Anna Paquin has revealed she would have done anything for Pixar, even being a glorified extra.
The mother-of-two got to visit the Pixar studios, home of Toy Story, Up and Inside Out, while voicing a Tyrannosaurus Rex for their latest project, The Good Dinosaur.
“I would literally have done anything that they actually asked me to come and do. I was so flattered,” the actress said.
“If you could stand in the corner and hold a piece of scenery in an animated film, I would totally have done that. I’m not a huge animation geek but I love Pixar films, and find the emotional stories and character developments every bit as poignant as I do when I’m watching a live action film.”
Anna, Sam Elliott and AJ Buckley voice T-Rexes Butch, Ramsey and Nash in the latest Disney-Pixar adventure, which follows a fearful Apatosaurus named Arlo (Raymond Ochoa), who makes an unlikely human friend named Spot (Jack Bright) when a misstep leaves him far from home in a world where the dinosaurs haven’t been wiped out.
True Blood star Anna admitted it didn’t take her long to agree to the part.
“I’d already said yes before they actually told me what it was about. And, I want to say they seemed ever so slightly nervous that I might be offended that they wanted me to be this big, bad-ass T-Rex,” she said.
Sam, who is best known for appearing in The Big Lebowski, Ghost Rider, Hulk and Tombstone, said his role was “bizarre” but “a gift”.
“I’ve been in this business for nearly 50 years, and this ranks right up there with ‘em, as far as opportunities and things I’ve enjoyed doing,” he explained.
“I’d been doing this Western thing for a long time and I found it very intriguing that here is this Western character within this Pixar film, who happened to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It’s very bizarre on some levels, but it’s an opportunity to work with somebody who’s really proven themselves in this realm. It was a no-brainer to come and do this job.”
For AJ, voicing a dinosaur is a childhood dream come true.
He said: “I was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid. I was, many times, grounded for digging up my mum’s beautiful backyard looking for fossils, and using my dad’s toothbrush when I thought I’d found something and needed to gently scrape the dirt off.
“So, I was a big fan of dinosaurs, back in the day. Not that I know all of the facts, but I just geeked out, you know. I was ready. I waited, I worked my whole life, for this moment, to be a dinosaur.”
The Good Dinosaur is in cinemas now.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article