Will Ferrell Gets Real About Racial Stereotypes

You've heard the old adage a million times: Don't judge a book by its cover. And with 2015's Get Hard , starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, the same advice applies. Get Hard follows millionaire James King (Ferrell), busted for fraud and headed to the dreaded San Quentin prison. In an attempt at keeping himself from becoming someone's unconsenting bottom, he turns to Darnell Lewis (Hart), a lowly car detailer, to prep him to go behind bars. The laughs comes from the fact that Darnell has never seen the inside of a prison cell, and his prison know-how comes from films like Boyz n the Hood. From the trailer, the cast, or even director Etan Cohen's past work, the film has prepared itself for it's own stereotype: Crude, insensitive, not politically correct, and even offensive. But the film's star Will Ferrell warns against jumping to any conclusions without seeing the film.

"You can't judge a book by its cover," Ferrell says of what audiences might takeaway from the R-rated film. "In terms of racial stereotypes, that’s what we have so much fun playing around with. Everything I assume about Kevin’s character is absolutely wrong, and vice versa."

The film plays with stereotypes of thugs — gun toting, women shaming, pants-sagging criminals — and inmates — rapists, murderers, general good for nothing human beings. "We come to an understanding," Ferrell says of the two characters. "And not in a corny way, but it’s total racial harmony in the end. It points out a lot of the stuff we face as a society from a racial standpoint that is just so silly when you actually break it down."

See just what Ferrell is talking about when Get Hard hits theaters on March 27. Watch the trailer below:

Image: Getty