DreamWorks Animation’s Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh is now available on Netflix to stream as much as you want. So, go ahead – binge-watch it! But make sure you come back here to read all about my interviews with Ana Ortiz who voices Tip’s mom, Lucy and with Ron Funches, who plays the crazy characters, Sharzod.
I must say, I was totally fangirling when I found out that Ana Ortiz voiced the part of Tip’s mother, Lucy! I was/am a huge Ugly Betty fan, so right when her name popped up in the voice cast list, I was ecstatic! Then, we screened a couple of episodes (which were drop dead funny) and got to interview the actress, Ana Ortiz and the Co-Executive Producer, Todd Garfield.
I had an unbelievable opportunity not too long ago. The last you heard, I was telling you all about my Voltron DreamWorks Animation experience. Part of the activities for the Voltron press event included interviews with the Voltron Legendary Defender cast. I’ve definitely had my fair share of interviews with talented actors, but Voltron interviews gave me a much different feeling. All of the actors were very humble, friendly, and excited. It felt like we were chatting with a group of friends because of how welcoming they were.
Last week, I gave you an insider’s look at the set of Walk The Prank and the Paramount Pictures lot. This week, I want to tell you all about our Walk The Prank interview with Tobie Windham, the actor who plays ‘Uncle Will’ in this hilarious hidden camera show. It was so much fun listening to him describe his experience with the rest of the Walk The Prank cast. Hearing about the teamwork involved in bringing this show to life, just makes me love the show more.
Bagheera, one of the most prominent characters in The Jungle Book, was voiced by the great, Sir Ben Kingsley. I’ve personally always been intrigued by Sir Ben Kingsley – his unique look, the interesting roles that he takes on, and his firm voice – I’ll admit that the thought of meeting and interviewing him was a bit intimidating. Being that I’m a fan, I was nonetheless excited and ready to meet the man behind the black panther.
About a week ago, a group of bloggers and I embarked on an experience of a lifetime. We walked the red carpet for the world premiere of The Jungle Book. Little did everyone know, a few hours before that we got to meet and interview some of the incredible cast (and director) of The Jungle Book. Of all The Jungle Book interviews, the one with Lupita Nyong’o and Giancarlo Esposito was definitely the most personal. They gave us honest and very personal stories about where they drew inspiration from for their roles as the wolves, Raksha (Lupita) and Akela (Giancarlo). I think it’s fair to say that these family-oriented actors were partially chosen based on their strong family values.
A group of talented bloggers and I had the honor of interviewing the talented The Jungle Book Director, Jon Favreau, and the young actor who played Mowgli, Neel Sethi. The interviews went so well that I walked out feeling as if I just had a chat with a couple of friends. Being a live-action remake of a classic animated movie, Jon Favreau had his work cut out for him. Some how he managed to cast actors that were seemingly born for their roles in The Jungle Book. Favreau brought each character to life so well that you the stigma of “talking animals” was lost and a deep connection to the characters was developed.
It’s no secret that Disney likes to place hidden gems, also known as “Easter Eggs” in their movies. You know, like Goofy and Donald’s appearance in the crowd during King Triton’s entrance in The Little Mermaid. Another popular gem is Aladdin’s carpet in the opening of The Princess and The Frog. There are a ton of inside jokes that only adults, or maybe only the creators, would understand. I think that we all walked into the Zootopia screening looking for an underlying message or a hidden gem. Some were more cryptic than others, but they definitely exist. The ones that we didn’t catch, the Zootopia Directors and Producers filled us in on.