O’Neill gets gruff for Hank the octopus
Modern Family star delivers ‘best character’ in Finding Dory, writes Bob Thompson
LOS ANGELES Ed O’Neill wondered whether he would be forever typecast as the goofy Al Bundy on the Married … with Children sitcom.
But O’Neill took care of the problem by superseding silly Bundy with his gruff patriarch portrayal of Jay Pritchett on the popular and acclaimed series Modern Family. The Pritchett role has earned the actor three Emmy nominations and all kinds of respect in the business as an expert at delivering droll.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Pixar director Andrew Stanton came calling on the 70-yearold to voice the character of the curmudgeonly octopus Hank in the animated sequel Finding Dory, which opens Friday.
In the new movie, Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), the blue tang with short-term memory loss, recalls enough to figure out she once lived at the Monterey Marine Life Institute.
With Marlin (Albert Brooks) and son Nemo (new voice actor Hayden Rolence) by her side, Dory sets out to find her home and her parents with assistance from the cranky octopus Hank.
An easygoing O’Neill, not nearly as curt as Pritchett, took time off from promoting Finding Dory to chat with Postmedia News.
Q How did you get the Hank role?
A I got a call. It was Pixar and they said it was something in Finding Dory, and I thought, “It’s a cameo like the one I did in Wreck-It Ralph.” Q Did you agree right away? A Sure. I went for my recording session and it was four hours. I thought, “OK, I’m done.” Q Then what? A I got another call and went in again, and they showed me drawings of Hank and a few things, and Pixar said, “We will get hold of you to come in again.”
Q When did you realize Hank’s a pivotal part?
A Nobody ever told me, and I finally said, “Is this a cameo?” And Andrew (Stanton) says, “No, this is the best character in the movie.”
Q Hank is key. Did you like the finished movie?
A I was thrilled with final product.
Q It’s funny and sad but avoids being cornball. Do you agree?
A I think that’s because Pixar earns the sentiment.
Q What do you think Finding Dory’s theme is?
A It’s about universal love. It works with kids. It works on old parents with kids and young parents with kids and people who don’t have kids.
Q Did you like the recording process of repeating the same lines?
A I like playing around with something and having fun with it. I like doing it to have a sense of what it is and mix it up, too. Q Did you do the sessions solo? A Yeah, I felt like a child in a sandbox playing alone. That can be fun making up your own world. The more I said to myself, “Just play,” the better I did.
Q How does Modern Family maintain its standards?
A Our writers. Every week when I do a read I think to myself, “How do they keep doing this?”
Q Is the consistency an exception?
A Even Married … with Children, we were good until the fifth or sixth season and then we limped into the 11th season.
Q Did you believe Modern Family was a winner from the beginning?
A I remember the first table read for the pilot. So I’m reading my lines and I didn’t really know anybody. After a few minutes, I look up and thought, “Who are these people? They’re great.”
Q Is it true Modern Family castmate and two-time Emmy winner Eric Stonestreet wants you to get a publicist?
A Yeah, he wants me to get publicist so I can win an Emmy. He’s won two but he told me it doesn’t mean anything until I win one. Q Did you get a publicist? A No. I don’t care about that stuff. I’m happy doing what I’m doing.
Q Have you thought of life after Modern Family?
A Never in my life have I thought, “What’s next?” It’s just like Finding Dory. Things just happen.