The Untold Truth Of The Hangover Trilogy

The bachelor party comedy has been done. It's been done to death. Weeks before "The Hangover" hit theaters in 2009, director Todd Phillips confessed to The New York Times, "The worst thing about the movie is that it's about a bachelor party in Vegas," revealing the twist that made this movie so fresh, saying "we made a bachelor party movie where you never see the bachelor party." Instead, we watch Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) try to reconstruct their night, hoping to discover where and when they lost Doug (Justin Bartha), the soon-to-be groom.

We see a different Las Vegas in "The Hangover." We don't see neon, smart suits, and sequins; we see sweat and regret. As Galifianakis told The New York Times, "Todd wanted to show this gross, more real part of Vegas that you see during the day, with the stains on the sidewalk." We see the hungover and stinking morning after a wild night in the city of sin. The "Hangover" franchise puts consequences front and center and somehow finds humor in the realization that last night was a big mistake.

Raunchy, hilarious, and irreverent, "The Hangover" was a surprise hit that won over audiences with the comedic chemistry of its cast, becoming a hugely successful R-rated comedy franchise. "The Hangover Part II" took the Wolfpack to Bangkok, where they took another walk on the wild side. While "The Hangover Part III" wasn't as commercially successful as the first two films, it continued with the theme of consequences, showing how one choice can affect your life for years to come. Stick around as we discover the untold truth of "The Hangover" trilogy.

Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper, and Zach Galifianakis have terrific screen chemistry and comedic timing. This alchemy created a successful comedy franchise, and the credit goes to director Todd Phillips, who selected his cast carefully. Phillips told USA Today, "I call it anti-chemistry," adding that the trick, "is finding guys who don't appear to be like each other. Too many comedies have actors whose comedy styles are similar, so it's one note. I like guys whose styles are polar opposites of each other."

When the first movie came out, Ed Helms told The A.V. Club the trio had known each other casually for years, but "once we all got together before the movie started, it just clicked. I tip my hat to Todd for that, bringing together three guys who are really different, but really appreciate each other's humor and sensibilities." This comedic chemistry transcended filming, turning into a genuine friendship for this trio. Helms said, "We went through the wringer together, and that shared experience really made us genuine buddies. And I think you see that onscreen somewhat."

In an interview with USA Today, Cooper said, "Great actors can fake chemistry. But audiences know when it's really there, and I think that's what people pick up on." Cooper added, Galifianakis was the first person he called when his father died in 2011, saying, "We went from co-workers to friends a long time ago." Phillips told USA Today his approach with all three films, saying, "You set up a camera and let them be the Wolfpack, because they're kind of a real one, with as much heart."

Ed Helms was part of the ensemble cast of "The Office" when he was cast as Stu in "The Hangover." Helms told The Hollywood Reporter, "Just trying to close my deal was such a nightmare because NBC was in first position with my schedule." The showrunner was very helpful, consolidating all of Helms' scenes into two days of shooting. Helms chartered flights, saying, "I'd go from Vegas to Van Nuys Airport at 4 in the morning because we were doing shoots all night, then I'd land in Van Nuys, drive to the set and shoot all day on 'The Office,' completely Red Bull-ed out of my brain."

Helms continued with the craziness while filming "The Hangover Part II," but in the final season of "The Office," Helms was given a break from the series to film "The Hangover Part III." Andy's absence was written into the storyline of the NBC hit series. Andy is absent from multiple episodes of Season 9 when he sails away to the Caribbean on a family boat, abandoning his girlfriend for three months (per Mental Floss). The television series and film franchise that made Helms famous wrapped up around the same time. "It's a lot of feelings mixed up. There's a nostalgia, there's sadness, there's a tremendous feeling of gratitude to have just been on these two wonderful rides," Helms told Time.

If there is proof Ed Helms was born to play Stu in "The Hangover," we don't need to look any further than his right lateral incisor. When the production team was discussing what to do about Stu's missing tooth, Helms told them his tooth was an implant he'd had since he was 15. Helms told The Hollywood Reporter, "I talked to my dentist and he said, 'Yeah, we can take it out.' He was a champ. He's in the credits. So he took the tooth out, and he had to make a special piece to then screw into the hole so that the gum tissue stays healthy. He made me a flipper with the fake tooth on it that I could take in and out because I was still shooting on 'The Office.'"

Ken Jeong's life and career were full of things to be grateful for. He was the new father of twin girls and he had landed what would become his breakout role in "The Hangover." A cloud descended over Jeong and his family when his wife Tran found a lump while breastfeeding their daughters. They diagnosed her with breast cancer in 2008 and she began treatment while Jeong was filming in Las Vegas (per Huffington Post). Jeong told The Hollywood Reporter, "It was a very magical shoot. My wife was going through breast cancer and chemotherapy at the time. [She recovered.] It was part of the reason I was so unhinged in the character; I think I was working out my own demons. Todd and Bradley were the only people who knew."

This experience was also something that cemented Bradley Cooper and Jeong's friendship. While filming in Las Vegas, Cooper drove Jeong back to Los Angeles to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family because Tran was too weak from chemo to travel to Las Vegas for the holiday. Jeong told Entertainment Tonight, "Bradley had us come over to his place and be with his family. It got me through the most difficult period of my life." Jeong also shared, "Tran is such, like, my role model and hero. Even if we weren't married. I mean, she is just the strongest person that I know."

Todd Phillips certainly garnered a reputation as a trickster and eternal frat boy with his earlier movies, "Road Trip and "Old School," and he carried this theme into the "Hangover" franchise. Phillips told USA Today, "Basically, every 'Hangover' movie has been me and Zach, trying to make each other laugh when the cameras aren't rolling. Then we put that in the movie." One-upmanship is apparently an important part of Phillips' planning process too. Phillips wanted to use a real taser on the actors while filming "The Hangover," believing their genuine reactions would get laughs.

Unfortunately for us, the studio lawyers wouldn't allow it. Zach Galifianakis told The New York Times, "He goes, 'Look at these clips on YouTube. 'It doesn't hurt that much.' And then the Warner Bros. lawyers stepped in, thank God." While Galifianakis was relieved, he didn't get tased on set, rumor has it Bradley Cooper was game to shoot 50,000 volts through his system in the name of comedy! As hilarious as it is to see Steve-O get tased, Warner Bros. probably made the right call.

Jon Lucas and Scott Moore wrote the original script for "The Hangover," but once director Todd Phillips got his hands on the script, new characters and subplots emerged. Ed Helms said, "The structure of the film was there before Todd came on, but it wasn't as imaginative" (per USA Today). Bradley Cooper, who plays Phil in "The Hangover" trilogy, agreed, telling The Hollywood Reporter, "The characters were different in the original script. I was a used-car salesman. There wasn't a Mr. Chow. I mean, Todd created everything." 

Phillips elaborated, explaining how Mike Tyson and his tiger found their way into the script during a writing session with Jeremy Garelick, saying, "Oh, you know what's funny? Mike Tyson. I once read he has tigers. They stole it from Mike Tyson." Phillips also revealed that there also wasn't a baby or a stolen cop car in the original script. These are arguably the funniest and most out-of-control parts of the film, proving that without Phillips at the helm, it would have been a vastly different film.

Members of the cast saw President Bill Clinton speak while they were in Thailand. Phillips told The Hollywood Reporter, "Ed had food poisoning the whole time we were in Bangkok. The rest of us ended up going, and we got to go to dinner with President Clinton. We were like, 'Hey, why don't you come by the set?' So he came by. He loved [the first movie]. He loves comedies." This set visit launched a rumor Clinton would make a cameo in the film, a rumor that was quickly dispelled by Ed Helms when he told MTV, "He came and visited us. I'd be surprised if there's a scene in the movie."

It was also rumored Charlie Sheen would make a cameo in "The Hangover Part II," which was denied when Phillips told Entertainment Weekly, "Somebody on some tiny little site made something up that said Charlie Sheen was in talks for 'Hangover 2' and then it gets picked up on every other site as a fact. It's not true. It's so frustrating." Speaking of cameos, Phillips confirmed Mel Gibson and later Liam Neeson almost made an appearance as the tattoo artist before Nick Cassavetes played the character.