Today marks the summer solstice, and Hank Azaria wants to make sure his “Along Came Polly” co-star Ben Stiller knows all about it.
Earlier today, Azaria took to X to share photos of his hardly-dressed French “Along Came Polly” character Claude in honor of the solstice. Stiller, in response, was not happy as a hippo.
“Happy first day of summer… are you for scuba? 🤿” Azaria’s post reads.
“No I am not.” Stiller jokingly replied. You can view Azaria’s initial Tweet below.
“Along Came Polly,” written and directed by John Hamburg, follows Stiller as Reuben Feffer, a risk-insurance agent. When Feffer goes on a honeymoon with his new wife, Lisa Kramer (Debra Messing), he soon finds her cheating on him with Azaria’s Claude.
Azaria portrays Claude, a scuba instructor, in the kind of over-the-top comic styling you would expect from the “Simpsons” alum. Claude, frequently seen with flowing locks and a scant bathing suit, speaks in a “French” accent so exaggerated it makes Benoit Blanc’s southern drawl sound tame.
When Lisa cheats on Reuben, Stiller’s protagonist begins to feud with Claude. Stiller portrays Reuben with equal parts annoyance and confusion toward the long-haired scuba diver. Claude, in return, makes frequent appeals to Reuben — or, as he calls him, “Luben.”
“Along Came Polly” wasn’t the first time the men shared screen time, nor would it be the last. Stiller and Azaria both played heroes in the 1999 film “Mystery Men” alongside William H. Macy. In 2009, the pair would renew their feud in “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” the follow-up to Stiller’s hit family comedy with Azaria as the antagonist.
Azaria’s Tweet (and Stiller’s reply) marks a fun way to start summer — and to rub dirt in Reuben’s old wounds.
