'Kinda Pregnant' star Urzila Carlson reveals unexpected danger of movie's funniest scene: 'Five stunt people dive into the pool to come and help me'

Yahoo

21-02-2025

The Netflix movie Kinda Pregnant is stacked with an impressive cast, including Amy Schumer, Jillian Bell, Brianne Howey, Lizze Broadway and Will Forte, but the stand-out star in the film is comedian and actor Urzila Carlson. The South African-New Zealander was responsible for many of the funniest lines in the movie, and as she revealed to Yahoo Canada, all but two lines were improv.
But easily one of the movie's most memorable scenes, the gender reveal piñata moment where Carlson's character falls into a pool, was even more outrageous on set than we saw in the movie. From a safe word gone wrong to complications with the stunt, and cold water, Carlson revealed what we didn't see on screen.
In addition to Kind Pregnant, Carlson is also bringing her "Just Jokes" tour to North America in May and June, with tickets currently on sale.
What if something you know catches you with it?
Do you smell that?
It's like burnt plastic.
Why am I listening to you?
You have 3 active restraining orders against you, which says to me, there are 3 people out there who seize my passion.
I show up at their work, I show up at their house, I show up at their mother's house.
I'm fucking everywhere.
I'd love to know because your character in particular has these really great kind of like one line.
absolutely hysterical moments.
How much of that was in the script?
How much of that was you?
How much of that was collaboration with Amy?
How did that kind of work?
Well, I watched the movie too, and I think there's only 2 lines in there that was in the script.
So the rest is just off the cuff stuff and, you know, sort of back and forth with Amy or with whoever's in the scene.
Um, I'm very lucky that I was sort of just given a go for it in this, in this movie, which is amazing.
So we'd always start like there was so much just improving going on on set.
That I think we made every scene about an hour longer than it needed to be.
But, uh, we had so much fun cause then I'll, you know, like, I'll do what was in the script, and then Amy will say something else.
Like there's a scene in the office that was like maybe 2 lines each long.
Um, but then she would start saying other stuff to me, and I'm like, Oh, we're just, we're doing this?
Cause, cause this is my first movie, so I didn't know how it worked.
So then she would say something like that restraining order, there's a line about, you have active restraining order.
And I was like, Oh, OK, that's not on the script.
And then I just, you know, um, go for it.
I want to talk about the gender reveal party, um, scene where you fall into the pool because it's also absolutely hysterical and just like the entire commotion of that scene.
What was it like on that day to film that moment?
OK, so it was wild.
I have a, um, I had a stunt.
Stun person, um, Jordan.
And then on the day, and I, I woke up that morning and I knew it was gonna happen.
You know, when you know.
So it was freezing cold, you know, it's March in New York, and we get to the set, like, it's a house where we're filming at.
And, um, they said to me, potentially, I'm gonna go in the water.
I have to be in the water cause I have a line to deliver in the water, but Jordan will, will do the drop, right?
So I'm like, OK.
They said, but not to worry, uh, the pool will be heated.
So when, when I got there that morning, they were filling it.
The pool was still being filled.
I'm like, this pool ain't gonna be heated.
I know how heating works and this ain't it.
And then, um, So then, on the, they said, Look, would it be possible for you to do the stunt?
And I was like, Wait, what does this entail?
Because it's got a thick rubber layer that's over the pool.
Under it, it's got that blue, you know, with a bubble thing to keep the heat, which the pool did not have.
So that was a waste.
Uh, but then it's hooked in with like these steel bars, like right around, and they have explosives on, on the bars, and then they shoot it out and then you drop in the pool.
So I'm like, I, uh, hang on.
So I'm standing on the cover, right?
Like, I'm no, you know, scientist here, but what'll happen if the, the explosives go off, those metal, where, where does that go?
Surely that'll fly up.
Like, I don't want it to hit me in the eye and I ruin my modeling career.
And they go, No, no, Jordan's done a few trials with this, and it, it never pops up that high.
I'm like, Uh, OK. Um, I was petrified.
So they go, All right, they talk me through the whole thing.
I catch this pinata.
I take a few steps back, I balance myself.
I go, I'm all right.
And then it shoots out and I fall in the, in the water.
Uh, I had to pick a safe word, uh, because that's how it works here.
Um, they said, Pick a safe word.
I go, Don't worry, you'll know if I need to get out.
Like, I'll make it extremely clear.
And they go, No, no, you need to legally, you need to have a safe word.
So Jillian Bell, uh, she goes, uh, uh, Kate, in the movie, she goes, Make a banana.
I went, All right, banana.
Um, and they go, OK, good.
So I'm in, so they shoot it.
I go in.
That really heavy rubber thing closes in on me.
I do, for a moment think I am gonna die, but I don't.
I come out and then I have to deliver a line, but in my accent, and while I'm flailing around pretending to drown cause my character can't swim.
Pinnata and banana sounds very similar.
So 5 stunt people dive into the pool to come and help me, so they're grabbing at me to try and save me, and I'm trying to deliver the line.
So in that process, they nearly kill me because.
I'm like, Livy, I'm, I'm doing the line.
The water was so cold.
It was.
And then Alex Moffatt goes down the slide and but that wasn't even in the script.
He's just coming in as support, and, you know, so it was so funny.
Like I was howling while I was in that water.
I have to ask you.
Because you're, I'm Canadian and you're coming to Canada on your comedy tour in a few months, which is very exciting, and I think after people watch this movie, they're especially going to be really excited.
Um, what makes you excited about coming to North America in particular and being able to to do your comedy here?
Well, I mean, I, I love standup.
Standup is my number one love.
Everything else I do is to drive stand up, to get new stories, to get new people, to get new.
Like I've, I've also started touring to the UK more, and I've even done a tour through Europe.
Just because, and, and the tour through Europe was amazing because I think it was so pure, because I don't think people know me as well.
They, well, obviously, I know they don't know me as well there, so people just come.
And when, when you can make foreign people laugh, that is the best thing.
I'm really looking forward to it because I always say, New Zealand and Australian audiences have been supporting me for years, um, and I love them and they love me.
But that means I don't trust them.
Because they laugh anyway, because they love me, and I love that about them.
But if I go to a new territory and people go, I've heard of her, I gonna go see the show.
The love isn't there yet.
We still need to fall in love with each other, so.
That's what I'm looking forward to, I'm I'm doing North America so I can fall in love with a new audience.