Trivia for
Zoolander (2001) More at IMDbPro »

• When Derek and Hansel disguise themselves and sneak into Maury's office, Hansel's jumpsuit has a name tag on which is printed the name "Kumar". This refers to Kumar Pallana, who has appeared in all of Wes Anderson's films (Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998), and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)).
  
  
• Images of the World Trade Center towers were removed before the movie's 28 September 2001 release. They were edited out in one shot and obscured in another.
  
  
• The non-graphic orgy sequence was originally longer, but shortened to obtain a PG-13.
  
  
• The film has been banned in Malaysia because of the use of fictional Malaysian Prime Minister as the subject of assassination. It was originally also banned in neighboring Singapore, but the ban has since been lifted.
  
  
• Christine Taylor's character says she was overweight as a kid; something that her "Hey Dude" (1989) character Melody was as well.
  
  
• Ben Stiller had several family members in this film: His wife Christine Taylor (Matilda), father Jerry Stiller (Maury Ballstein), mother Anne Meara (protestor who hits Mugatu with an egg), sister Amy Stiller (one of Hansel's friends in his loft), and brother-in-law Mitch Winston (Director of the infomercial).
  
  
• This movie marks the last on-screen appearance of renowned make-up artist Kevyn Aucoin.
  
  
• Owen Wilson, who plays Hansel, wore a wig for the entire movie. He was filming Behind Enemy Lines (2001) at the same time, and had to keep his hair short for the role.
  
  
• Katinka Ingabogovinanana (Milla Jovovich)'s car is a US Spec Citroën SM
  
  
• The yo-yo scenes as shown by Owen Wilson's character Hansel were performed by professional yo-yo performer and Duncan Yo-Yo Company employee Steve Brown.
  
  
• The part of Mugatu was originally written for Andy Dick, who couldn't do it due to commitments to "Go Fish" (2001).
  
  
• Derek Zoolander is shown on a billboard modeling for Feria. Milla Jovovich (who plays Katinka Ingabogovinanana) modeled for Feria at the time.
  
  
• Milla Jovovich based her performance on her own mother Galina Jovovich.
  
  
• Ben Stiller wrote David Bowie's scene as judge of the walk-off into the script without knowing for sure whether he would agree to it.
  
  
• While trying to be farcical, the film is actually quite accurate regarding the modeling industry. Even the quick scene of the two sets of bunk beds at Derek's apartment is factual; Cindy Crawford and Jules Asner shared a similar bunkroom during the early days of their modeling careers.
  
  
• Ben Stiller wrote the part of Hansel specifically for Owen Wilson and said that no one else was even considered for the role.
  
  
• Owen Wilson says "Who you tryin' to get crazy with 'ese? Don't you know I'm loco?" These are the opening lines to the Cypress Hill song "Insane in the Brain".
  
  
• When Derek first gets to Hansel's pad and Hansel asks Ennui to get him some of the special tea, there is a picture in the background of Hansel holding two tires - this is a copy of a famous Herb Ritts photo from 1984, "Fred with tyres".
  
  
• The voice heard saying "Ooo, Maury!" after Maury delivers the tushy squeeze is actually the voice of Christine Taylor (Matilda Jeffries).
  
  
• Trance artist BT was originally scoring the film in collaboration with Ben Stiller, but was replaced with composer David Arnold.
  
  
• Derek's cellphone has the Nokia ring-tone "Samba"
  
  
• Bret Easton Ellis, author of the 1998 book Glamorama, about a dimwitted male model who finds himself embroiled in a terrorist ring with roots in the fashion industry, sued Ben Stiller following the release of Zoolander (2001), citing copyright infringement. The case was later settled out of court.
  
  
• Derek's repetition of the line "But why male models?" for the second time in the cemetery scene was an ad-lib by the actors; Ben Stiller forgot his line and simply repeated the earlier line again, and David Duchovny ran with it and gave him a straight answer.
  
  
• Premiere voted this movie as one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time" in 2006.
  
  
• Derek Zoolander's "Blue Steel" look evolved from Christine Taylor ribbing her husband Ben Stiller about the way he combs his hair in front of a mirror in real life.
  
  

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