So I didn’t actually do much eating at The Swamp Restaurant the day I sat with actresses Jamie Denbo and Jessica Chaffin to talk about their roles in the upcoming comedy, “The Heat.” In fact, neither did they: They seemed displeased with the nachos.
“It wasn’t worth (the calories),” Chaffin said.
The girl talk made up for it.
Chaffin and Denbo, from their live comedic talk show “Ronna & Beverly” developed at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles, strutted out of their Boston-native garb and into the questionable clothes from their roles as the white trash girlfriends of two of Melissa McCarthy’s brothers in the movie “The Heat.” And yes, they got to keep the clothes from the set.
“Don’t you see what we’re wearing now?” Chaffin asked after looking down at her snakeskin print top. Denbo’s Gator tank was at least spirited.
To give a short preview of the film: Just like any Sandra Bullock role, she’s an FBI agent who plays by the books and doesn’t work well with others. Just like any Melissa McCarthy role, she’ll have you laughing…for the majority of the movie. And Chaffin, who plays loud-mouth Gina, and Denbo, who plays loud-mouth Beth, join the ranks as two of many characters who are not Bullock’s or McCarthy’s fans in the movie.
The Massachusetts-born TV sitcom stars have been building up their comedic resumes, including their roles in the “Real Housewives of South Boston,” “Weeds” and “90210,” among others. The June 28th theater release of “The Heat” will be no exception.
“We love working with Paul Feig. He’s a great director,” Denbo said. “Doing this movie was such a nice break ‘cause we weren’t doing any producing like we usually do. There was so much less to worry about.”
Movie filming took them back to the duo’s old stomping grounds in Boston. It seriously amped the Boston accents, if anything.
“I felt like we were getting paid to kind of joke around with each other,” Chaffin said. “It was the most enjoyable time I’ve had on a set.”
The best friends of 15 years revel in their futures. They say they could be Ronna and Beverly forever.
“I’d say it’s like 60-40: In our daily lives, 60 percent of the time we’re Beverly, and the other 40 we’re Jamie and Jessica,” Denbo said.
Why not Ronna?
“Let’s face it, Beverly is just more fun to be,” Denbo said.
Since 2009, the sassy 50-somethings Ronna and Beverly have epitomized what an over-the-top Jewish motherhood looks like — dramatic — and sounds like — overdramatic.
“You’ll like it ‘cause we don’t play Jewish mothers, we ARE Jewish mothers,” Chaffin said. “We’re not pretending.”
Along with spacing out acting gigs out, Chaffin also said she would like to see the “Ronna & Beverly Talk Show” in the future.
“I want long periods of time to spend with my kids,” Denbo said about her two young kids.
Next thing I knew, Ronna and Beverly were giving me advice about life after graduation. The best part about talking with the two actresses: getting their comedic, if not sarcastic, takes on what “The Heat” will promise, from the great cast to the oh-so-proper roles — see, sarcasm — that will be sure to leave anyone who watches laughing.
Contact Melissa Kahn at mkahan@alligator.org.
