Shrek Forever After Press Conference

Date: May 14, 2010
Source: iesb | Coming Soon | Collider

In Shrek Forever After, the ogre Shrek (Mike Myers) suddenly finds himself a domesticated family man. Instead of scaring villagers away like he used to, Shrek is now a local celebrity, signing autographs and waving at tour buses full of people. Longing for the days when he felt like a real ogre, Shrek is duped into signing a pact with the deceitful Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) and suddenly finds himself in a twisted alternate reality where Shrek and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) have never met, his best friend Donkey (Eddie Murphy) doesn’t know him and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) has put on a few extra pounds.

At a press conference to promote the film’s release, voice actors Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas and new addition Jon Hamm talked about being a part of something that has become so successful that it is now included in pop culture.

Q: Jon, how did you get the role of Brogan?
John: I don’t know. I don’t know why the character I play on TV would lend itself to be the first choice to be an animated character. I honestly don’t know, and I can’t believe I’m [in the film]. When it came my way and they were still trying to figure out what I was going to be – a love interest or a rival – they weren’t sure, but I was just like, “I don’t care. I just want to be a part of this.” I’ve loved the last three versions of this, and went and saw all of them in the theatre, like I was a 13-year-old. The pure fan in me was like, “I’ll go play somebody who talks backwards, on top of his head and turns around. I don’t even care.” The fact that they were able to work with me and my personality to create this person who is this cheerleader of sorts was fun to do.

Q: What makes Shrek different from other fairy tales?
Jon: The great thing about this franchise is that it takes the classic fairy tale and puts it on its head. When the original book came out, there were quite a few books coming out that reworked and twisted fairy tales, and took the classic damsel-in-distress and swapped the roles.

Q: Are there any fairy tales you’d want to rewrite?
Jon: Any fairy tales, I’d like to rewrite? I think the great thing about this franchise is that it kind of takes the plots of fairy tales and puts them on their heads. So this is a perfect example. And when the original book came out, and maybe my timeline is wrong, there were quite a few books that were coming out and were sort of reworked and sort of twisted fairy tales that were taking the classic damsel in distress and handsome prince and putting them on their head or swapping roles. So I think, not only this franchise, but there have been several that have done quite well. And then when you add in the unbelievable talent on this stage and the animators, it makes this incredible thing come to life. So I don’t think I could certainly do any better than this.

Q: Jon, how did you find the transition of going from television to voice actor?
Jon: It was a lot easier and less demanding of me. My role in the film isn’t nearly as large of a role as on the television show. But, it’s a whole different kind of acting. You’re in a scene reading opposite people who’s performances you haven’t necessarily heard. The people who put this together make that all seem seamless. I was learning as I went along. The character wasn’t a defined character. It kept changing, and we’d go back in and redo it. Because this was a new character, the art involved with who this character was, was constantly shifted. That was a really fun process to be a part of because it’s not happening live. It’s inferred until they get it exactly right. And, when you’re in the hands of people that want it to be excellent, that’s a very comforting and welcoming feeling. So, I tremendously enjoyed it. It was a really interesting thing to learn, on the fly.

Q: What do you think young audiences will learn about love, from watching this film?
Jon: We live in a moment of time, right now, where people have a lot of information about a lot of people instantly, but it’s also surface information and it doesn’t really mean anything. The things that people were saying they love, and what they hold dear and really feel strongly about, are the things that are unquantifiable, and aren’t on your Twitter feed, your Facebook page, your instant message thing, the gossip columns or paparazzi photos. It’s truly getting to know people, and understanding and having a relationship with them, and trusting them and being vulnerable, and all that stuff. The journey that Shrek makes is taking his existence for granted. We’re all incredibly fortunate people, and I love having the opportunity to do what I do and what I love to do. The idea of taking that for granted, and not taking the time out to appreciate the ability to do that, is similar to not appreciating the people that you share your life with and that you love. That’s what Shrek and Fiona go through and rediscover. That’s what really resonates with kids, and why it appeals to not just little kids, but the kid in everybody.

ON MAD MEN

Q:How has this season been going?
Jon: So far so good. We’re on the fourth episode now. It’s been a lot of work but it’s been very exciting and I hope people like it.

Q:You had a hell of a finale last year. What was it like for you when you first read the script for the first episode? As a fan were you curious how they were going to resolve it?
Jon: Absolutely.

Q:What do you think fans are going to take away from the episodes you’ve done so far?
Jon: Time moves on. You can’t go back in time. Everything has a consequence, and the last episode of the last season is no exception.

Q:Does this season start right where the last one left off or do you jump ahead a little bit?
Jon: You’ll find that out when you see it, but it’s not the next day. That’s all I’ll say.