Even after years in Hollywood, The Hangover star Ed Helms says he still gets nervous when his parents watch his films—especially the wild ones.
The 51-year-old actor recently opened up on SiriusXM’s Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast, revealing that growing up in a “repressed Southern home” shaped how he feels about his family seeing his risqué comedy work. “Politically, [my upbringing was] very progressive, but socially conservative,” he explained. “The Hangover is nuts. That’s not what they raised me to do.”
Despite already seeing him perform outrageous skits on The Daily Show and The Office, Ed said he was especially anxious when The Hangover—the outrageous comedy about a Las Vegas bachelor party gone wrong—hit theaters. He recalled being 35 at the time, still nervous like a teenager worried about his parents’ approval.
But the moment turned unexpectedly emotional. As the credits rolled, Ed noticed tears streaming down his mother’s face. “For a second, I thought, ‘Did I just break my poor mom’s heart?’” he said. To his surprise, she turned to him and said, “That was so funny,” and gave him a big hug.
“That was such a special moment,” Ed added. “The Hangover was a pivotal point in my career and in my life—and for my mom to be all in on it meant so much.”
It turns out, even Hollywood stars never stop seeking their parents’ approval.
