ACTOR CHANNELS ‘INNER STORK’
Samberg voices Junior in animated film
Silly seems to suit Andy Samberg. But boyishness aside, Samberg’s wit is key in Storks.
In the animated family film, the former Saturday Night Live star lends his voice to Junior, an ambitious delivery stork on a mission to complete a special task — one his boss (voiced by Kelsey Grammer) can’t find out about. Along with the parcel of joy (hint: It has to do with a baby), Junior delivers humorous bringingup-baby lines — a far cry from the R-rated comedy that Storks writer/director Nicholas Stoller (Neighbors, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) is known for.
But in true Samberg form, his chat promoting the movie while on a break from filming the fourth season of his cop sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine is more of an excuse to exercise his drollery than to provide actual information.
For instance:
On the message of the movie and how Stoller landed Samberg for the lead:
“I always say you’ve got to find your flock,” Samberg says. “I just always say that and I was out with (Stoller) and he said, ‘This movie is about finding your flock.’ And I said, ‘I think we are on the same page here.’ ”
On his reference for the role:
“I found my inner stork by looking in the mirror,” Samberg says.
On working in the recording studio:
“I did my vocals with (Grammer), who was helpful,” Samberg says.
“You find the tone and rhythm of it together the same way you
I would be a terrible dad. But it would be so much more fun. The more irresponsible you are, the better.
would like acting on camera.”
On relating to his character, who appears to be reluctant about the family dynamic:
“I do see myself in there,” Samberg says.
On how he would rate himself as a potential parent:
“I would be a terrible dad,” Samberg says. “But it would be so much more fun. The more irresponsible you are, the better. And I’m sure if I ever have a kid, I’ll change my tune.”
On the stork myth of where babies come from:
“This is the great metaphor for not talking to your kids about where babies come from,” he says. “It’s a universal condition, ‘Let’s not tell our kids about that.’ ”
On how the young Samberg found out about procreation:
“The Where Did I Come From? book,” he says. “(My parents) just casually left it out on top of a stack of Playboys.”
On reverting to a slightly less facetious answer:
“I think at some point we had the requisite conversation,” Samberg says. “I grew up in Berkeley, so it was discussed on the streets, on Telegraph Avenue.
“You’d ask, ‘Where do babies come from?’ It would be, ‘Come over here, young lad.’ That was last week.”
On Samberg’s early maturing process:
“I had an eye on a couple of girls in kindergarten,” he says. “I knew what was coming.”