Galifianakis on the Real Hangover Tasing

Zach Galifianakis walked Rich through the Hangover scene fans still quote, the tasing scene, and clarified how it actually got made.

The script called for a tasing. Galifianakis said Todd Phillips wanted to really tase the actors. With real electricity. Galifianakis' reaction, delivered deadpan: "Well then don't hire actors."

The "tase me in the face" line was his. Not in the script. He'd seen plenty of body tasings on film and suggested they try the face. Rob Riggle's scream, "in the face!", also not scripted. Riggle calling him "Fat Jesus" wasn't scripted either. Galifianakis noted that one was actually a joke he'd had years before and Riggle took it from him.

Rich asked about the follow-up beat, where Galifianakis is still upright after the first tase and needs a second to go down. Galifianakis said they wanted a Frankenstein moment, the tasing not working because of his size. He called it, cheerfully, another fat joke in the movie. The terrified boy in the shot is one of the crew's kids. Most of the kids in that scene are crew children.

The conversation pivoted to Ken Jeong, whom Galifianakis knew before The Hangover. They used to do stand-up together at a coffee house in Culver City.

Rich relayed what Ken had told the show previously, that it was Ken's idea to be buck naked in the trunk, that Todd Phillips not only agreed but made him sign a waiver so he couldn't back out. Galifianakis said of course it was Ken. Who else is going to pitch that. What focus group is requesting it.

Galifianakis didn't remember whether he knew Ken was nude before the take. He figures he probably did, which means it was probably still a surprise when it happened.

Rich asked if Galifianakis would have done something similar, Jimmy Kimmel once asked him to be naked at the Oscars. He passed. John Cena ended up taking the bit. Galifianakis said Cena is the right guy for that one.

Then the Mike Tyson story.

Galifianakis said Tyson is an interesting dude, really knowledgeable about comedy and stand-up, specifically a big fan of Ernie Kovacs, which Galifianakis had to insist was true.

The thing he remembers most, though, is the punch. In the scene where Tyson hits him, Galifianakis said they did roughly 30 takes. Every single take, he felt Tyson's fist graze his hair. Going full speed. Pulling up at the last instant. After 30 passes of that, Galifianakis went to Todd and asked how many more they needed.

Rich's line landed it: Galifianakis might be the only person Tyson has ever pulled a punch on. Galifianakis' correction: about 30 punches. All of them grazed.