MINIONS, HAIR AND TV
Stars of Despicable Me 3 talk ‘80s trends, high-school nicknames and summer films
NEW YORK— Kristen Wiig knew Despi
cable Me was a phenomenon when she started seeing Minions everywhere. “Even in our sleep,” laughs the
Saturday Night Live vet, who reteams with Steve Carell for Despicable Me 3 (in theatres Friday). The animated adventure picks up with ex-villainturned-agent Gru (Carell) and his wife, Lucy (Wiig), on their mission to stop eccentric diamond thief Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), a 1980s child star with a penchant for mullets, shoulder pads and Michael Jackson tunes. But the couple’s plan hits a snag when Gru discovers his longlost twin brother, Dru (also Carell), who convinces him to return to his criminal past.
Wiig, 43, and Carell, 54, took time to chat throwback haircuts, superhero movies and Despicable’s indecipherable yellow creatures. What’s one ‘80s trend you’d like to bring back? Kristen Wiig: Perms. I had so many perms. Steve Carell: What about a perm did you love? KW: It just made your hair super, super curly for a long time, and then it’d wash out a little and you’d have wavy hair. What’s one hairstyle or fashion trend that you regret most? KW: A poofy bang. You’d get a curling iron and curl your bangs under, and tease it a little bit and lift it up and spray. SC: Was that to frame your face? KW: I don’t think I thought about it that much. It was like, “Oh, my friend is doing that!” It was just the thing to do, you had poofy bangs. SC: That’s a great character name: Poofy Bangs. Gru’s dad was known as “the Bald Terror.” What was your childhood nickname? SC: They called me Pepe in high school. I had grown a moustache and for some reason (my friends) associated Pepe Le Pew with having a moustache, which I don’t know if he really did. It was sarcastically a play on, “Look how suave Steve looks with a moustache in high school.” KW: Wigs. Even now when I see people I went to high school with, it’s always Wigs. Who’s the best big-screen villain? SC: Hannibal Lecter (in The Silence of the Lambs). He was both charming and horrifying. KW: Dr. Evil (in the Austin Powers franchise), because I’m a huge fan of Mike Myers. He’s just making fun of villains. What’s your go-to comfort TV show? KW: Real Housewives. I like New York and Beverly Hills best. I can’t pick (a favourite cast member), it’s like picking children. SC: The Great British Bake Off. My wife and I have been watching that a lot. It’s very sweet. What’s the ultimate summer movie? KW: I saw Romancing the Stone in the theatre four times. SC: I remember seeing E.T. and being so uplifted. Certain movies you see and you feel like you’ve been given a gift. They’re so joyous and so much fun and so great to share with an audience.