New Delhi, Nov 2 (PTI) Actor Matt Berry says the opportunity to work with Bill Hader, who voices the titular character in the upcoming animated film “The Cat In The Hat,” was a major reason behind his decision to join the project.
Berry plays Waffles, a pet goldfish, who gains the power to speak through the Cat’s magic in the movie, which is an animated take on Dr Seuss’ popular children’s book of the same name.
“The thing that appealed to me to want to be part of this movie was that they told me Bill Hader was going to be playing The Cat. I had worked with Bill before, and I like what he does. So, it was an easy yes,” Berry said in an interview transcript, shared by Warner Bros India.
Hader is known for his work across mediums, including “Barry”, “It Chapter Two” and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”.
Describing his character as sensible and sarcastic, Berry, who has worked in films such as “A Minecraft Movie”, “The Wild Robot” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 4”, said voicing a fish confined to a bowl presented an unusual yet interesting challenge, especially as it navigates situations involving water, oxygen and even freezing temperatures.
Talking about the enduring appeal of Dr Seuss’ book, Berry said the strong source material allows it to be reimagined across generations.
“Good art is always going to last. So, you can make a new version. It’s almost like (Charles) Dickens. Sometimes, people can become upset about new versions of Dickens, but it doesn’t matter, because the source material is always there. The original source material stands,” he said.
The actor went on to praise the directors and writers, Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni, for their “great senses of humour” and their willingness to engage with other people’s ideas during the making of the film.
When asked about his voice work, Berry said he enjoyed the simplicity of beginning a project with just “you and a microphone” before the visuals, music and other elements are added to bring the character to life.
“You’re just involved right at the beginning in the voice, the character of the animal or the fish or the stone or whatever it is that you’re doing. And it’s always a real joy to see it go from those humble beginnings to something huge,” he said.
“The Cat In The Hat” voice cast also includes Quinta Brunson, Xochitl Gomez, Giancarlo Esposito, and America Ferrera. The film releases in India on November 5 in Hindi and English. PTI COR BK
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