Cast of NBC's new comedy 'One Big Happy' credits executive producer DeGeneres for laughs

NEW YORK, N.Y. – When Ellen DeGeneres decided to executive produce a new comedy for NBC, she clearly didn’t take the job lightly.

In fact, the cast said Monday at NBC’s presentation to advertisers that she warmed up the audience before the taping of the pilot.

“Ellen did, I’d say about 10 minutes of warming up the crowd,” recalled actor Nick Zano. “We hear Ellen doing standup and the crowd roaring and we’re like, ‘Damn … I hope we’re as funny as that,’” he joked. “She set the bar high and we just had to come close to matching.”

“One Big Happy” is about a straight guy (Zano) who decides to have a baby with his gay best friend (Elisha Cuthbert.) The plan gets complicated when Zano’s character falls in love with someone else, a British woman played by Kelly Brook, and marries her so she can stay in the country.

Cuthbert hopes she does her character justice and makes DeGeneres proud.

“I’m playing a lesbian and she is the coolest lesbian on the planet.”