Rachel McAdams’ new movie with Will Ferrell “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” is about their band’s journey as the most embarrassing band in Iceland, but McAdams said she got a taste of what it’s like to actually be hated by all of Europe.
McAdams and Ferrell went to Tel Aviv to film at the real “Eurovision” competition, and the crowd there was so annoyed to see their fake band Fire Saga interrupting the actual performances.
“We were just shy of being booed off the stage,” McAdams told Seth Meyers on Thursday. “They were like, ‘We are here to see Iceland, Hungary and our country. We don’t care about your Netflix movie.”
McAdams said she felt horribly for the film’s first assistant director who had to hype up the Eurovision audience so they could get the appropriate crowd shots.
“He was like, ‘Give it up for Will and Rachel!’ And everyone’s waving their little flags like (eye roll), ‘When is the show starting,” she said of the experience. “I was just so glad they didn’t make me go up there. I was so grateful for him putting himself on the line like that.”
McAdams did get a little taste of being a rock star when they filmed a fake music video for Fire Saga that’s seen in the movie. They stood on the cliff of a volcano with lava running in the background and seagulls and drones flying around them. But when Meyers asked if anyone in Iceland was excited to see them, that didn’t go over well either.
“They were incredibly warm and welcoming, but when we were shooting, there was no one. People would walk by and just keep going. It was great. It felt like we really were living there.”
Meyers did say with some optimism that once audiences around the world see “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,” that Ferrell and McAdams should go back and would be welcomed with open arms and be carried out on shoulders.
“Really,” McAdams said. “Okay, I feel better.”
“Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” is on Netflix now. Check out McAdams’ full interview on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” above.
Eurovision's 9 Most Famous and Bizarre Moments, From ABBA to Russian Grandmas (Videos)
Eurovision's most famous winners are undoubtedly Swedish band ABBA, who managed to take their win in 1974 for "Waterloo," and build it into international stardom.
Another famous victor is Celine Dion, who rose to stardom through Eurovision before "My Heart Will Go On" ensured her everlasting fame.
Eurovision's first big song came from Italian singer Domenico Modguno back in 1958. The track was called "Volare," and although it didn't win, it reached the top of the U.S. Billboard charts for five weeks and nabbed two Grammys. David Bowie, Frank Sinatra, and Andrea Bocelli are among the singers who have put their own spin on the song.
In 2014, Eurovision made headlines again when LGBT star Conchita Wurst claimed victory for Austria. Conchita's win was attacked by Russian conservatives as a sign that the European Union would lead to moral corruption in Russia, but that didn't stop Conchita from becoming the biggest icon Eurovision had produced in years.
2012's competition was won by the Swedish singer Loreen and her song "Euphoria." The song received critical acclaim throughout the continent, topped the charts in 17 countries, and is regarded as one of the best songs ever performed on Eurovision.
Not all of them are masterpieces, though. Latvian group Pirates of the Sea made a song called "Wolves of the Sea" that may go down as the cheesiest pirate song ever made. Surprisingly, it became a smash hit in South Africa, where it has become an anthem for their national rugby team.
From time to time, the Nordic countries eschew europop and send in a heavy metal band to liven things up. For Finland, this tactic actually gave them their first win in 2006, thanks to the monster band Lordi and their song "Hard Rock Hallelujah"
One of the more beloved acts in recent memory was Buranovskiye Babushki, a group of eight Russian grandmas that finished as runner-ups in 2012.
Some former contestants from "The X Factor" have competed on Eurovision. The most infamous was the Irish twin group Jedward, who were beloved by British teen girls but by no one else. They finished 19th.
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Eurovision helped launch Celine Dion’s career — and gave 15 minutes of fame to the some of the weirdest musical acts ever
Eurovision's most famous winners are undoubtedly Swedish band ABBA, who managed to take their win in 1974 for "Waterloo," and build it into international stardom.
