Comedian Nick Swardson. Maybe you’ll know him better as one of his hilarious characters: the rambunctious Terry from Reno 911, the hilariously blunt Jeff from Grandma’s Boy…ringing any bells?

In his newest film, Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star, Swardson plays Bucky, a small-town grocery bagger who discovers that his conservative parents were once adult film stars. Instead of being horrified, the sexually naive Bucky believes that he has found his destiny; he packs up and heads to L.A., hoping to follow in his parent’s footsteps.

The hilarious Swardson took time to speak with the DePaulia about his role in the film.

The DePaulia: Can you describe how this film was conceived and how it was written?

Nick Swardson: Adam Sandler thought of the idea, he had been kicking it around for about a year or so, and then one day he called me up and goes, “look I can’t get this idea out of my head about this kid who finds out his parents are in a porno.” He’s [Sandler’s] like, “lets do it, I want you to be the guy, and let’s write it…We’ll do it for like a really cheap budget because its kind of a bizarre movie.” The studio, I don’t think [they were] super into it at first. When you hear about the premise of the movie you think it’s just going to be a lot of d**k jokes and t*ts and stuff like that but it’s actually like a really sweet story about this kid trying to find his place in Hollywood, a place he doesn’t belong, because he’s got a bowl cut, buck teeth and a small penis…he’s completely out of his element. At the core of the movie, it’s really like a sweet story about this kid’s journey.

DP: How did you investigate this character, Bucky Larson? Did you model the character after anyone?

NS: It was not modeled specifically after anyone per se, but I mean, I did add a Midwest accent. I’m from Minnesota. I just thought it would be more disarming. I kind of more tapped into that innocence almost like from where I grew up, that naive, almost like a 12-year-old kid. That naivety, that midwestern kind-of sensibility.

DP: Were there any scenes that were your favorite to film?

NS: I mean there were so many. A lot of my stuff with Kevin Nealon, he plays my roommate. Those scenes were really funny because he’s really abusive; his character is such an asshole. It was funny to play because my character is so innocent. So it was like just an extreme, extreme juxtaposition of temperaments and sensibilities so every scene we were in together, I just kept laughing.

DP: How did you research your role as a budding porn star?

NS: Obviously I’ve watched a hundred thousand hours of pornography so it wasn’t like I had to crack open a safe of knowledge I didn’t already have. (Laughs) The thing about this movie was having this character who didn’t have this knowledge. I went at it more like a guy who didn’t know what he was getting into. So instead of researching a lot about it, my character was much more naïve and clueless, I went into each situation not knowing what was going on.

DP: Do you think the people who watch your comedy show will be able to appreciate Bucky Larson the same way?

NS: Anyone who is a fan of mine, who has seen me throughout the years, knows I do extreme characters and knows I’m not afraid to commit to something. When I read initial feedback online of people who were fans of mine, who were against this movie, kind of hurt my feelings because, its like I created this character and I worked really hard on it. If you get me and you get my sensibility, you’ll for sure dig this movie. It’s really unlike anything I’ve ever done before and I’m really proud of it.

DP: How does this character compare to characters you’ve played?

NS: This character is different because I’ve never played somebody so naïve. I mean he was really like a G-rated character. So it’s been sort of hard promoting this film because you have this film that is so G-rated and you have these commercials that are PG on TV but it’s this crazy, crazy movie. It was fun to play someone who was the peak of naïve, someone who knows nothing about drugs or sex or anything.

DP: As one of your first roles being central character in the film, was there any added pressure on you while filming?

NS: Yeah, there was a lot of pressure. This was Adam Sandler’s idea and so he kind of handed this movie off to me as executive producer and, you know, being the star of the movie and the writer of the film. He couldn’t be there everyday so I was essentially in charge of the entire movie. It was very, very nerve-wracking. I definitely had fun but there was a lot of added pressure. At the end of the day, I’m proud of the final product.

DP: If there were one thing you could say to convince people to go see this movie, what would it be?

NS: I would say it’s unlike anything you’re going to see. It’s the same people who created Grandma’s Boy. It’s funny, it’s different, and it is the weirdest romantic comedy you’ll ever see in your life.