Disclosure: This post is part of an all expenses paid press trip to Los Angeles provided by Disney.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.  All giggles and squeals will also belong to me while attending these events in LA!

As you know, I attended the world premiere of Million Dollar Arm a couple of weeks ago in Los Angeles.  Along with attending the Red Carpet Premier, I also had the awesome oppertunity to review some of the cast including the real people behind the movie Million Dollar Arm along with Jon Hamm, Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal.   The last interview I have to share with you is with Aasif Mandvi who plays JB Bernstein’s business partner Aash in the movie.  While I enjoyed interviewing everyone, Aasif is the one we laughed the most with.  He is hilarious from the moment he walked in the room and asked if we were the MILF bloggers until the end when he posed with us for a group picture.  While it was nice to sit and stare at Jon Hamm through out his interview, I loved listening to Aasif even more!  (Yes you read that right!).

Who is Aasif Mandvi?

Before I share the interview with you, I want to tell you a little bit about the actor Aasif Mandvi.    This was the first movie I’ve seen him in and loved him!  Aasif was born in Bombay, India and was a Street Performer at the Disney/MGM Studios for his first job out of College.  He said the expeirence was much different than working with Disney on a movie.  He said there was less catering at that job, he didn’t have a trailer and no hair or make-up like he got for the movie.    Aasif said it was an amazing experience and it was his first professional acting job and it was really fun.   It was a great opportunity for him to learn Comedy and learn Improv.  Assif said that when he started that job he hoped it was not where he end but instead it was where he started and now it has fom full circle.

He is also known for Spider-Man 2, The Internship and The Proposal along with many more.  When I looked up the list of movies he’s been involved with, I was pretty impressed.  I do hope to see more of him as I think he’s a great actor – and a comedic actor at that!

Were you a Stand up Comedian?

Aasif said he was never really a Stand up Comedian.  He did some Stand-up because he thought that’s what he’d like to be but he ended up sort of doing more Theatre and he created a One Man Show.  And since The Daily Show people want him to do Stand up so they pay him to do Stand up.  But he doesn’t consider himself a Stand up in the way.  He came more from the Theater track.

What was your favorite scene to film in the Film and why?

Aasif’s favorite part was going to India and shooting because he was born there and still has family there.   He has visited India many times, but it’s a whole different experience when you go with an American Film Crew to India.  He said it’s actually the best way to see India – to be in the bubble of a big Hollywood Production.  You don’t have to deal with any riff raff that is going around.   But it was great and an amazing experience to go to India and he got to visit family.   Also, Aasif was happy to have had the opportunity to see the Taj Mahal, which he always wanted to see and never had.  And he got to do it on Disney’s dime so that was kind of great!

Aasif has twin’s in the movie and they appear a few times.  We asked him what it was like working with the babies?

Aasif said there were two sets of Twins.  He said you really can’t tell because they’re Indian and look alike.  But if you watch closely, you see that they’re actually two sets of different Twins.  The Twins that he is  feeding in the Kitchen are not the same Twins that he is holding on the Porch.

He said the kids cried A LOT!  Then he goes on to tell us a really funny story.  There were two sets of Indian Parents who have these two sets of Twins and they were hiding off in the corner during the porch scene and the kids would just cry.  And cry.  That scene was not about these kids crying but Craig Gillespie, the Director, said “you know kids cry.  So let him just cry because there’s no way we can stop him”    So they just used it. So Craig’s theory was that every time we see Ash and his children, his children are just screaming.  And that’s just the reality of his life.  So in the bed, they’re crying.  They weren’t supposed to be crying.  In the Kitchen, they’re crying.

And then, the piece de resistance is that on the Porch, the kids were again, crying and Aasif is supposed to be holding them and the kid is literally screaming for his Mother.  He’s just like, I don’t care about your stupid Movie, I want to be with my Mom.  So finally he says to Craig that he can’t do this anymore.  The child was  just a mess he was so upset.  So Craig told him “We need this shot.  I don’t care how much,  Just let the kid cry.  I don’t care.  Just grab him, walk out onto the porch, we get the shot, we’re done. We’re out of here. ”  So Aasif said “Okay” and they roll Action, he grabs the kid from his mom, which was like pulling cheese off a Pizza.  LOL  So he’s holding on to Aasif and they go running on to the Porch and he’s standing there getting the shot.  He was shaking him and then suddenly the child looks at him and just puked all over his clothes.  And twice, he did it twice and it’s in the Movie.  And you can see it all happening and it’s totally real.

But they got the shot!

This was such a great and FUN interview and I was so happy we had the opportunity to meet and talk with him  and before he left the interview, we snagged him for a group picture..

Million Dollar Arm is now in theaters around the world.  See it. You’ll love it.  And take the entire family!  After all it’s made by Disney!