'Hangover' premiere: Wolf Pack whoops it up

By Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY

What: The world premiere of The Hangover: Part II, the sequel to 2009's smash hit comedy.

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  Chris Pizzello, AP

  Another 'Hangover': Bradley Cooper, left, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and director/co-writer Todd Phillips pose at the premiere of the film Thursday in Los Angeles.

Chris Pizzello, AP

Another 'Hangover': Bradley Cooper, left, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and director/co-writer Todd Phillips pose at the premiere of the film Thursday in Los Angeles.

Where: Grauman's Chinese Theater.

When: Thursday night.

Guests: The entire Wolf Pack: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Justin Bartha, Mike Tyson and Crystal the monkey. Also Wolf Pack wannabes Jason Bateman, Robert Downey Jr. and Rainn Wilson.

Seal of approval: Ed Helms' poster with his Mike Tyson face tattoo was everywhere on the black carpet. The boxing champion said he was "truly honored" with the homage. As for his character's paranoid habit of putting napkins over his drink to keep people from dropping drugs in them, Helms promised to drink unencumbered at the after-party. "You cannot live your life in fear," he proclaimed.

The Office Wolf Pack: Helms' Office co-star Rainn Wilson slipped quietly into the theater after sleuthing down the black carpet. Helms insisted, "He's part of my Office Wolf Pack. We all love each other." He added that he was looking forward to shooting new episodes of the NBC hit. As for whether or not his character Andy Bernard will fill Steve Carell's managerial shoes? "I don't know about that," he said. "We'll see what happens."

Tyson's treat: Tyson, whose stellar cameo appearance in the original Hangover rebooted his acting career, proudly displayed his date for the evening: daughter Gena, a recent graduate from American University. "It's her birthday as well," declared the champ. "This is her present."

Atomic Ken-ergy: No Hangover star is hotter than Ken Jeong, who has an expanded role in the sequel after his movie-stealing turn in the original. On the eve of hosting the Billboard Music Awards, Jeong whooped the premiere crowd into a frenzy by diving in with his fans. "Good crowd," he reported, mock patting his jacket to make sure his wallet was still there. "I still have it, and I didn't get hit with a crowbar."

The star had just come from another appearance on the Ellen show, where the famous host loves the way he works the studio audience into a frenzy with his feverish dancing. "I had to up the ante a bit for today's show," he said. "Ellen said I succeeded. I got her seal of approval."

Star monkey: The other star getting the most shouts on the red carpet was Crystal the monkey. A drug-dealing troublemaker in the movie, Crystal showed a more feminine side at the premiere with a stunning designer monkey-size dress and a pearl necklace. "They were just delivered today to the red carpet," trainer Tom Gunderson said of the bling. Crystal was so happy she did monkey flips all the way down the carpet.

Dressed for success:Jamie Chung was the fashion star of the night wearing a sheer, gun-metal Julien McDonald number. The star marries Helms' character in the film, a dentist who admits he has "demons" inside him. Would she tolerate her fiance letting these demons out on the eve of the nuptials? "As long as the demons were out before the wedding," she admitted. "And 'before' the wedding is key."

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