At the stroke of midnight on November 25, 2000, Jerry Ferrara and his friends left Los Angeles and drove east until they reached their desert destination.
The group was heading to Las Vegas where they would celebrate the actor’s 21st birthday now that he was officially of legal drinking age. Since that special occasion, Ferrara has been to the gambling mecca “countless, countless” times going into the triple digits.
During his younger years Vegas was all about partying like any guy and his friends in their 20s. But now that he’s in his 30s? “I make it more of a relaxing weekend, if you can believe that. I know most people go there for decadence. I go there to relax.”
Some of the characters in Last Vegas would admire that newfound attitude about Sin City. In the new buddy comedy hitting theaters Friday, a group of friends played by Michael Doulgas, Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline head to Vegas to throw a bachelor party for Billy (played by Doulgas). His former friend Paddy (DeNiro) isn’t up for the idea and has to be tricked into it, while Archie (Freeman) is looking for a thrill and Sam (Kline) has a special offer from his wife.
Last Vegas is being compared to The Hangover because of its setting and guys-night-out vibe, but the similarities end there. The story has an inspiring message about experiencing big moments even when you think the best times of your life are over.
On its face, the obvious difference between Last Vegas and The Hangover is the age of the characters. But despite the film being targeted at an older audience, the movie has entertainment for the younger generations too.
Ferrara also thinks younger generations will hope that they and their friends can have that much fun later in life. “There’s so much comradere between them, you say, ‘Shit, I hope that that’s me in 30 years. You hope and pray that you should be that lucky.'”
“You really can’t say that these guys don’t do it as well as the guys in The Hangover,” he adds.
Outside of our one-on-one interview with Ferrara we caught up with Last Vegas’ co-stars at Aria’s Haze nightclub. Lead actor Michael Douglas told us a success story of his own when it comes to getting the kids to enjoy the movie. “I called my son tonight who’s 13. And one of the best moments of the call was, he’s having a sleepover with his friend Tommy. He said ‘Dad, dad, my friend Tommy just saw one of the clips from the movie. He think it’s better than The Hangover!’ And I went, ‘Oh, Dylan from your lips to God’s ears. You’re telling me there’s a young audience who wants to see this.'”
Supporting actress Mary Steenburgen adds that young adults have a lot of respect for the older actors because they’ve watched them on screen for many years. “Your generation [referring to this young reporter] loves and appreciates great actors. These are some of the greatest actors.”
The appeal of Las Vegas
Sin City offers a unique setting for any movie whether it involves partying or not. Ferrara says it’s one of his favorite places to film. “It’s so cinematic to watch in a movie,” he tells us. “Even going back to The Hangover or Very Bad Things – one of my favorite movies. You can’t fake Vegas. And I think as an actor shooting a movie in Vegas, you don’t really have to act. You can feel a lot of that energy.”
He admits that the city does have its downsides when working there. “There are trappings. You just feel compelled to go out, go drink, go gamble, eat. It takes a strong mind to stay focused.”
Despite all the temptations, the Last Vegas set was where he had the majority of his fun while in town. “Getting to hang out with those guys and watching them work, then getting to work with them. Then I really enjoyed going to these nice dinners with them. We were always having great cast and crews dinners. Big tables and guys telling stories with all the comrade.”
Working with a legendary cast
As a younger actor, Ferrara has a lot of respect for the lead cast who are his elders and legendary in their own right. “They treat me with respect, and they conduct themselves like it’s a privilege to be able to do this. They were like that with every department. It wasn’t just with actors. It was how they were with the prop departments, the wardrobe department, they just respect all facets of filmmaking.”
Their lengthy careers haven’t inflated their egos. “These are guys who could absolutely coast through anything they want. They have nothing to prove. And they actually do the opposite. They work very hard, they treat it like a gift, and they’re just humble, good guys. I hope to pass that on to a younger generation one day if I still get to do this.”
“People refer to them as Mount Rushmore. I think that is a cool term.”
A happy ending for ‘Last Vegas’
Perhaps not so surprisingly, the group trip to Vegas is a rousing success for Billy, Paddy, Archie, and Sam. Ferrara couldn’t say the same for his 21st birthday trip. “We were all out of money and didn’t have gas money to get home. This was back in the day where it wasn’t as easy to get to an ATM – I’ve got to remember and ask how we got home. It was brutal.”
Last Vegas is in theaters Friday, November 1.