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Recreating one of cinema’s most iconic scenes was a one-and-done situation for Zooey Deschanel and Charlie Cox.
The actress, 45, and the actor, 42, star in Merv, a rom-com about a recently separated couple who take their dog on a trip to raise his spirits, but end up reconnecting when sparks are reignited.
In one part, Deschanel and Cox recreate the iconic lift scene from Dirty Dancing — or at least attempt to. And while the moment results in a hilarious mishap onscreen, the pair tell PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that it was the complete opposite behind the scenes.
“They got it in one take. Thank God,” Deschanel explains, as Cox chimes in to add, “Yeah, it was the first take. That’s right.”
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The scene in the recently released Prime Video movie sees Deschanel run and leap into Cox’s arms, recreating how Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) does with Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) during Dirty Dancing’s final dance scene, choreographed to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”
However, Deschanel’s character doesn’t stick the landing, and when Cox’s loses his grip and balance, she falls into a pool behind them.
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“We had a lot of rehearsal with that, and then figuring out how to shoot it, because the very last part was a stunt. It was very unsafe,” Deschanel tells PEOPLE.
“The stunt doubles did an amazing job,” the Elf alum continues, as Cox adds, “They did a great job, because it really looks like a mistake.”
Merv is directed by Jessica Swale and features a script crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart.
Alongside Deschanel and Cox, the movie also stars Chris Redd, Patricia Heaton, David Hunt, Ellyn Jameson, Wynn Everett and more.
The titular canine, meanwhile, is played by a dog named Gus, a wire-haired terrier rescue.
Merv is available to watch now on Prime Video.
