INTERVIEW: Robin Williams' 3D Experience with Sofia Vergara
- Details
- Category: Interviews
- Created: Wednesday, 16 November 2011 15:24
- Published: Wednesday, 16 November 2011 15:24
- Written by Fernando Esquivel
HAPPY FEET TWO star Robin Williams joked that having Sofia Vergara in the recording session with him and his co-stars was like a 3D experience. The returning cast and new actors flew to Australia to work alongside each other in an old-style radio session which proved fun for all involved.
Recording voices for animated films can be a very lonely experience for an actor who is usually isolated in a booth with no actors to feed off of. For the sequel to HAPPY FEET, director George Miller provided a fun environment for returning penguin voices Robin Williams, Elijah Wood, and newcomers Common, Pink, Hank Azaria and "Modern Family's" Sofia Vergara. George brought together his actors in one recording room in his native country of Austrialia. With George adapting an old fashion group radio recording technique, the cast was able to bounce off each other and improvise. According to Hank Azaria, the actors explored and did many takes which required two people to keep track of the lines. "Especially with Robin you need to keep track," said the many voices of The Simpsons.
"I sweated through a shirt because of the activity and you also move off each other because I was working with the amigos. They're in the same room with us and you just feel the rhythm."
Having Sofia Vergara in the room also helped the cast cherish their time together. It was also the only time that director George Miller kept his eyes open in the recording booth, according to Hank Azaria. As Carmen, Ramon's love interest, Robin says she was very interactive in her presence.
"When she literally walked into the room it was like 'Oh, hi!, Que Paso! Hiiii!' It was actually 3D in the room."Hank Azaria joins the cast as the flying penguin The Mighty Sven, while Common replaces Fat Joe as Seymour, and Sofia Vergara as Robin William's love interest Carmen. Hank Azaria, who is no stranger to voice over work, thought this experience to be the "the most soulful animation experience I ever had." He adds the experience was "an intense character exploration." When it came to getting the voices down Hank Azaria had to do a Scandinavian accent which was a new one for him. Working with a vocal coach, they both decided it would be funnier to have a bad Scandinavian accent in some scenes.
This was also the first time Common ever voiced a character and called it a "great" way to kick it off. Sending the entire cast to Australia was also a highlight for Elijah Wood who thought it made the experience more immersive.
"In Los Angeles we work then go to our homes, this time we were all staying in the same hotel and I love that about it."When it comes to the future of Happy Feet, George is not sure whether there'll be another sequel.
"If you put a gun to my head and said you have to come up with a story for HAPPY FEET 3 I would say shoot me I would have no idea. The stories just creep up on you. If that happens and we have the energy then we'll do a third one. It has to be authentic, I really wanted to make this film better then the first one otherwise what's the point."HAPPY FEET TWO is in theaters November 18th.