17 'Step Brothers' Facts That Somehow Make The Movie Even Better
Updated Nov. 8 2018, 3:41 p.m. ET
Step Brothers was took cinema into beautiful new territory when you saw Oscar Nominated actor John C. Reilly horrified at Will Ferrell t-bagging his drum set. I don't recall there ever being a major studio release where that happened and I have to say it's one of the most hilarious things I witnessed in a movie theater.
I mean the movie's filled with so many golden moments that are somehow made even better when you learn some little-known facts about this modern classic.
1. The inspiration behind the film came from bunk beds.
While editing Talladega Nights, director Adam McKay was in the editing room when he heard someone mention "bunk beds". He got the idea for two grown men playing Step Brothers and the idea for the script was born.
2. Jon Hamm auditioned for the role of Derek.
Hamm, Thomas Lennon, and Adam Scott were up for the role originally.
3. Will Ferrell Really sang the song and John C. Reilly was really playing the drums.
Reilly had to play drums for the 1995 film Georgia, which recorded live music from its actors.
4. Adam Scott didn't "sing high like this" during filming, however.
5. John C. Reilly and his brother have a musical past.
They had a band called Shark Fighter where John was the lead singer. John's brother was very particular about him touching his drum set. Reilly confessed in an NPR interview that when his brother was out of the house he would indeed play the drums.
6. Richard Jenkins once worked for Reilly's dad.
Jenkins realized at the end of the filming that Reilly's father used to work in the linen business in the Chicago area, turns out that Jenkins worked for Reilly's dad in the summer of 1969.
7. Brennan's prosthetic testicles cost $10,000.
Ferrell kept them after filming, too.
8. Costume designers had a hard time making sure Ferrell and Reilly didn't look like hipsters and not man-children.
Old t-shirts were carefully selected and Brennan's pajama pants were made out of old Star Wars bedsheets.
9. 1970's pop group Pablo Cruise played the movie's premiere after they saw one of their 1970's band t-shirts was worn in the trailer.
10. McKay gave a shout out to his old high school in the film.
The director graduated from Great Valley High in Malven, Pennsylvania in 1986. Brennan performed at the Great Valley Talent show where he was booed off-stage and told he had a mangina.
11. Cris Collinsworth just would not swear.
The NFL analyst was brought in to play Brennan's boss...but would always change the line director McKay would suggest to him if there was cursing in it.
12. Jenkins had to get a tetanus shot...for a scene that they weren't going to use.
The actor was bit by a dog in his butt during a scene. When Jenkins came to set the next day asking McKay if he wanted him to limp for continuity purposes, McKay said that he probably wasn't going to use the dog scene anyway.
13. The Catalina Wine Mixer was actually shot on the Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Catalina sounds so much better though.
14. The original cut of the film was a whopping five hours long.
The theatrical version was 98 minutes, however.
15. A Step Brothers rap album was almost produced.
McKay was working with the music producer who came up with "Boats n Hoes" and was even going to involve Katy Perry and Rihanna. However, everyone who was supposed to be involved with the project had scheduling conflicts so it never came to fruition.
16. A Hugalo's Pizza sign can be seen during the bloopers of Step Brothers.
It's the same pizza place that Ricky Bobby briefly worked for during Talladega Nights.
17. The white dog s**t Brennan licks was actually powdered white donuts.
Probably not a scene you want to method act in.
