The Big Picture

Dive into the behind-the-scenes of Ricky Stanicky with Peter Farrelly and William H. Macy as they spill secrets and share laughs.
Macy’s dedication to air dicking in the film, along with Farrelly’s comedy success secrets and Cena’s incredible performance, are highlights.
Farrelly’s also talks about his lack of directing experience before Dumb and Dumber and how the crew helped him.

From the mastermind behind classic comedies like Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, and Stuck on You, Peter Farrelly is back at the helm of the all-new original raunchy comedy, Ricky Stanicky. This R-rated buddy adventure enlists the talent of Zac Efron, John Cena, and features William H. Macy, in a story about three childhood best friends who can’t seem to grow up and out of their literal book of lies. When they hire an adult performer, known by his stage name, Rock Hard Rod (Cena) to step in as their made-up friend Ricky Stanicky, their perfect lives are completely upended.

In this interview, Collider’s Steve Weintraub talks with Farrelly and Macy about finally getting to team up together and their plans to work together again in the future. We learn just how dedicated Macy was to his role and becoming the greatest air dicker, the secret to Farrelly’s comedy success throughout the years in Hollywood, and all Rock Hard Rod’s Jizz Jams, including the deleted scenes. They also talk about Cena’s incredible performance, how Farrelly and co-director and brother Bobby Farrelly lied their way into getting Dumb and Dumber made, being bullied onstage by Don Rickles, and more. You can watch the full interview in the video above, or read the transcript below.

Ricky Stanicky When three childhood best friends pull a prank gone wrong, they invent the imaginary Ricky Stanicky to get them out of trouble. Twenty years later, they still use the nonexistent Ricky as a handy alibi for their immature behavior.Release Date March 7, 2024 Director Peter Farrelly Main Genre Comedy Writers Jeffrey Bushell , Brian Jarvis , Jim Freeman

COLLIDER: I like throwing a curveball at the beginning, so for both of you, if someone has never seen anything that you’ve done before, what is the first thing you’d like them watching and why?

PETER FARRELLY: I guess Dumb and Dumber, which is my first one, so you get the picture.

WILLIAM H. MACY: I just saw this, Dave Mamet did a film called State and Main. It’s about showbiz. Very, very funny. I just saw a screening of it the other night and I was delighted by how good it is.

I’m very curious, what is it like for you when you’re reading a script, or your agents telling you about a role, or Peter’s telling you about it, and you’re gonna be playing someone who’s an air dicker.

MACY: [Laughs] It comes up all the time. We don’t get tired of that old story, somebody that air dicks. I’m a script guy. I don’t like to take meetings with anyone until I read the script. The script is good, I’m in. Even if it’s a new director or an unpleasant director, like yourself, if the script is good. This made me laugh out loud, and strangely, I was kind of moved at the end because it’s got a real moral center to the thing, and the air dicking thing. I love his movies, and I thank god I finally got to do one. And we’re gonna do a lot more together, aren’t we?

FARRELLY: Yes, we are.

William H. Macy Takes the Air Dicking Crown in ‘Ricky Stanicky’

What is it like in the weeks leading up to the first day of filming practicing? By the way, I can’t believe that I get to talk about this on camera. This is the junket where air dicking is totally valid.

MACY: I walked around the house practicing different ways to air dick, and everything. Pete had a couple of ideas.

FARRELLY: When he called me and he said he wanted to be in it, I was thrilled, but I was waiting for him to say, “Except I’m not gonna do that thing.” And not only did he not say that, he said, “And by the way,” he goes, “I’m gonna be the best air dicker you ever saw. Whoever came up with air dicking, I’ll have an air dick-off with them, and I’ll tell you, I’ve been practicing.”

One of the reasons I think his films are so good is because your films have these crazy, outlandish moments but they’re all characters with heart, and they get redeemed. I think that’s the secret sauce.

FARRELLY: I think it is. I mean, if there’s a sauce. People always ask, “What do you start with? The jokes?” I said, “No, no, no. Start with the characters, and if you like them enough, you can hang a lot of jokes on them.” If they are good people and you are rooting for them. But if you’re not, you can’t be as funny.

So the other room told me that the John Cena stuff where he is dick jamming, you have more songs than were in the movie. So, is this gonna be on a Blu-ray? How can I see this?

FARRELLY: Are there Blu-rays anymore? I don’t even know.

MACY: You just dated yourself.

I’m fine with that.

FARRELLY: There were a couple of others, but we tested it and it kind of wears out its welcome where it’s eventually, “Okay, I get it.” So did cut the two, I think, less funny ones.

Image via Prime Video

The thing I’ve always wondered is, because it’s gonna be on streaming, is you can release deleted stuff on the platform but no one does.

FARRELLY: What do you mean?

Well, Netflix or Prime Video, they never offer deleted scenes or commentaries or anything that might be on a Blu-ray. They just don’t do it. It’s just the movie and move on.

FARRELLY: Oh, yeah.

MACY: I think the reason directors don’t wanna show it is the same reason they cut it.

No, 100%.

FARRELLY: That’s right. And people say, “Hey, could you do a director’s cut?” That is the director’s cut. That’s what we gave you. I’ve never had something cut, maybe one time, where I was like, “We shouldn’t have to cut that.”

MACY: I think the Coen Brothers put out a director’s cut of something and it was 10 minutes shorter.

Right, exactly. [Laughs] This movie has a lot of funny parts in it. What is the one that you really can’t wait for audiences to see? No spoilers, of course.

FARRELLY: There’s so many things in this I like. The obvious one is his thing, but the less we talk about it, the more fun it’s gonna be. I’m really looking forward to them discovering John Cena.

MACY: They’re gonna just delight in that.

FARRELLY: He is incredible in it. I mean, he is so funny and I don’t know if people realize how funny the guy is.

I agree.

‘Dumb and Dumber’ Director Lied His Way Into Getting the Movie Made
Image via New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. Discovery

I could keep going on about that, but I’m curious for both of you, what is the most nervous you’ve been prior to the night before the first day of filming something?

FARRELLY: Mine’s easy — Dumb and Dumber. It was my first movie. We basically lied our way into making it. I had had a movie made before where there was a different director on it and they ruined it, and we pulled our names off it. So when this movie came along, Dumb and Dumber, and they said, “Who’s gonna direct?” I said, “I am.” And nobody questioned it. It was never questioned. I didn’t really lie, but they thought maybe I had directed something like a commercial video, you know, anything. I had done nothing. And so the night before, I was having a massive panic attack because I was thinking, “I don’t know when to say ‘action.’ I don’t know at what point to say action because there’s other things. You say ‘speed,’ this, that.” So we pulled the first AD, J.B. Rogers, by the way, and Mark Irwin, our DP, and we just said, “Hey, listen, we’ve got all the key members.” We just said, “You guys know way more about moviemaking than we do. We’ve never done it before, but we know the script and we know what we wanna do. We’re gonna need your help.” We just had to come clean with everyone.

MACY: I’ve directed a couple of films, and the first time I said, “Action,” I felt like such a fraud. [Laughs] I thought, “That’s not the way to say it. I should say, ‘Action!’”

But what is the most nervous you’ve been before filming something? Like the night before.

MACY: The most nervous I’ve been has been in live performances. In filming there’s a little bit of wiggle room. You can do another take.

FARRELLY: What about the accent on Fargo? That must have been a little daunting.

MACY: A little bit. The most frightened I’ve ever been was about playing ukulele for Woody Creek Distillers, and I did Jazz Aspen. There were 65,000 people out there and they’re there to see a rock and roll band, and here comes this dumbass actor with a ukulele and did a ballad. You know that phrase, “I was so scared, I shit my pants?” Not a metaphor, not with me. I’ve never been so frightened in my life. I didn’t think I could draw a breath.

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First of all, that’s amazing.

FARRELLY: Let me just say one last thing, and this is too long a story to get into, but the most scared I’ve ever been was when I was in Vegas. This is 40 years ago, and Don Rickles, we’re at a show, and he pulled me on stage.

Oh no.

MACY: Oh my god.

FARRELLY: And made fun of me for a half hour. Sweat was pouring down my back. I couldn’t even laugh. You’d think after 20 minutes in you’d go, like, “Okay, whatever…”

MACY: And you’re quick-witted.

FARRELLY: Horrible.

MACY: I worked with Don Rickles one time. Boy, when he started on you, you were done for.

FARRELLY: It’s a long, long story, but it was the most humiliated I’ve ever been in my life.

At least you got to be insulted by Don Rickles. That’s amazing.

MACY: That’s true.

Ricky Stanicky is now streaming on Prime Video.

Watch now.