Russell Brand Discusses On-Set 'Arthur' Antics

In Russell Brand's new film, "Arthur," he plays a hapless, immature and perpetually drunk billionaire who is faced with losing his inheritance if he marries the wrong woman. Now while Brand is known for his outrageous antics, he's been sober since he spent three months in rehab in 2003.

So, when MTV News caught up with Brand recently during the press day for "Arthur," we asked him if he enjoys making believe that he's liquored up.

"Yes, it's brilliant; it's a right laugh. I love pretending to be drunk," Brand said. "I had a real hoot. [You] can sort of stagger around. We were filming in New York, there's crowds of people everywhere, hanging out, so I could just wander among them, pretend to be drunk, beg for change occasionally."

Naturally the crowds were always happy to see Brand gallivanting about the set, and so was one of Brand's famous friends, who spotted the actor/comedian during the filming of one particularly revealing scene in which Arthur strips down to his skivvies and runs down several busy Manhattan streets.

"One day we were on 42nd Street and [filming in] a church, and I had to run out in my underpants and [later when] I checked my iPhone messages, it was from Chris Martin from Coldplay," Brand recalled. "He goes, 'Russell, I'm just driving past in a car — I can see you running around in a pair of purple underpants. It reminded me of you because it was you. Is everything all right?' And then [he] hung up."

And exactly how often does Brand get phone calls from the singer?

"That was the only one," he admitted.

"Arthur" hits theaters this weekend.

Check out everything we've got on "Arthur."

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