Russell Brand
"I was plucked from prostitution"

5 Sep 2008 

Sex addict Russell Brand says he was plucked from "prostitution" and thrust into the movie business.

The British comedian compared his being cast in Forgetting Sarah Marshall to the plot in Julia Roberts' movie Pretty Woman.

"Thinking about it now, I think it was my work in the prostitution industry that brought me closer to Jason Segel's affections," he joked to US chat show host Jimmy Kimmel. "He saw me as a hooker with a heart of gold, a tart with a heart, a local floozy, a sh*ft with a smile."

Kimmel confessed that when he saw the big screen comedy he thought Brand was in fancy dress. "Mostly they were my own clothes and my own sentiments - just expressed while being filmed," the comedian laughed. "It was kind of them to do that. It saved me having to do any actual acting."

Brand, who is hosting the MYV Video Music Awards this weekend, also talked about meeting Britney Spears when they filmed a promo for the show. But he said he found the elephant that featured in the ad more eye-catching than the pop princess.

"I enjoyed meeting Britney Spears, she was lovely," he said. "But the trouble was it was also very distracting because there was an elephant there. "I know Britney Spears is very attractive - but I've never met an elephant before. "They get the attention, an elephant. They're eye-catching".