Ray Stevenson Added This Threat Towards Mark Wahlberg's Character In The Other Guys
The Will Ferrell action and comedy movie "The Other Guys" follows detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), a pairing of opposite law enforcement agents. Allen is generally meek and enjoys his desk job, while Terry is a bit of a firecracker and is prone to let his emotions get the better of him. Of course during the execution of their duties, the odd couple unravels a conspiracy and they come face to face with a group of hired professional thugs, led by the fearsome and intimidating Roger Wesley (Ray Stevenson).
In an interview with the AV Club, Stevenson was asked about his time in "The Other Guys," and mentioned how the director of the film called him up and had the idea that his character should be an Australian. Stevenson continued, "But I told the director, 'I want him to be ex-Australian Special Forces,' and I put in the line when I threaten Mark Wahlberg's character about, 'There are three things I love in this world: wallabies, Kylie Minogue, and the quiver in a man's lip just before I'm about to hit him.' I think I put in the Kylie Minogue bit because she's such a gay icon – or she was at that time – and here was this ex-Special Forces Australian freelance security guy who just thinks Kylie Minogue is a goddess!"
Stevenson loved filming The Other Guys
Ray Stevenson added that filming "The Other Guys" was a lot of fun, and that he loved working with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, even though crafting the movie in New York City was a bit cold for Stevenson's liking. Still, he found the experience pleasurable, and when asked about his previous career efforts and whether or not he found comedy challenging, Stevenson had a clear cut response. Stevenson answered, "I love doing comedy! I always maintain that there's humor in everything. I mean, a movie like that, it's comedian-centric. They're very comedian-led. And watching Will Ferrell and the rest of them, just the way they sort of fire and spark off each other, it was like going to school every day."
Considering these comments, and the movie "The Other Guys," Stevenson definitely has the comedic timing necessary to be intimidating while professing his love of Kylie Minogue and indigenous Australian marsupials. Not only does Stevenson understand humorous delivery, but the fact that he also made the very specific requests for his character highlights that Stevenson should have probably been afforded more chances at comedy before his tragic passing. At the end of the day, Stevenson's role in "The Other Guys" allowed him to not only get a chance at a different kind of role, but also somewhat of the familiar – Stevenson had one of those looks that just made for the perfect villain, though in "The Other Guys," he probably had much more fun than perhaps some previous endeavors.