Kazan gives healthy dose of comedy in ‘Big Sick’
NEW YORK — Zoe Kazan knew starring in tomorrow’s “The Big Sick” would not be without its obstacles.
Cast opposite Kumail Nanjiani, Kazan, 33, plays Emily, as in Emily V. Gordon, the American woman who married the “Silicon Valley” comedian.
The couple co-wrote “The Big Sick” about their complicated love affair.
“There are no spoiler alerts,” Kazan said during a one-on-one interview at the Four Seasons. “You can go in knowing it’s, of all things, a comedy about a woman in a coma.”
Kazan not only had to act, but lie in a hospital bed for weeks.
“When I met Emily, she felt like someone who could be my friend already. I didn’t feel pressure to do right by her. I didn’t feel I had to imitate her.
“I did feel like I wanted to be her champion in the world. We were on the team to protect the character and we would do this together.”
As for the induced coma, Kazan smiled. “I felt really uncomfortable physically because I had heart monitors attached to me.” Isn’t this just a movie? “They had a machine they needed a read on, so they had me hooked up, I guess because of the verisimilitude. I had all these sticky things on me and, again, because of the verisimilitude I wasn’t wearing a bra.
“TMI (too much information), you know it’s very sweaty and you’re not wearing a bra — it feels weird to be on a set in front of people.
“You’re in a hospital bed, which is not that comfortable, and we were shooting in a hospital! I felt bad. And I had a ventilator on, which they had cut the tube on but it fills your mouth, which is very odd.
“Then I had to be perfectly still and be asleep. Sometimes I did fall asleep and then I’d wake up with one of those jerks and be like, ‘Did I ruin that take?’ ”