As moviegoers line up for “Shrek Forever After,” the swan song of the ogrelicious family film series, they should expect “It’s a Wonderful Shrek.” The title character, voiced by Mike Myers, gets to experience what his fairy tale world would be like without him. He finds his beloved ogre mate, Fiona (Cameron Diaz), is head of the ogre resistance. And her second-in-command is a beefier bloke named Brogan, voiced by Jon Hamm.
Hamm, no stranger to most-sexy lists, gets attention and props for his role as Don Draper on the AMC TV series “Mad Men.” (He snagged a 2008 Golden Globe Award.) In a recent phone chat, Hamm explained what it’s like going from TV hunk to animated green chunk.
Q: A lot of times animators use the voice actor's looks as inspiration when they’re creating the animated characters. Do you see yourself in Brogan?
A: It's interesting, because if it were sort of a traditional story where I was playing a prince or a knight or whatever, you'd be playing a human being. And they could certainly go and find parts of your face, hair, body or whatever and sort of design around that. But when you're dealing in the world of ogres, it becomes a little more challenging. When I finally saw the mock-up of me as an ogre, I was like, "Whoa, they kind of nailed it. That's what I would look like if I was an ogre."
Q: What was it like recording the voice-over? Were the other actors in the studio?
A: No. Everybody kind of comes in on their own schedule because you've got a lot of people who are busy and have to work around that. So I would basically be in there with Walt Dohrn (Rumpelstiltskin and head of story), and he would do all of the other characters in the scene. And first of all watching him work and doing his impeccable impersonations of all the other characters was an education unto itself, and it made it easier. So you're talking to Shrek now and here's a person doing a spot-on impersonation of Shrek.
Q: “Shrek” films always have such an all-star voice cast. What’s it like being lumped in such a group?
A: It's a tremendous compliment to be included and to be sort of wanted to be a part of this. I've been a fan of the films since the beginning, sort of growing along with these characters and watching them in each one. And then to be added on to become a part of that world is a tremendous compliment and honor.
Q: “Shrek Forever After” can be seen in 3-D. What’s your opinion of 3-D movie technology?
A: I think it is a logical progression and a remarkable technology. It is an extension of the first days of filmmaking, when they came out with color film, and then they came out with Technicolor, and then they came out with Panavision, and then they came out with widescreen. It's all part of the journey of making it seem real. And that's what acting is, and that's what theater is. There is this suspension of disbelief, but it becomes easier to do that when it is so immersive. I don't think we've seen the last step of that.
Q: Shrek toys are out there, and now Mattel is making “Mad Men” Barbies. That’s got to be surreal for you.
A: When I got the job playing Don Draper, I did not immediately think there's going to be a Barbie doll that's going to be made out of this guy. Mattel has been very clear that the dolls aren't the characters. The dolls are Barbie and Ken dressed in period-appropriate gear. But it is surreal. It's a very strange fit, but it's super cool. I think it's amazing and another in a series of amazing compliments. To have a company and a brand that's so storied as Barbie and Mattel to say we want you to be part of this tradition is really cool.
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