Yorn, “this archetypal suburban wife thing with just a little pathos under the surface that could come undone.  We always thought there was an unexpected quality to this tightly wound character, and Leslie really made that come alive.”

                Mann describes Kate as “Kate is a very optimistic person, who is excited about life and happy with her husband Mark. But she is living in a bubble. Her life is all about making her husband happy and I think she’s lost herself. Suddenly everything is completely turned upside down when she finds out that her husband is having an affair with Cameron Diaz’s character, Carly, who doesn't know that Mark is married. Her whole world falls apart. Carly and Kate discover each other’s existence and they join forces to figure out what Mark is up to. Then they find out he has a third mistress (Kate Upton) and they all come together. To figure out how they’re going to deal with the situation and come to grips with what’s happening, these women support Kate in a way that helps her to grow and to work through all the suffering she is going through. I had so much fun playing this character. I was in a good mood every day.”

                Mann explains her synergy with Cameron and Kate by comparing it to music: “There are certain people who have an ear for comedy. It’s like a song and a rhythm, so when you’re doing comedy, if the other person isn’t hearing the same thing as you are, it just lays there and dies. Cameron hears the same thing as I do.  We can pick up where the other one lets off and it’s like a good give-and-take.  And Kate Upton has that, too.  She knows how to play things and she’s super-smart.”

                On her reel and real life roles, Mann says that “For me it is so much easier to go to work than it is to be at home. It is a lot of work running a home. When I’m not working, I’m raising my kids, keeping the house together and keeping our lives afloat. People who are doing that job are working their asses off. And raising kids is fun, but also hard. From the time they're born you don't sleep. You give up everything that you do for yourself, to give to your kids. That is a really great thing and it probably makes you a better person in a lot of ways, because you have to be selfless, but it's taxing.”

                Leslie Mann’s comedic timing and standout performances captivate audiences and critics alike. She most recently starred opposite Paul Rudd in Judd Apatow’s “This Is 40.” Her other impressive film credits include “Knocked Up,”  Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring” and lent her voice performance work in the Oscar® nominated “ParaNorman.” Mann also Carlos Saldanha’s animated blockbuster “Rio,” which garnered over $486 million worldwide and as well in “Rio 2.”  Other notable movies include “The Change-Up,” “I Love You Phillip Morris,” “17 Again,” “Big Daddy,” “Little Birds,” “George of the Jungle,” “Timecode,” “She’s the One,” “Stealing Harvard,” “Drillbit Taylor,” “Orange County,” “Funny People” and “The 40 Year Old Virgin.”

                A native of Southern California, Mann studied acting with the improv troupe the Groundlings whose alumni include most of the familiar faces in comedy today. One of her first big breaks was Ben Stiller’s “The Cable Guy”with Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick. While auditioning for the film she met future husband Judd Apatow. This film marked their first collaboration and the beginning of their creative professional partnership.

               “The Other Woman” opens May 7 in theaters nationwide from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.