Craig Robinson, John Cusack, Collette Wolfe and Clark Duke in the upcoming time-travelling comedy ‘Hot Tub Time Machine.’

Who’s the new guy?
That’s what viewers may be asking  when they see 24-year-old Clark Duke claiming a good chunk of the zingers in the upcoming film Hot Tub Time Machine.
Duke, hailing from Hot Springs, Arkansas, and still relatively unknown  to Hollywood, stars alongside  the likes of John Cusack and Chevy Chase in the upcoming comedy, which is set in 1986 in the  Kodiak Valley.
Duke shines in the film and seldom  looks out of place among his older and more experienced co-stars. Chase plays a limited role in the film, but, for Duke, being in the same scene as him was a milestone in his career.
“For me, it was surreal because he’s my hero, so it was one of the best weeks of my life,” said Duke. “I think we all grew up watching Chevy [Chase] and John [Cusack], to  some extent.”
Collette Wolfe also appears to be moving up in Hollywood, after her breakout role alongside Seth Rogen in Observe and Report. Wolfe, who plays the role of Kelly, has also appeared  in films like 17 Again, Four Christmases and Semi-Pro.
Duke plays an unmotivated  fatherless teenager suckered into  going on a trip to a ski lodge with his miserable uncle (Cusack) and Cusack’s equally miserable college buddies, played by Rob Corddry and Craig Robinson. Wolfe plays Duke’s mother, who meets her son back in time in the ’80s, making for some funny and awkward moments when the two cross paths.
“I don’t think any of us ever  forgot what the title of the movie was,” said Duke referring to the often  goofy, over-the-top bathroom-style humour. According to the youngest of the four lead actors, working alongside experienced comedy  vets was a great opportunity.
“It was really fun to work with a couple improv heavy-hitters like Rob [Corddry] and Craig [Robinson], to have some guys you could really run with. I wouldn’t say it was pressure,  just more of a fun opportunity,”  said Duke.
For Wolfe, the film served as a chance to expand her range and play a lighter character that she could have fun with.
"I loved this character in the script because she’s out there, she’s doing blow and I just thought, ‘how fun and different,’” she said. Her character is a stark contrast to the more subdued, straight-edged character she played in Observe and Report.
The 30-year-old actress, who is married to Observe and Report director  Jody Hill, said comedy is what gets her motivated to come on set every day.
"I like working in comedy. I think it’s fun to go to work and not want to slit your wrists every day, but I also think it would be fun to do drama one day,” she said.
Duke also seems content to stick with comedy for now and hopes the film appeals to a wider audience than just the young male following typical of Judd Apatow-style films that have had box-office success in
recent years.
“There definitely seems to be a trend in the last few years towards these guy-centric, male-bonding types of comedies, so I guess this would fall into that arena to some extent,” said Duke. “I think this type of movie appeals to people my age – a younger crowd – but I also think, through the nostalgic [’80s scenes it] might get a slightly older crowd coming  in too.”
Duke has titles to his credit like Sex Drive, which was pre-screened at York last year, and the hit web comedy  series Clark and Michael, which he created with friend and fellow  actor Michael Cera.
“I’m doing pretty good on my list so far. I’ve [acted with] Chevy Chase, John Cusack and Eddie Murphy. My list is going pretty well,” boasted Duke of his early career success.
It seems unlikely that Duke’s star status will be fading any time soon, with his new film, Kick-Ass, starring Nicolas Cage and Superbad’s McLovin’  (Chris Mintz-Plasse), set to be released later this year, and A Thousand
Words with Eddie Murphy set to be released in 2011.

BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW:

Born: 1985 in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Lives in: Los Angeles, California
Filmography: Sex Drive, Superbad,  Clark and Michael (web series)  Thoughts on the ’80s: The clothes and the hair were really unflattering. The tall waist thing does not look good on anyone

COLLETTE WOLFE
Born: 1979 in King George, Virginia  Married to: Director Jody Hill
Filmography: Observe and Report, 17 Again, Four Christmases,  Semi-Pro, The Wager

Graduated with: B.Sc. in Psychology and Sociology from Virginia Tech.