HUGH Laurie, yes of "H
ouse," will be doing the voice "Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D." in DreamWorksâ latest ani
mation film "Monsters vs. Aliens."
Director Rob Letterman recalls why they chose Laurie to play the part: âWe want
ed somebody to be very formal and erudite, because we thought that would be a g
reat contrast with the whole âcockroach badâ thing. And so, we immediately thou
ght of Hugh. And a lot of people donât realize, at least people in the States,
that heâs a Brit. Hugh Laurie is obviously mostly known in the States for âHous
e,â but he is a famous actor for many years in England. He did âThe Black Adder
â [television series] with Rowan Atkinson and heâs an incredible comedic actor.
We were fans of his prior to âHouse.â So it was very fortunate to have him on
the movie.â
Dr. Cockroach is a brilliant scientist who turned himself into a cockroach as a
result of a self-experiment gone awry. With his lifeâs work confiscated, the d
octor spends his time locked up, working on something diabolical.
âFirst of all, I love doing animated projects. You wear your own clothes. I lov
e the freedom of messing around and trying to create something in a voice. Itâs
exciting and a fun challenge. But also, now these animated films have sort of
really become the summit of modern entertainment,â Laurie says, referring to hi
s role as Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.
Director Vernon remembers the first time they met Laurie. âWhen we m
et with him, he had this look on his face, like, âWhy are you guys talking to m
e right now?â We toured him around the DreamWorks Animation campus, and wound u
p in the editing room, showing him storyboard sequences of the film. We talked
casually and really hit it off. He said, âYesâ on the spot! Once he got in the
booth, he did not disappoint.â
Laurie adds: âAfter a lovely tour around the place, I was presented with this m
assive amount, almost like a museum, of artwork that theyâd already composedâ¦t
o start to get a sense I suppose, for their benefit and for prospective actors
or designers and so on of the world they were trying to create. I was immediate
ly entranced by that wonderful â50s feel, which is not only wonderfully relevan
t to the style of story they were trying to tell, but it also was a great perio
d of American design. I was sold as soon as I walked in through the door. I did
nât tell them that, of course. I hemmed and hawed and stroked my chin and I tri
ed to play hard to get, but I was in for a ride from word âGoââ.
Laurie currently stars in FOXâs medical drama âHouse.â He has already won two G
olden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy Award playing the a
nti-social and brutally honest doctor Dr. Gregory House.
âMonsters Vs. Aliensâ will be shown in theaters on March 27.
It is released and distributed by United International Pictures through Solar E
ntertainment Corp.
March 2009 Archives
HUGH Laurie, yes of "H
ouse," will be doing the voice "Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D." in DreamWorksâ latest ani
mation film "Monsters vs. Aliens."
Director Rob Letterman recalls why they chose Laurie to play the part: âWe want
ed somebody to be very formal and erudite, because we thought that would be a g
reat contrast with the whole âcockroach badâ thing. And so, we immediately thou
ght of Hugh. And a lot of people donât realize, at least people in the States,
that heâs a Brit. Hugh Laurie is obviously mostly known in the States for âHous
e,â but he is a famous actor for many years in England. He did âThe Black Adder
â [television series] with Rowan Atkinson and heâs an incredible comedic actor.
We were fans of his prior to âHouse.â So it was very fortunate to have him on
the movie.â
Dr. Cockroach is a brilliant scientist who turned himself into a cockroach as a
result of a self-experiment gone awry. With his lifeâs work confiscated, the d
octor spends his time locked up, working on something diabolical.
âFirst of all, I love doing animated projects. You wear your own clothes. I lov
e the freedom of messing around and trying to create something in a voice. Itâs
exciting and a fun challenge. But also, now these animated films have sort of
really become the summit of modern entertainment,â Laurie says, referring to hi
s role as Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.
Director Vernon remembers the first time they met Laurie. âWhen we m
et with him, he had this look on his face, like, âWhy are you guys talking to m
e right now?â We toured him around the DreamWorks Animation campus, and wound u
p in the editing room, showing him storyboard sequences of the film. We talked
casually and really hit it off. He said, âYesâ on the spot! Once he got in the
booth, he did not disappoint.â
Laurie adds: âAfter a lovely tour around the place, I was presented with this m
assive amount, almost like a museum, of artwork that theyâd already composedâ¦t
o start to get a sense I suppose, for their benefit and for prospective actors
or designers and so on of the world they were trying to create. I was immediate
ly entranced by that wonderful â50s feel, which is not only wonderfully relevan
t to the style of story they were trying to tell, but it also was a great perio
d of American design. I was sold as soon as I walked in through the door. I did
nât tell them that, of course. I hemmed and hawed and stroked my chin and I tri
ed to play hard to get, but I was in for a ride from word âGoââ.
Laurie currently stars in FOXâs medical drama âHouse.â He has already won two G
olden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy Award playing the a
nti-social and brutally honest doctor Dr. Gregory House.
âMonsters Vs. Aliensâ will be shown in theaters on March 27.
It is released and distributed by United International Pictures through Solar E
ntertainment Corp.
Are we looking at another "David Cook" in the making in Season 8's American Ido
l?
In his per
formance of Michael Jackson's Black or White, Adam Lambert unraveled the "whole package" which indeed impressed Paula
Abdul. She even predicted that this young singer--who can really hit the high n
otes--would be "running all the way to the top."
What do you think?
