Their Royal Hotness: Comedic Queens Shine in “Bridesmaids”

By Addie Strong
May 13, 2011

Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper, Rose Byrne, Wendi Mclendon-Covey, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig in "Bridesmaids".
Photo Credit: Suzanne Hanover
Kristen Wiig & Maya Rudolph
Kristen Wiig & Rose Byrne
(Clockwise, from left) Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Ellie Kemper, Wendi Mclendon-Covery, and Melissa McCartney
Wendi Mclendon-Covey, Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCartney, Maya Rudolph, and Ellie Kemper
Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, and Ellie Kemper
Becca (Ellie Kemper), Megan (Melissa McCartney) and Rita (Wendi Mclendon-Covey)
Kristen Wiig & Rose Byrne

Move over, Pippa Middleton! A new group of bridesmaids is poised to knock “Her Royal Hotness” and all those cute little mini 'maids off their perch as the world’s most famous wedding attendants.

The movie “Bridesmaids,” hitting theaters today, is said to be the female counterpart to "The Hangover." The comedic film follows a bride and her ladies-in-waiting through the trials and tribulations of events leading up to her wedding. (It may not be as overtly crazy as a bachelor party, but if you’ve ever been in a wedding, then you know that bridal showers, cocktail hours and hen parties can be equally outrageous.)

But this funny movie isn’t just another chick flick. “Superbad” and “Knocked Up” movie producer Judd Apatow helmed the "Bridesmaids" movie project, which stars six accomplished female comedians. “Saturday Night Live” alum Maya Rudolph plays bride-to-be Lillian who chooses unlucky-in-love (and life) pal Annie—played by “SNL” star Kristen Wiig—as her maid of honor. “The Office” actress Ellie Kemper, “Mike & Molly” star Melissa McCarthy, “Get Him to the Greek”’s Rose Byrne and “Reno 911!” lead Wendi McLendon-Covey round out the bundle of bridesmaids.

Official Bridesmaids Movie Trailer - via YouTube

SNL's Kristen Wiig wrote the "Bridesmaids" movie script with a longtime colleague from the famous Groundlings comedy troupe after she played a supporting role in Apatow’s “Knocked Up.” When Judd Apatow suggested the comedian write a film for which she would play the lead role, Kristen Wiig jumped at the opportunity. Still, she didn’t set out to pen the anti-chick flick:

“We didn’t write it in response to anything. We weren’t thinking, ‘Oh, guys get to do this, now it’s our turn,’” actress Kristen Wiig told the San Francisco Chronicle. “We just thought we were writing a fun movie and trying to make people laugh, and writing something that had a lot of female parts in it—female roles. I keep saying ‘female parts’—I’ve got to stop saying that.”

"Bridesmaids" movie producter Judd Apatow fine-tuned the script, and the "Bridesmaids" cast added impromptu banter that the pre-planned story couldn’t. “Wendi, Ellie, Rose, Maya, Melissa—they’re all such great improvisers,” Kristen Wiig said. “They just took the script to a level we didn’t know could exist."

The "Bridesmaids" movie’s stars and producers hope that both women and men will check out their comedy. In fact, the studio is running a dual advertising campaign: one for the girls, and one for the guys. The male ads promote the flick’s physical humor and racy side, while the female versions plug its more emotional scenes. Even the title was up for debate until Kristen Wiig agreed that it would work—as long as the "Bridesmaids" movie poster showed a bit of a bawdy side. Sure enough, even with bright pink letters and dresses, the sexy-but-hungover-looking bridesmaids take the banner’s cuteness down a notch—or ten. “Women can be raunchy,” Kristen Wiig told the Los Angeles Times at the movie’s premiere. “Women drink … and party and swear, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with seeing that in the movie. I think it’s kind of fun.”

Whether due to the "Bridesmaids" movie, the royal wedding, the current crop of celebrity engagements or simply because it's wedding season, eBay sales related to the term “bridesmaid” are up 55 percent in the past three months over the prior period.