Dax Shepard was apprehensive to appear nude in This is Where I Leave You.
The 39-year-old actor detailed his fears in an interview with The Plain Dealer. Shepard told the publication he prepared for the role physically by working out for six weeks, but said he was more concerned with the psychological ramifications of the scene.
"My one concern was, 'Okay, here is the moment where you ruin the protagonist's life,'" he shared. "'How on earth will I not come out of here as the most hated guy there is?'"
This is Where I Leave You follows siblings Judd (Jason Bateman), Wendy (Tina Fey), Phillip (Adam Driver) and Paul (Corey Stoll) as they reunite at their childhood home after their father's death. Shepard portrays Wade Boulanger, a shock jock who had an affair with Judd's wife, Quinn (Abigail Spencer).
"I love Bateman," Shepard continued. "I presume all of America loves Bateman. So I was pretty nervous [about the scene]. I've played a [jerk] a lot of times in the past, and I've enjoyed the reaction far more being the nice guy on Parenthood than the guy who ruins everyone's marriages."
"It's weird," he reflected. "You just get to a certain point in your life where you'd much rather have the interaction at the airport be a kind one."
This is Where I Leave You opened in theaters in September. Shepard will next appear alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall in The Judge on Oct. 10.