Studio Cut

The filmmakers of Touchstone Pictures’ new romantic comedy “When in Rome ” turned to top comic performers to cast the strange suitors of Kristen Bell’s character, Beth. Danny DeVito, Will Arnett, Jon Heder and Dax Shepard were called on to pursue Beth with a little more zest than the average love story.

It was almost too much of a good time, says Bell . “I sometimes could not stop laughing on set because they’re all so funny.”

“When in Rome ” is the tale of Beth, an ambitious young New Yorker who is disillusioned with romance. On a whirlwind trip to Rome , she defiantly plucks magic coins from a fountain of love, inexplicably igniting the passion of those who threw them in: a sausage magnate (DeVito), a street magician (Heder), an adoring painter (Arnett), and a self-admiring model Shepard). But when a charming sports reporter (Josh Duhamel), pursues her with equal zest, she’s not sure if his love is the real thing.

Danny DeVito portrays Al, a successful sausage magnate who calls on Beth for private tours of the Guggenheim museum in which Beth is the young curator. “He’s one of the funniest guys ever,” says producer Gary Foster. “He’s a smart, great filmmaker—not only for his acting prowess but because he is also a master of directing comedy. He was great about sharing ideas and stories.”

Portraying the “Italian” painter Antonio is “Arrested Development” star Will Arnett. “The film had such a great ensemble vibe, and I’m friends with a lot of people in the cast already,” says Arnett. “So being able to come and work with those guys, go to Rome and have that experience is kind of like going to movie camp.”

Jon Heder, who starred in “Blades of Glory” with Arnett, portrays Lance, whom he calls “a creepy street magician. I think that’s what I liked most. Street magicians are creepy.”

Dax Shepard, who plays aspiring male model Gale, agrees. “Arnett and I had a blast. We only had a couple of scenes together, but we did everything in our power to steal those scenes from one another.”

Shepard found interesting comic material in the narcissistic Gale: “I don’t fancy myself very attractive, so I thought it would be the ultimate challenge to play a guy in a movie who’s supposed to be a model, and never got there with his face so he relied on working out a lot and dieting—extreme dieting.”

To pull it off, Shepard actually had to commit to a diet with the same zeal as the delusional Gale. “I don’t think genetically I’m supposed to look like that. My next role is going to be the owner of a donut shop, I think.”

Opening soon across the Philippines , “When in Rome ” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.