If you go to see “Starsky and Hutch” expecting a 70s-period “Zoolander,” you might leave the theater feeling a little disappointed.

“It’s more like a mutated ‘Starsky and Hutch,’ really, is the way I look at it, as opposed to a distorted ‘Zoolander,’ because I think ‘Zoolander’ is already distorted,” said Ben Stiller about the recent film based on the 1970s police detective show of the same name. Stiller and co-star Owen Wilson recently spoke to PLAY about working together on the film.

Attempting to avoid scaring off potential viewers, Stiller’s co-star Owen Wilson sarcastically advised, “Well, if you loved ‘Zoolander,’ then it is (like ‘Zoolander’). And if you didn’t like Zoolander, then, no, it’s completely different. You’ll like this one.”

Because the film is based on a popular television show with two celebrated stars, the actors faced a challenge in staying true to the original characters while depicting them in their own unique way.

When asked if the updated “Starsky” stayed true to the original show, Stiller responded: “They went through a lot of different … phases, but I don’t think they were as delineated as characters on the original show, to tell you the truth. The idea behind this one was to … make it the origin of how (the original characters) became who they are.”

Stiller said that he and Wilson molded the characters of David Starsky and Ken Hutchinson to fit their own styles.

“By the end of the movie, I think (the two characters) become the ‘Starsky and Hutch’ team that you would have seen on the show if it was us playing them. So we didn’t feel like we had to stay totally close to the show, especially since … both those characters on the show were really just based on the personalities of the (actors),” Stiller said.

How close do Wilson’s and Stiller’s off-screen relationship mirror their on-screen interaction?

“Well, I think that the reason why (the ‘Starsky’ TV series) seems to have been such a phenomenon is that David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser had this sort of great give and take, and this kind of natural chemistry,” Wilson said.

“Hopefully the fact that Ben and I have worked together a lot and that we’re friends in real life, hopefully we kind of have our own rapport that’ll help the movie.”

Stiller said, “I think Owen is kind of a laid-back guy in real life. I don’t know if I’m as bookish … But I think we both sort of tried to kind of take a little bit of our real sort of vibe with each other … “

The veteran comedy pair’s relaxed approach to filmmaking reflects the inherent style of working on a film paying homage to the 1970s.

“Starsky and Hutch were very quick to sort of rough up a thug,” Wilson quipped, “and it was kind of a looser attitude towards relationships and towards the way men and women interacted. That was kind of nice.”

“Yes,” Stiller added, “I think that was fun, the not-politically-correct attitude those guys had back then. You could just be a cop and be a tough guy, and not worry about offending anybody. That was kind of who they were. It’s fun to try and be like that.”

They claimed the funniest thing that happened on set was Will Ferrell’s scene as an imprisoned informant. “I remember laughing a lot when Will Ferrell came out and did his scene, because … he was so ridiculous and he played it so straight. He’s just one of those guys who obviously makes everybody laugh. If you’re doing a scene with him, he just is so funny. That was my favorite memory,” Stiller said.

What’s next for Wilson and Stiller? Wilson said he looks for projects based on who’s involved — “if it’s people that I think are good, and then the character that I’m going to play, if it’s something that I think I could do, make funny, or be believable in.”

But Stiller suggested Wilson’s decision to do “Starsky and Hutch” may have been a little less complicated.

“He told me he wanted to do it because of the three-way kiss scene,” said Stiller.

And Wilson didn’t exactly deny the claim.

“Well, there is also that. That’s what I looked for in the ‘Starsky and Hutch’ script,” he said.

“So you basically look for any sex scene with multiple partners in a script. That’s kind of what attracts you to a role?”

Wilson replied, “That’s why I signed up for Zoolander, the orgy scene…”

Remember that next time you’re sending a script to his agent.