Author: Ronnie Swainston

Rapper and actor Common (Now You See Me, Happy Feet 2, Date Night) talks about playing Stonekeeper the Yeti in the movie SMALLFOOT and some important lessons he learned from his daughter …

What drew you to the role of Stonekeeper and to the film?

I enjoy acting in animated films.  When I learned about Smallfoot’s story and themes, and that Channing Tatum, Zendaya, and LeBron James were in the cast, I became really excited about being a part of it.

I was drawn to the role of Stonekeeper because he’s a formidable and interesting figure – he’s the head of the Yeti village, who’s concealing certain things from those he leads, for their own good – or so he thinks. He’s a rich and complex character.

I also thought it was interesting that Stonekeeper has written all the Yeti laws in stone, literally.  He even wears these stones on his robe. That’s a really fun idea.

Does working on an animated movie present any kind of special challenges and opportunities that you don’t get with live action roles?

Of course, voicing a character in a sound booth is very different from working on a set, in full costume and makeup, in front of castmates and dozens of crew people. As a musician, I’m used to recording in a studio with no visuals to reference. I enjoy the experience of finding the voice of an animated film character.  Then, the filmmakers add their animation magic.

How did you find the voice for the Stonekeeper?

The process of finding Stonekeeper’s voice meant trying different things, repeating them a few times, and then maybe doing some ad libs.  Our director, Karey Kirkpatrick, was great at making sure that the Stonekeeper had the tone and power that we wanted for the character, as well as the darkness and warmth.

I listened to what Karey and the producers wanted the Stonekeeper to be. I thought about what he would have to be to run a village.  What kind of life and professional experience would he have?  Would he have a voice that would be both commanding and welcoming?  It was an organic process to find his voice.  I didn’t find it, definitively, until I got in the recording booth, where I tried a particular voice – and suddenly it was right there…the tone that hits it.  Karey and I found that voice. I was just throwing it out there.  It wasn’t carefully mapped out with a specific register.  My heart told me where to go, and I went there.  Karey said, “Okay, that’s it.  Let’s do it.  Let’s do some of that.”

Did you miss working opposite your castmates?

Not working with other actors was definitely a different experience for me.  It’s nice to exprience their energy and look. But Karey was brilliant in the way he was able to bring out the best in me, as an actor voicing a role in an animated film.

You’ve mentioned finding the Stonekeeper’s voice with Karey and working opposite him in the booth.  What else does he bring to Smallfoot?

Karey has a real appreciation for music and an incredible imagination. He’s creative and collaborative, but always knows what he wants.   Karey keeps reminding you of the kid inside of you, which I love.  It’s important to keep that inner kid, which Karey recognizes and honors, and lets you bring to your performance. He knows a lot about music and films – and uses that knowledge to activate the best possible performance from you.

Who was most excited about your participation in Smallfoot?  Family?  Friends?

My family and my team that I work with were super excited about me stepping into the world of Smallfoot.  Everybody’s looking forward to going to the premiere.  My younger cousins will be very, very happy when I take them to see it.

Stonekeeper learns a lot from his daughter Meechee, voiced by Zendaya. What have you learned from your daughter?

Oh man, I learn from her all the time.  My daughter is a great teacher for me. She is twenty years old, and I’ve been learning from her since she was born.  She has a wisdom that I really connect with. I’ve talked with her about everything from music to girlfriends. I have learned so much from a young person who happens to be my daughter, as well as other young people I’ve talked to.  I feel they have a lot to offer, and when we as adults open our minds to them, we can learn a lot.

What do you hope audiences experience when they see Smallfoot in theaters beginning this September?

I hope that people enjoy the film and experience its warmth, humor and music.  I also hope that it helps them understand that we can be better to each other, be better to the planet, be better to the animals, to people who are different from us, and to listen to the goodness inside each of us.

Actress Zendaya (The Greatest Showman, Spider-Man Homecoming) talks about working with Channing Tatum on SMALLFOOT, the challenges of working on an animated film and co-writing the song for the film, “A Wonderful Life” …

What drew you to Smallfoot and to the character of Meechee?

I’m a sucker for animated movies and I’ll watch my favorite ones over and over again.  So, when I first met with the filmmakers, I was already excited about Smallfoot. The film has a great message about following your heart, your truth, and your destiny.  I love Meechee because she’s very powerful and intelligent.  She thinks about the world outside her village, which everyone tells her doesn’t exist.  But she knows it does.  Even though Meechee is the daughter of the village leader, the Stonekeeper, she’s more comfortable with the nerdy outcasts of the Yeti world, who believe that the Smallfoot exists.  Meechee is the group’s leader, and together they go on an adventure to find the Smallfoot, no matter how crazy everyone thinks they are.

When you were cast in Smallfoot, who among your family or friends were most excited about you being in an animated movie?

My nieces and nephews were incredibly excited when I told them I was going to be in Smallfoot.  But I was the most excited about being a part of this movie!

What are the challenges and opportunities of working on an animated film?

Well, it’s definitely cool that you don’t have to come in with having your hair and makeup done [laughs].  But most people don’t understand how hard and exhausting it can be to work on an animated feature.  You have to convey emotion and feeling with only your voice.  That’s really challenging.  For most of our voice recording sessions, we don’t have an actor to work with, so you must rely heavily on the director.  Luckily, our director on Smallfoot, Karey Kirkpatrick, is amazing and helped us find those emotions and that chemistry, even when we didn’t have a fellow actor to work with.

The co-writer of that song, as well as the other songs and the film’s screenplay is also its director, Karey Kirkpatrick.  Talk about working with Karey.

Karey is brilliant. I love working with directors with a clear vision of what they want, but who are also collaborative.  Karey had a vision for the film and was always open to ideas from us.  He let me try different things, but then he’d give me a note with a version to try that was, nine times out of ten, better and funnier than what I came up with.

I enjoyed working with Karey and observing the evolution of the film—from the sketches to the final, magically beautiful world of Smallfoot.  There were many people who worked non-stop on the countless little details that make up this film.  It’s pretty cool.

You did get the chance to work with Channing Tatum, who voices Migo, for one day.  What was that like?

It was wonderful to have Channing there and bounce off each other’s energies.  We adlibbed quite a bit that day, telling each other, “Hey, just go back and forth and see what comes out.”   But with all that improv, it was hard not to step on each other’s lines – and in animation, the filmmakers need clean lines.  Overall, it was a lot of fun and added another layer of energy.

What do you hope audiences experience when they see Smallfoot in theaters beginning this September?

An animated movie has to tell a real story, have heart and a message, and be fun for the entire family.  I saw a screening of Smallfoot with my family, and my nieces loved it.  I brought my older sister and my parents to another screening, and they loved it.  Smallfoot has humor and fun for everyone.  I left the screenings feeling really positive about the film. Before that, I only knew about Meechee and her part in the story.  It’s so magical to watch the entire movie and see how it all came together.

When I left the theater, I felt …happy.  And that’s what animated movies really do for people – leave them with a smile and wanting to hug someone.  They will feel warm and fuzzy inside, like, I guess, the Yetis [laughs].

Actor Channing Tatum (Step Up, Jupiter Ascending, The Lego Movie) talks about taking his daughter to see the film SMALLFOOT and how he found his character Migo’s voice!

What drew you to the film?

I love stories and myths, and I thought the way the filmmakers role-reversed the Bigfoot myth was really clever.  Also, I grew up on Looney Tunes and the Warner Bros. style of animation and physical comedy.  I miss Wile E. Coyote, Bugs Bunny, and Tom and Jerry.  So, when I heard about the plans for Smallfoot and how it would pay homage to that Looney Tunes style and comedy, I thought it could be a lot of fun.

What scene in Smallfoot reflects that style?

There are several, but I remember one of the first animatics I was shown when I began work on the film, which led me to think, “Yeah, this could really work.”  Migo journeys below the clouds of his Yeti village for the first time.  He’s falling and falling, and runs out of breath, and he’s going, “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh…” – and he’s still falling (laughs). It’s a real Wile E. Coyote moment that’s right out of my childhood.  It got a lot of laughs out of me.  I wanted to explore this further and create a character that would live inside this world.

Is your daughter looking forward to seeing Smallfoot with you?

Of course, I want to experience this film with my daughter.  But I know I’m going to have to trick her into seeing this with me because she doesn’t like anything I appear in (laughs).  When I ask if she wants to see a film I’m in, her answer is, “No, I want to see a real movie.”  I tell her, “It is a real movie; please, just watch it.”

I’ve got a plan to make sure she sees Smallfoot: I’m not telling her that I’m in the movie.  I’d see Smallfoot with her, and if she liked it, I was going to be like, “Ha ha, daddy’s in that.  It’s a real movie and you liked it.  Gotcha!”  But I think she already knows that I’m in it because she gets a little funny when someone mentions Smallfoot.  She’ll kind of give me a weird look, like I’m keeping a secret from her – which I’m trying to do!

Most of your voice recordings were done without the other actors present, which is how it works in most animated feature films.  But I understand you did work for a day with Zendaya, who voices Meechee.  What was that like?

It was great.  It was the first time I’ve acted opposite another actor for an animated film.  Working with Zendaya was fun because she’s a fantastic actress. She’s a gamer.  Zendaya loves her work and you can really feel that.  She wants it to be great.  Our recording sessions together went by really quickly, because I was having fun with a beautiful, talented, actress and singer (laughs).

Zendaya’s song in Smallfoot, “A Beautiful Life,” is incredible. She has the voice of an angel.  She can do it all.

Another actor-singer who stars in Smallfoot is Common, who voices Stonekeeper.  Have you had a chance to experience the song he performs in the film, “Let it Lie”?

I grew up on hip hop, and I’m a big fan of Common, so it was really something to see his Stonekeeper rap in the film.

What was it like to work with Smallfoot director Karey Kirkpatrick?

Karey directed Over the Hedge, which is one of my favorite animated movies.   I used to be called Hammy – after the squirrel in Over the Hedge – because I was a hyperactive kid.  I’m still sometimes hyperactive! [Laughs]

Karey was not only working to get a good performance out of me; he was actually enjoying the process.  In addition to directing, he listens like an audience member.  For me, that combination always creates the best results.  Karey would be in the booth, directing, and at the same time he’d be laughing with me and coming up with ideas and improv bits.

It’s a fun process, which is impressive because making animated movies can be really challenging. There’s always the potential to feel overwhelmed, but the really good directors, like Karey, rise above that pressure because they love what they’re doing. They find real joy making these movies.  Karey is a student of cinema – and he’s always trying to be better and make you better.

What do you hope audiences experience when they see the film starting in September?

I want audiences to be wildly entertained and laugh, and care about the characters.

I’ve learned many of my biggest lessons in life through laughter – and didn’t even know I was learning!  I’d be laughing and having a good time – and, suddenly, the message would be there. Smallfoot has a lot of beautiful themes and, maybe, even some lessons worth learning.  But you’ll learn them through a lot of laughter and fun.