Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel get cynical about romance in 'Valentine's Day'

Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx in "Valentine's Day"

In the romantic comedy "Valentine’s Day," Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel play two unmarried workaholics who are cynical about love and romance. Foxx is Los Angeles TV sportscaster Kelvin Moore, who reluctantly takes an assignment to report on Valentine’s Day for his TV station. Biel is ambitious publicist Kara Monahan, who represents a football star named Sean Jackson (played by Eric Dane) who is in the middle of a career transition.

Kelvin’s and Kara’s paths cross through their work, and if you’ve seen enough romantic comedies, you can guess what happens between these two characters. At the Los Angeles press junket for "Valentine’s Day," Foxx and Biel sat down to talk about what their idea of an ideal Valentine’s Day is, how they feel about sports, and Biel’s 2010 movie "The A-Team," the big-screen adaptation of the ‘80s TV series.

Are you a big fan of romantic comedies?

Biel: I like romantic comedies. They’re fun.

Foxx: Yeah, I do.

What’s your favorite romantic comedy?

Foxx: "Scarface."

Jamie Foxx in "Valentine's Day"

Can you talk about "Valentine’s Day" director Garry Marshall being a master of romantic comedies?

Foxx: Isn’t it amazing that he can do movies like this? And the thing is, people were talking about this movie, he doesn’t leave the guys out. It’s not like you’re going to see this whole sappy love, love love …

Biel: He just gets it. He gets comedy. He knows what’s funny. But he’s got a soft side that’s just enough that he gives you that "cry button" at the end, but it’s not an overkill. He makes it fun.

A lot of the actors from "Valentine’s Day" say that Garry Marshall sometimes speaks in code. Did you experience that?

Foxx: Not really. I kind of got it.

Biel: You do a little "chuffa chuffa." I didn’t know what that meant at first. That’s just talk amongst yourselves …

Foxx: Everybody [imitated] him.

Jessica Biel, Garry Marshall, Anne Hathaway, Tyalor Lautner and Topher Grace at the Los Angeles premiere of "Valentine's Day"

Who imitated him the best?

Biel: Julia [Roberts] is kind of good. She does a good Garry. Annie [Hathaway] does a good Garry. "We’re making a movie!" That’s what he would say.

You know in grade school when kids have to exchange valentine’s gifts, did you ever like that or not? And do you think the pressure of Valentine’s Day starts that early?

Biel: Being a girl, we like that kind of stuff. It makes everybody feel good and put a little sweetheart in there and choose if it says "Be mine." The big pressure was were you going to pick "Rugrats" or "Saved by the Bell" cards? Which one were you going to choose? That was the big pressure for me.

Foxx: Oh yeah, I’d come home with the cards and write little notes, things like that. At your school, did you see who got the most valentines?

Biel: Who gets the most?

Foxx: That was the pressure. If you were a lump-lump, you weren’t getting any.

Biel: I sort of thought it was that you had to give one to everybody. I think that’s what it was with my family. "OK, so everybody’s getting one. You just have to pick a cartoon characters are going to be on them."

Jennifer Garner and Jessica Biel in "Valentine's Day"

Jessica, can you talk about playing a character who hates Valentine’s Day?

Biel: It’s fun to play somebody’s who’s neurotic and emotional and can crack at any moment. It’s fun! That’s so wonderful. I [can] just cry and scream and fall over and [lie] on the floor and be dramatic. It’s very fun.

Jamie, you play a sportscaster in "Valentine’s Day." Is being a sportscaster something you’d ever want to do in real life if you weren’t an actor or musician?

Foxx: I would love to. That’s where I see my career headed. This has been just a trial run getting myself ready for what I’m really going to be.

Is there any particular network you’d want to be at as a sportscaster?

Foxx: ESPN. It’s got to be ESPN.

Biel: I can definitely see that. It’s like my nightmare. I had to do one ESPN thing. What did I have to do? "Shootout"? "OK, let’s talk about quarterbacks. That guy looks really good in his uniform but so does he. I don’t know what to say, guys. It’s going to be a tough game." I just don’t anything like that about sports. It’s a nightmare.

Foxx: Sports runs so deep. I broke a record.

Biel: Which record?

Foxx: For having ESPN on at my place from January 4, 2008, to January 4, 2009. I never turned it off.

Biel: How big was your [electric] bill?

Foxx: I don’t know how big the bill was. I just never turned it off … No one was allowed to turn it off. ESPN every single day. No news, no nothing. It was crazy, because I was going through something at the time. I was almost depressed, and any time I’d watch any news, it would make me feel [he shudders], so I just kept it on [ESPN].

Biel: Now why is that OK for men? If I wanted to watch TLC 24 hours a day, why is that not OK?

Foxx: Because you guys get all emotional.

Jamie Foxx and Ashton Kutcher in "Valentine's Day"

But you get emotional over your sports.

Foxx: I do. Oh, don’t let my team lose!

How important is Valentine’s Day to you?

Biel: We’re romantics. Definitely, for sure. We’ve discovered that over the last few days. It’s fun. Just make it fun and do something that’s heartfelt, whatever that may be for you.

Foxx: I think you may agree with this: I think finding somewhere where nobody’s around is the thing for me.

Biel: Yeah.

Foxx: Being somewhere where nobody can find you and you’re with you girl and you guys are just experiencing things. [He points to Biel] You probably get people coming up to you all the time. So when you get those kinds of [alone-time] moments, that’s when it’s good.

Biel: So, having said that, you do scuba diving on Valentine’s Day. You’re just with the fishes. That’s it. That’s my plan.

Jamie Foxx and Kathy Bates in "Valentine's Day"

While you were making the movie, did you watch any of your co-stars at work when you had some time off?

Biel: I think everyone was always welcome to come to work when you’re not working. I didn’t! [She throws up her hands and laughs.]

Foxx: George Lopez came by, because at one point we were shooting wrap-around scenes. We were shooting in different places. It was great to meet all those people.

Jessica, how was it filming "The A-Team"?

Biel: It was fun. It was real fun. I actually didn’t grow up watching "The A-Team," so for me, it wasn’t necessarily a nostalgic experience. It was fun. Those movies are just a blast to be a part of.

Foxx: But for me, watching you ["A-Team"] trailer, I was like, "Wow!"

Biel: I’m so glad to hear it. I still haven’t seen it.

Foxx: When I saw Rampage as [B.A. Baracus], I was like, "Oh, that’s classic!"

How was your "Valentine’s Day" co-star Bradley Cooper in "The A-Team"?

Biel: He was great!

Photo credits: Photo #3: Getty Images. All other photos: New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. Pictures.