In “The Three Stooges,” Larry, Curly and Moe are released into the wild city landscape after spending half of their lives in an orphanage. Out to save the orphanage and raise the money to save the only home they know, they decide to tackle the world outside the only way they know how.
Starring as the troika of knuckleheads are Emmy® and Tony® Award-winner Sean Hayes (“Will & Grace” ), who portrays the balding, sour-faced, bushy-haired Larry; Will Sasso (“MADtv”) as the rotund funnyman Curly, whose trademark “nyuk-nyuk-nyuk” usually invites a physical outburst from older brother Moe; and Chris Diamantopoulos (“24,” “The Kennedys”) as Moe, the dark-haired leader of the farcical trio known for his distinctive bowl-style haircut and intolerant ire.
Given the Stooges’ iconic stature, casting the middle stooge Larry was as formidable a task as Moe and Curly. The part of Larry, who served as the trio’s straight man, was in some ways the most difficult to cast because unlike his two cohorts, Larry lacked a distinctive voice. “It’s also hard to define exactly what made Larry so funny,” says Sean Hayes, who like Diamantopoulos, attended several auditions to land the coveted role. “He certainly was a great reactor.”
To help turn the handsome Sean Hayes into sour-pussed Larry, veteran Hollywood wig maker Renate (who has created hairpieces for such characters as Spider-Man, the
The filmmakers, the Farrelly Brothers have brought The Three Stooges’ unique brand of humor to modern-day moviegoers. “We’re giving audiences something they’ll have a great time with,” says Chris Diamantopoulos. “The movie is old-fresh,” adds Hayes about the film’s comedy. “You don’t have to be a fan of The Stooges to relate to our modern version.” Adds Will Sasso: “The characters are based on the original Three Stooges, but, this is a movie for everybody because it has emotion and heart.”
“The Three Stooges” opens October 24 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.