THE MIDDLE STOOGE: SEAN HAYES AS LARRY IN “THE THREE STOOGES”

Caught between accidental and intended hits, Sean Hayes stars as Larry in the hilarious comedy “The Three Stooges.” Spanning more than twenty-five years since they appeared on television slapping and poking their way in 190 original comedies, the Stooges are about to be seen in a whole new dimension on the big screen.

In “The Three Stooges,” Larry, Curly and Moe are released into the wild city landscape after spending half of their lives in an orphanage. Out to save the orphanage and raise the money to save the only home they know, they decide to tackle the world outside the only way they know how.

Starring as the troika of knuckleheads are Emmy® and Tony® Award-winner Sean Hayes ("Will & Grace" ), who portrays the balding, sour-faced, bushy-haired Larry; Will Sasso ("MADtv") as the rotund funnyman Curly, whose trademark "nyuk-nyuk-nyuk" usually invites a physical outburst from older brother Moe; and Chris Diamantopoulos ("24," "The Kennedys") as Moe, the dark-haired leader of the farcical trio known for his distinctive bowl-style haircut and intolerant ire.

Given the Stooges’ iconic stature, casting the middle stooge Larry was as formidable a task as Moe and Curly. The part of Larry, who served as the trio's straight man, was in some ways the most difficult to cast because unlike his two cohorts, Larry lacked a distinctive voice. "It's also hard to define exactly what made Larry so funny," says Sean Hayes, who like Diamantopoulos, attended several auditions to land the coveted role. "He certainly was a great reactor."

To help turn the handsome Sean Hayes into sour-pussed Larry, veteran Hollywood wig maker Renate (who has created hairpieces for such characters as Spider-Man, the X-Men, and "Pirates of the Caribbean" anti-hero Jack Sparrow) styled a replica of the original Larry's unique hairstyle. It was a time-consuming routine to do the Larry "'do." Each day of shooting, Hayes had his head shaved, cleaned and prepped. Then, the hair team would draw an outline on his pate, apply glue, and affix the wig to Hayes' head using spirit gum and tape.

The filmmakers, the Farrelly Brothers have brought The Three Stooges' unique brand of humor to modern-day moviegoers. "We're giving audiences something they'll have a great time with," says Chris Diamantopoulos. "The movie is old-fresh," adds Hayes about the film's comedy. "You don't have to be a fan of The Stooges to relate to our modern version." Adds Will Sasso: "The characters are based on the original Three Stooges, but, this is a movie for everybody because it has emotion and heart."

“The Three Stooges” opens October 24 in cinemas from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.