Danny Wallace - Author Of Yes Man

Danny Wallace - Author Of Yes Man

Yes Man has seen phenomenal success in both the US and UK box offices - how does that make you feel?

Pretty happy! It never really felt real. In the early days when they said “would you like to turn the book into a film?” it was the easiest “yes” in the world. There were harder yeses in the book, but that one was pretty easy.

It slowly came together, quite gently at first, with scripts being sent around and then suddenly Jim Carrey’s onboard - that was just like a rocket booster being put behind it.

Then suddenly it’s real and it’s happening, you’re in America – it’s an extraordinary story for the grandkids, which can then be followed up with a screening of the film!


Does it feel weird to be watching one of your books on the big screen? Be honest – how many times have you watched it?

Yeah, I’ve seen it quite a lot of times in lots of different circumstances – We’d been on set and seen all of the rushes, but when my wife and I saw it finished for the first time she cried.

It was just great – something that was such a big part of our lives was suddenly right there in front of us. It’s been nothing but positive.

I think I probably draw the line at murder - probably a few rungs below murder actually


How do you respond to critics saying that Jim Carrey’s lead role in the film is too similar to his character in Liar Liar?

When it comes to Liar Liar and things like that, there aren’t actually that many high-concept comedies around and he’s kind of the master of them. I think that perhaps many of the people making that criticism were just saying it without having seen the film – they certainly hadn’t read the book.

They’re very different if you think about it - I’ll tell you what I love about the Yes Man film in comparison. Obviously, Liar Liar was all about something magical that happened, but this film, Yes Man, finds the magic in real life and it turns into a slightly magical adventure that’s rooted in reality.

There’s also this great romance that blossoms, and one that you really believe in – it’s less about crazy stuff happening and more about how your life can change if you decide to be more open. I think it’s a more mature high-concept comedy.


Can you see yourself ever starring in a film version of one of your books?

I’m not sure the world’s quite ready for my acting - I think they’d be better off with someone like Jim Carrey than launching me into that. Having said that though, I do appear at the end in a very dramatic and powerful performance as ‘man in bar’.

There was a moment at the LA premiere where, as I walked down the red carpet talking to reporters from all around the world, the message that I was the author of the book seemed to get broken down somewhere.

I think by the end they thought I was a proper film star, so when they’d ask “what role do you play in the film?” I’d have to say “man at bar”. I bet they thought “this extra’s a bit cocky.”


You’re already a writer, comedian, presenter and filmmaker - is there anything else you'd like to add?

Gymnast, acrobat, scholar… any of those things – Ghostbuster! That’s something to aim for isn’t it? The weird thing is I never really have any kind of career plan – I kind of just say yes to things that seem like they might be fun.

The trick is to try and do everything that you’ve said yes to as well as you can, then that might lead to more fun. I’ve got a polite ambition, not a ruthless one. No one’s going to get hurt with my ambition.


Yes Man’s all about making life more interesting by simply being more positive – do you think, since writing the book, your outlook on life has changed at all?

Absolutely. I wouldn’t recommend saying yes to everything – you can get into a lot of trouble that way. But if you say yes more I think your world will be a better place.

If you always say no and complain about what’s going on, nothing will ever change. If you say yes, that’s when things can change – and you don’t know what until it happens!

I think the things you regret in life are just the things you’ve said no to – you’ll never know the people you could’ve met or what could’ve happened. There’s a certain sadness associated with it. I think if you say yes more, you’re limiting your chances of misery.


Maybe you should add 'self-help guru' to your CV then...

I think, to be honest, those three words “say yes more” are pretty much every self-help book in the world.

You could burn that entire section in bookshops – Not that I’m not condoning this of course; I’m not trying to start a Nazi rally!

But if you do say yes more, you create your own opportunities. Self-help guru, that’s what I’ll be – and Ghostbuster!

So, at what point do you stop saying yes?

I think I probably draw the line at murder - probably a few rungs below murder actually. Maybe you should stop at shoplifting. One of the things people often ask me is what would’ve happened if I’d been asked to kill a man. Well, if you think about it, it’s very rare that you’re asked, as an upstanding member of society, to off somebody.

I don’t know what would’ve happened if this had gone the other way, but at one point I ended up in a gay leather bar in Amsterdam, which is fine and lovely unless you’re a straight man who’s saying yes to everything – you could get yourself into a bit of trouble!

Yes Man is released on DVD and Blu Ray 20th April