Euro Trip Cast: A Reunion and Revelations a Decade Later
The 2004 film EuroTrip, a raunchy teen comedy, remains a cult classic. A decade after its release, the cast and crew reunited for a Q&A session, revealing behind-the-scenes stories and surprising facts about the film’s production.
Matt Damon’s cameo as the band leader who steals Scotty’s girlfriend was a result of fortunate timing and connections. Damon was filming The Brothers Grimm in Prague, where EuroTrip was also being shot. The producers, knowing Damon from Harvard, were able to secure him for the role, albeit for a rushed overnight shoot due to his limited availability.
Casting the lead role of Scotty proved challenging. The producers resorted to scouting waiters in restaurants until they finally found Scott Mechlowicz, then a UCLA student. Michelle Trachtenberg attributed her casting as Jenny to her physical comedy during the audition, specifically the airplane bathroom scene. The producers emphasized casting real teenagers for authenticity.
Finding the right actors for the film wasn’t always easy, and sometimes it came down to who was available in Prague at the time.
Several scenes in EuroTrip involved unique challenges. The book Scotty and his mother are seen reading, Jackie Collins’ Sinners, was chosen due to legal clearance issues. A controversial scene dubbed “The Anne Frank sex scene” was ultimately scrapped due to its offensive content. It involved Cooper mistaking the Anne Frank House for a sex club, leading to a series of awkward and inappropriate encounters. This scene was replaced with the Club Vandersexxx scene.
One of the most memorable cameos in the film was Fred Armisen’s portrayal of a creepy foreigner. Armisen was cast, flown to Prague, and filmed his scene all within a remarkably short timeframe. Travis Wester, who played Jamie, recounted how Armisen’s performance made him laugh uncontrollably during filming.
The “nickel scene” with Miroslav Táborský, a renowned Czech actor, required extensive explanation of American slang and cultural context. Táborský initially hesitated to perform the pimp slap due to his respect for the actor playing his boss in the film.
The original title, Ugly Americans, was rejected by the studio, leading to a dispute between the producers and the studio executives.
A “Bert,” named after the young actor Nial Iskhakov who played Scotty’s brother, became an unofficial unit of currency among the production team for calculating expenses. The nude beach scene was initially planned with more conservative coverage, but the filmmakers decided to embrace full nudity for comedic effect, creating a memorable and outrageous visual. Finally, Scott Mechlowicz’s childhood acting teacher, who possessed “mad robot skills,” inspired the robot fight scene. These anecdotes and revelations offer a fascinating glimpse into the making of EuroTrip and highlight the creative decisions and unexpected circumstances that contributed to its lasting appeal.