Actress Leslie Mann has called for more strong, funny females in comedy films.
Speaking at the premiere of her latest romantic comedy film, How To Be Single, she also said comedies did not have a fair chance of winning awards.
“I love watching women in strong comedies and I think it’s ridiculous that we don’t have any comedy categories – and the one category we do get always goes to a drama,” she said.
Leslie Mann (Vianney Le Caer/AP/PA)
The film, based on Liz Tuccillo’s novel of the same name, is led by four female characters who are learning how to be single in a world where the definition of love is always changing.
The film stars comedian Rebel Wilson, 35, as a fun-loving singleton called Robin, who teaches her newly single colleague Alice, played by Dakota Johnson, how to be single. Leslie, 43, stars alongside them as Alice’s older sister, Meg, who’s worried she’ll lose her independence if she falls in love.
Rebel said she agreed with Leslie when it comes to awards season.
Rebel stars as Robin in the movie (Vianney Le Caer/AP/PA)
She said: “I find it interesting when I’m watching the Globes and there’s a comedy category. I think not all films nominated fit into that category. But I love working in comedy, I have so much fun working in it.
“I particularly love that I’m being chosen to star in strong, female ensemble movies. First I did Bridesmaids and then the Pitch Perfect franchise and now this.
“I love the girl power,” she added.
Dakota Johnson enjoyed working with co-star Rebel Wilson (Joel Ryan/AP/PA)
Fifty Shades Of Grey star Dakota, 26, said the fun never stopped when she was working with Rebel.
“Rebel was amazing to work with, she’s smart and funny and her brain never stops working,” she said.
“It’s not easy being funny, it’s something people have in their bones it can’t be taught.”
Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie, Dakota Johnson and Leslie Mann learn How To Be Single in the new movie (Ian West/PA)
Also starring in the movie is newcomer Alison Brie, 33, who spoke about the shift in society and what is expected of women.
She said: “We’re shedding the stigma that we need men for power and money and the idea that we were only meant to be a wife.
“It’s very old-fashioned thinking, but now that women can have children later and women are focusing on their careers longer, you can really be single and it isn’t a negative thing.”
How To Be Single is out on February 19.
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