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Leslie Mann has appeared in some of the most beloved comedies of the past several decades. With roles in cult classics like George of the Jungle, Knocked Up, and Funny People, it’s little wonder that Mann is one of those actors that just seems to appeal to everyone.

These days, Mann is still working hard in the entertainment business, often collaborating on projects with her husband, director Judd Apatow. Recently, Mann sat down for a joint interview with Apatow, where she opened up about one of her early roles, in the popular comedy Big Daddy

Leslie Mann smiling
Leslie Mann | Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images

In 1999, Leslie Mann appeared in the Adam Sandler comedy Big Daddy. Mann played Corinne Maloney, a respected podiatrist who worked as a waitress at the restaurant chain Hooters when she was in college. Although Corinne would love to leave that part of her life in her past, Sonny, played by Adam Sandler, likes to tease her relentlessly about it.

As part of the role, Mann was equipped with plastic fake breasts that could be inserted into her costume in order to provide the desired effect. Mann ended up keeping the prop, as she revealed in her recent Wired interview with Judd Apatow

What did Leslie Mann say about keeping part of her Hooters costume from ‘Big Daddy’?

Mann still has fond memories of her time on the set of Big Daddy – and to this day, she still has the fake breasts that she had as part of her costume in the film. “I still have them. I asked to keep them after the film. Every year, I have to care for them by taking them out of these very little plastic baggies and putting baby powder on them to keep them from disintegrating,” Mann said. “Over the years, every year, I do that.” 

Mann joked that it’s almost that time of year to bring the props out of storage for maintenance, remarking that she might just utilize them for Halloween. Apatow played along, acting very amused at Mann’s admissions about the costume. While Mann wasn’t the star of Big Daddy, her vital presence and comedy chops lent themselves well to the project, and she ended up landing several major parts in the years that followed. 

Leslie Mann is well-known for her work in comedy films

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A few of Mann’s movies after Big Daddy include The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Funny People, and 17 Again. In recent years, Mann has not only focused on her career but on the budding careers of her two young daughters she shares with Apatow, Maude and Iris Apatow.

One of her most recent projects is The Bubble, a Netflix comedy that reunites the actor with her husband. In a recent interview with Parade, Mann opened up about working with Apatow, to whom she has been married since 1997. Mann revealed,

“I feel like I’m in safe hands with him. I feel like he’s got it covered and he’s not going to make me or anyone else uncomfortable with his choices at the end of the day.”

Mann couldn’t resist throwing in a few jabs at her husband, noting “But yeah, he’s bossy and he’s sometimes insufferable, but for the most part I think he’s very talented and I feel very lucky to be able to work with him.” Certainly, fans of all ages feel lucky to enjoy Mann’s talents on the big screen as well, even after two decades of roles in comedy films.