Bill Clinton may appear in Hangover sequel

The Hangover franchise is set to get a dash of presidential appeal. After the first film featured a cameo by former boxer Mike Tyson, The Hangover 2 will feature a guest appearance by former US President Bill Clinton.

Clinton has reportedly shot a brief scene for the second sequel of the male-centric Hollywood comedy. People magazine reported that the scene was shot in Bangkok last Saturday.

Clinton, 64, was visiting the city to deliver a speech on clean energy.

The Hangover 2, which features returning stars Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha as well as a guest cameo by Liam Neeson, is being shot in Thailand. The shooting of the film will continue till the end of the year, said director Todd Phillips.

Mike Tyson,will also be seen reprising his guest appearance in The Hangover 2.

The sequel will introduce Neeson as a tattooist in Thailand.

Neeson’s role was originally meant for veteran actor Mel Gibson who was axed amid reports that the film’s cast and crew angrily objected to his inclusion. Phillips later confirmed that Gibson’s cameo was scrapped due to the controversies surrounding his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, who accused the actor of beating her in a violent altercation in January.

This time around, the cast and crew members of the film have no issues with Clinton’s history.

The original film, which follows the events of a bachelor party in Las Vegas, started on a minimal budget and had no guarantee of a cinematic hit until it collected several awards including a Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.

“I find relationships between guys to be inherently awkward. I notice that the women have such an elegant way of interacting with each other. And guys just don’t have that elegance. So it’s just funnier to me to explore that ‘un-elegance’,” Phillips, 39, told IANS about his inspiration behind his male-centric comedies like Road Trip.

Asked if The Hangover brand would also see a third outing, Phillips implied it was a possibility.

However, Clinton’s guest appearance in the film has not been confirmed. The former president was spotted on the film’s set but not with any of the stars, leading to rumours that he may just have come on set to hang out with the crew.

The Hangover 2 is scheduled to release on May 26, 2011.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2010.