Interview
courtesy of Warner Bros
QUESTION: In Happy
Feet, you play
Mumble’s soul mate
and sweetheart. How do you see Gloria?
BRITTANY MURPHY: She is very strong,
loyal and sassy, but in a great way. I adore her, she is
someone I would want to know and have on my side. Gloria
fights for what she believes in and I love that she embraces
Mumble’s differences.
They grew up together and are best friends. She knows that
he is the love of her life, and wants to help him and go
with him on his journey, but he won’t let her. So,
she waits for him. It is true love.
QUESTION: How did you get the role of Gloria and why did
you decide to take it?
BRITTANY MURPHY: I had a phone call from George Miller to
play this role. We sat down and he showed me on his computer
a documentary type montage sequence of real penguins swimming,
in an Esther Williams synchronized sort of way, and doing
things I have never seen them do. Then he explained his vision
of the film, asked me to read the script and to voice the
character. I was cast a little bit later, and he let me do
the singing as well!
QUESTION: Do you enjoy singing?
BRITTANY MURPHY: I have been singing my whole life, since
I was a kid; but never formally, as a career. I did it in
plays when I was younger, and I sang all styles of music:
everything from Italian opera to blues.
QUESTION: And what about dancing? Are you also a natural
born dancer?
BRITTANY MURPHY: I was only trained
in dancing and I used to be quite good, though I am a bit
rusty right now, but I could probably brush up in a couple
of months. The funny thing is that I actually took classes
from Savion Glover, who worked in Happy Feet, when I was
a kid. Isn’t that
wild? I was part of a selected group that was brought into
New York from New Jersey (which is where I am from) to study,
every Saturday, ballet, jazz and tap. It was a musical comedy
group. And one day I got to meet him because he was teaching
Broadway dance. It was a little after Tap came out and he
was very young. He wouldn’t remember me, but it was
quite amazing. And now I have met him as an adult!
QUESTION: So, what do you prefer: acting or singing?
BRITTANY MURPHY: Well, when I am singing
I am also acting, but when I am acting I only get to act.
And here I am doing both, which is really a great joy for
me because I love to entertain. But I can’t choose
one over the other, because I love them both.
QUESTION: You do quite a bit of singing in the movie. What
was your favorite song to perform and why?
BRITTANY MURPHY: My favorite song
is Someone to Love. That is more like me than the other
stuff, as it was the only one that I was actually able
to create from the bottom up. I call it an homage, not
a remake. It is an homage to Freddie Mercury, because I
don’t think people can really remake
Freddie Mercury. That is why we did a gospel version.
QUESTION: How important are Heartsongs to penguin culture?
Do you think there is an equivalent in humans?
BRITTANY MURPHY: It is such a beautiful
concept, and it helps them discover their soul mate and
who they are. It is amazing to have something that represents
your true heart and spirit and be walking around with it.
I believe we have something similar, but it is a matter
of finding it, though we don’t find it the way they
do. I think that in every day life we cover them up.
QUESTION: Do you have a Heartsong?
BRITTANY MURPHY: Yes, in fact I have a couple: Little Girl
Blue, by Nina Simone, and the Chet Baker version of My Funny
Valentine.
QUESTION: What was it like to play an animated role?
BRITTANY MURPHY: It was really fun,
and intimate in a way. It was great! And working with George
Miller is exquisite. Gloria is different from anything
I have ever played before. The first time I saw the characters
in the studio I remember thinking that Mumble looked just
like Elijah, with such a cute and endearing face. I don’t
think Gloria looks that much like me.
QUESTION: What was the funniest moment you had while recording
the voice of Gloria?
BRITTANY MURPHY: It was very funny when George Miller wanted
Gloria to be more like a sassy diva and he gave me some advice.
And I also loved my moments with the composer, John Powell,
at the recording studio.
QUESTION: Did you see yourself animated as Gloria before
you started voicing her part?
BRITTANY MURPHY: Not really. But the
truth is that it doesn’t
matter because I never know what I am going to look like.
Sometimes I have been disappointed when my character didn’t
end up looking like I had imagined, but that doesn’t
happen to me as much anymore. In this case, when I
finally saw it I had the chills, because I had never seen
anything like it. I knew Happy Feet would be something important,
both cinematographically and culturally. It is so funny and
satisfying, and has something for everyone, which is a rarity.
I think it is the most universal film I have ever been part
of.
QUESTION: What are your thoughts on the themes of the story,
like individuality? Do you think kids will respond to it?
BRITTANY MURPHY: Individuality is
vitally important. When people start to lose their individuality
is when I believe they start to lose themselves. I think
children are born with this message, and it shouldn’t be taken away from
them. I hope they walk away with it after seeing the film,
and adults too. And I notice it also with myself, because
the older I get the more I embrace my own idiosyncrasies.
I would hope with all my heart that people understand this
and see it in the film. And there are also other messages
in Happy Feet, like racial and environmental ones, but none
of them are so overt. George has made a great story about
penguins with a lot of humanity in it and audiences can follow
a species we don’t know that well.
QUESTION: Do you have a favorite character, other than Gloria?
BRITTANY MURPHY: The characters are
amazing, but I love Ramon. Who wouldn’t? He is hysterical, smart, funny
and a riot. The best part about him is that, even though
I didn’t think so when I read him, once he is brought
to life it is genius. I can’t even describe him without
laughing. He is this tiny guy with so much confidence. I
love him.
QUESTION: Happy Feet is also about believing in yourself,
like Ramon and Mumble. Do we have a lot to learn from them?
BRITTANY MURPHY:Yes, we do have a
lot to learn from them. And if we already know this we
should reaffirm it. I thoroughly empathize and understand
Mumble’s journey, maybe far
more than one would imagine.
QUESTION: It seems that lately penguins have become very
popular in films. Why do you think that is?
BRITTANY MURPHY:I love penguins and
I haven’t seen
too many penguin films, because March of the Penguins came
out when we were already a couple of years into Happy Feet.
I think the sensibility in which they live is pure and quite
stunning: the way they grow up, mate, and how the father
carries the egg -- it’s beautiful! And they are a real
synchronized group.
QUESTION: Which are your favorite scenes in Happy Feet?
BRITTANY MURPHY: I love the opening.
It is beyond beautiful. And also when he is trying to learn
from the opera teacher, which is one of the funniest things
I have ever seen. And I love the moment when Gloria is
performing and he is alone on an iceberg: it’s heartbreaking.
QUESTION: Is it for all ages?
BRITTANY MURPHY: Yes, Happy Feet is for the widest age range.
I have never been part of a film that is for so many different
people. Great grandmothers can take their tiniest grandchildren
and everyone will all enjoy it. It is quite a rarity.
QUESTION: What makes Happy Feet unique?
BRITTANY MURPHY: It is unique precisely
because of how it endorses uniqueness. It couldn’t
be truer to itself.
QUESTION: Have you grown thanks to this experience? And
if so, how?
BRITTANY MURPHY: I have grown environmentally. I am far
more cautious, although I always have been; but more now.
And I have grown a lot professionally by working with George
Miller, and as a vocalist thanks to John Powell.
QUESTION: What are your next projects?
BRITTANY MURPHY: The Dead Girl is my next film. It is a
character driven drama.
QUESTION: When will we next see you in another animated
film?
BRITTANY MURPHY: I will soon appear
in Disney’s Tinker
Bell, as the main character.
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