‘Day Shift’: Dave Franco Ad-Libbed a Line to Jamie Foxx That Turned Into a Real Song
Netflix’s Day Shift allowed actors Dave Franco and Jamie Foxx to collaborate in more ways than one. Sometimes improvisation leads performers to inspire one another in other crafts. Foxx recalled how Franco ad-libbed a line of dialogue while filming Day Shift, but it lived on past the movie. The Django Unchained actor was inspired to turn it into a full song for the movie.
Dave Franco and Jamie Foxx hunt vampires in ‘Day Shift’
Day Shift follows a hard-working blue-collar father named Bud Jablonski (Foxx) with the goal of providing a good life for his daughter. However, his tedious pool cleaning job in the San Fernando Valley is simply a front for how he really makes his money. In reality, he’s hunting and killing vampires as a part of an international vampire hunting organization.
Foxx is the main focus of Day Shift, but the Netflix film also stars Snoop Dogg, Franco, and Scott Adkins in supporting roles. Second-unit director J.J. Perry steps behind the camera for his directorial debut for the action movie from Netflix. He has previous credits including Django Unchained, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Machete Kills.
Dave Franco ad-libbed ‘Day Shift’ dialogue turns into a real Jamie Foxx song
Susan Kamyab interviewed Foxx and Franco regarding their roles in Day Shift. She asked them what they would set their ringtones to for one another, and Franco answered the song that they created together. Foxx jumped in to recall a story from the set where his co-star’s ad-libbing ended up creating a real song.
“He ad-libbed an incredible line at the end of the movie, and he said, ‘Mowing down vamps with my best friend, Bud,'” Foxx recalled. “I said, ‘Wait a minute. Say that to me in this phone,’ and he said it to me in the phone. I took that and I said, ‘We’re going to do a song,’ and I sent it to my music producer. I said, ‘I want the song to go ‘Mowing down vamps with my best friend Bud. Hit me’ (makes music beat with his mouth). So, we did the song, and then we ended up doing a video.”
Foxx showed off the video to Kamyab, and she asked if the video is available online. The actor confirmed that the video is coming up.
The actors loved working together
Franco told Kamyab that working with Foxx on Day Shift was an absolute dream. They shared great chemistry on the set, but Franco explained how his co-star amplified positive energy for everybody on the set. As a result, he felt that he could give the best performance possible.
“You have certain expectations of what it might be like to work with Jamie Foxx,” Franco said. “Those expectations are up here (motions high up). He surpassed all of them. I love Jamie Foxx. He’s the most giving actor I’ve ever worked with. He wants everyone around him to be great, and so he builds you up.”
Franco continued: “He comes in with his energy, he comes in with the music through his backpack every day. He sets the tone, and everyone just feeds off that energy. When you’re feeling comfortable, you’re feeling confident, that’s when you do your best work.
