Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler sat down for an extensive interview recently to promote The Ugly Truth, the raunchy, R-rated comedy opening this weekend. It’s a really long, funny piece, and I’d imagine Heigl and Butler would be really cute together just as themselves, not even playing characters. Go here for the full Q & A piece (which I would totally recommend).

Heigl and Butler talked a lot about what went into some of the funnier or raunchier scenes, including a dance scene that Gerard had to get special training for. He admits: “I took a few lessons because I had no idea what I was doing. I actually had a lesson from Julianne Hough from Dancing with the Stars and that took me a long way along the way.” It turns out Heigl is a natural dancer, and needed no training. Here’s something nice about Katherine Heigl – she seems to really enjoy being with Gerard, and even compliments him extensively throughout the interview. Seeing how Heigl is usually a Negative Nelly, I think she and Gerard must have really become quite tight. She tells him at one point: “What was so awesome is that you nailed every joke. It came off effortless. That is just awesome. He is super fun to watch. You’re just good.” I’m just going to put up the highlights:

When you are talking to each other face to face, how tough was that and were there a lot of takes for those scenes where you have to use the R-rated language? Was it tricky?
Katherine Heigl: For me I kind of talk like that all the time anyway, so it wasn’t hard. I try to actually rein that in a bit.
Gerard Butler: The first day, playing the American accent and that kind of character, I was really nervous. I kept forgetting my lines. Every time I would turn to Katie and had to play with her hair, I was so nervous. Once I grabbed her breast. In the middle of a take I said, ‘Did I just touch your breast?’

Did it take 35 takes before you got the dinner scene [in which she has a huge orgasm] right?
Katherine Heigl: Hold on. It didn’t take 35 to get it right, it took 35 set ups to film the scene. Which is a different thing. I got that on take one, thank you very much. [But] it was a nightmare. And let me tell you, ladies, these were fake orgasms but… can you imagine? ‘I’m very method.’ [Laughing] That would have been a terrible day!
Gerard Butler: I get them all the time! I recognize that!
Katherine Heigl: ‘I know you’re phoning that one in!’ [Laughing] It’s really just physically exhausting. It’s so much physical movement, the legs dancing under the table, all the tensing up of the body, and by the end of the day I felt like I had done a marathon. I thought I had run 20 miles. Then I went, ‘Okay, no I get why it’s called physical comedy.’ Because it’s so physical and it’s exhausting. No one wants to orgasm 35 times.

Dating Rules? Should a girl call first?
Gerard Butler: Listen, this is why it’s called The Ugly Truth. There is an element of truth in that the second that you think the girl is maybe not quite as keen, there is a little more. Sometimes when it’s there right in front of you, it’s not as interesting. Is that right?
Katherine Heigl: It’s true.

Following up on the R-rated issue. You held back on the visuals. Why?
Katherine Heigl: You’re saying there were no boobies. The Jell-O Twins should have been topless.
Gerard Butler: I don’t think you needed it. I think you had it in the language. If there is one thing that is classy about the movie, it’s that. The one thing.
Katherine Heigl: [Laughing] One thing.
Gerard Butler: No, just the ideas and the values are so clever and controversial, unexpected, and surprising and hard-hitting. You don’t need to see t-ts and vag. It’s not necessary. There’s enough going on. This movie is so hilarious, it works from the guys and girls perspectives. I think in an actual fight none of this feels gratuitous. They are all ideas we react to, we love, and we hate. You have a pretty strong reaction to both sides of the coin. I think the rest would have been gratuitous.

[From About.com]

Gerard also talks a lot about his Scottish accent, and trying to be funny with an American accent. I’ve learned so much about my guy throughout this press tour, I’m so happy. He’s like Russell Crowe circa 1999, only Gerry’s got a great sense of humor. No offense to Russell, but he comes across as a morose bastard most of the time. I’m not sure what I think about all of this talk that The Ugly Truth is some sort of pioneering, dirty, Battle-of-the-Sexes comedy, but I’m still going to see it.

Katherine Heigl is shown outside The Late Show on 7/20/09. She’s also shown at the premiere of The Ugly Truth with Gerard Butler on 7/16/09. Credit: WENN.com