Eva Mendes Once ‘Almost Killed Will Ferrell’ in ‘The Other Guys’ Because of a Prop Mix-up

Actors Will Ferrell and Eva Mendes once collaborated on the hit comedy film The Other Guys. Although the two enjoyed each other on set, their fun almost led to Mendes killing the comic actor thanks to a quick mistake.

Eva Mendes and Will Ferrell starred in ‘The Other Guys’

The Other Guys was a 2010 Adam McKay comedy featuring an ensemble cast, but mostly focusing on co-stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. Eva Mendes is also featured in the project as Ferrell’s wife. The Hitch actor was more than grateful to be a part of the film since McKay was one of Mendes’ favorite filmmakers.

“First of all, you have to understand that Adam McKay is my Scorsese. Anchorman, to me, was a perfect, perfect comedy,” Mendes once said in an interview with Cinemablend. “It’s so layered and it’s an amazing film. [The American Film Institute], a few years ago, asked me what the best film of all time was and everyone was saying The Bicycle Thief or Citizen Kane or something, and I was like Anchorman! So I’ve been wanting to be a part of this team for a while.”

Mendes also theorized that her interview with AFI may have gotten her cast in The Other Guys.

“I think, actually, McKay had read that I said that on AFI or the website or something and then he requested to meet with me. So I had lunch with him and Chris Henchy, the other writer, it was just like we were done. We got along, I totally got it, I was in with the joke, I get it, it’s cool. I just want to do more and more films with them,” she added.

How Eva Mendes almost killed Will Ferrell

Working with Ferrell was as fun as it was challenging for Mendes. The Place Beyond the Pines star had to do a lot of improvisation in order to keep up with improv expert Ferrell.

“So much improv, oh yeah. Because I also have that mentality where it’s sink or swim and I’m not going to sink. So I’d get in there with the guys and then be like, ‘okay, it’s on!’ And Ferrell, you know that he’s the master, he’s improv king. So I had to hang in there with him and I did,” she said.

But the fun and games nearly led to someone getting seriously hurt. Mendes once recalled how a prop mix-up could’ve led to her stabbing her co-star while they were doing improv.

“Once we got the scene down, we were told to improv,” she recalled to People. “We got into a little tug of war, and I picked up what was supposed to be a prop knife.”

But what Mendes didn’t know at the time was that the prop was “actually a carving knife from our meal. I lunged at him, and I was really proud of myself.”

It wasn’t until after the scene ended that everyone realized the danger that was nearly avoided.

“When we cut, Will said, ‘Wow, usually we have to coordinate that with the stunt department.’ It could have gotten ugly in a second,” Mendes remembered. “I almost killed Will Ferrell!”

Will Ferrell once joked that Eva Mendes nauseated him

Ferrell once quipped that he was less than impressed by Mendes’ looks. Especially when his co-star had to disguise herself as a grandmother for a scene. The Elf actor couldn’t get over seeing the actor in costume.

“It’s almost hot … and then you get nauseous. So it’s both ends of the spectrum,” Ferrell said.

It wasn’t the only time Ferrell took a playful dig at Mendes’ looks. In an interview with Parade, he once again dressed his co-star down with his words.

“When you see her in person, she’s not that beautiful really… she’s just kind of average. If you were sitting next to her on the bus, you probably wouldn’t notice her,” he said.