'Zoolander 2' Stunt for Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson: When in Rome...Pose as Live Mannequins
Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller liven up the window display at the flagship Valentino store in Rome (Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
by Ariston Anderson
Zoolander 2 fever swept Rome Saturday with the European premiere of the film, which was shot in the Italian capital.
Fans dressed up in their most outlandish fashion to fill five theaters at The Space at the Piazza della Repubblica where Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Justin Theroux came to greet them.
Stiller thanked the film’s crew members who were seated in the auditorium. “This was an incredible experience,” he said. “I loved working here, as crazy as it is to work in Rome.”
Related: Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson Just Announced ‘Zoolander 2’ on Valentino’s Runway
On Sunday, Stiller and Wilson continued the promotional work for the film in Rome by posing in the windows of the Valentino flagship store as live mannequins. The Italian designer plays a key role in the Zoolander world. The film includes a scene shot on location in the store, which was recently remodeled. The two actors also took over the runway at a Valentino fashion show last March, creating a viral sensation.
The designer himself appears in the film in a quite memorable scene, alongside other fashion heavyweights, including Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, and Alexander Wang. Zoolander 2 is packed with cameos from the likes of Justin Bieber, Naomi Campbell, Sting, Kiefer Sutherland, John Malkovich, Katy Perry, Susan Sarandon, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Christina Hendricks, Olivia Munn, and many more.
But there’s one cameo that particularly resonates for Stiller. While in Italy, he mentioned how his idol David Bowie appeared in the original Zoolander film 15 years ago. “It was wonderful, kind, and all felt miraculous,” Stiller said of the experience in an interview with Italian newspaper Repubblica.
Zoolander 2 opens on Feb. 12.
Watch the ‘Zoolander 2’ promo/pitch for ‘Youth Milk’:
