ADAM DEVINE
The 36-year-old voices Sam I Am in the new animated adaptation of the Dr Seuss book Green Eggs and Ham (on Netflix from Fri., Nov. 8).
The show took four years to make. How excited are you for people to finally see it?
I worked on this project for years. I’d go in for a few hours a week to record my audio, then there’d be a gap where other work was being done on the animation and other things – there were so many talented people putting in hard work in different departments. It’s a really smart show, and so funny. I think adults will like it as much as kids. It’s just a really fun ride going into this world that Dr Seuss built.
Netflix is calling this series a postmodern Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Were you inspired by John Candy when creating Sam?
I’m a huge fan of that movie and have seen it many times. John Candy was so funny, but you also felt for him. He brought this empathy and kindness to his characters. He made viewers want to root for that guy. That’s what I tried to do with Sam, and hopefully some of that has come through.
What was it like working with such a starstudded cast?
I lost my mind when they told me who I’d be working with. Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton are living legends. So even though we recorded our audio separately, it was so incredible. I hope to meet them at the premiere, especially Michael, so that Sam and Guy can really get to hang out. As you went on this journey of self-exploration with Sam and Guy, did you learn anything about yourself?
The initial kernel of Green Eggs and Ham, the service-level lesson, is to not be afraid to try new things. So I think this project helped me be more open to trying new things that I may have passed on otherwise. I do a lot of R-rated movies and TV shows, so working on something so pure and innocent – that’s also really funny – took me back to my childhood. I love thinking about how proud 8-year-old me would be of me. I hope those watching are inspired by it, too.