SJS: Also you get these lovely spoils and rich performances coming out that you wouldn't get if Renee was on her own, and I think it is unusual and it was great because Jerry was with us the whole time.

Is this one of those films where you've got much more stuff already for the DVD when it comes out because the nature of the making of it, and Simon said they ditched some of the material earlier, didn't he?

 JS: We did write and create so many scenes for the movie in experimentation that we didn't use. Now I don't know if it's more than average or about average.

JK: I think there was maybe a bit more than average because having the writer and the performer in the room there was opportunity of improvisational work on it and I think that's part of what was unique about the film. I think there's a lot of moments and... Renee, you can talk about it... like that coffee scene...

RZ: Hmmm... hmmm...

JK: ...where there is just tremendous improvisation or just moments created there where, I think when Renee was talking about how quick she had to be and how challenged she was, what it is for the two of them. They were able to have that, you don't get that in animation usually.

Jerry is it the writing of the gag or the delivery of it, which is more important for you personally?

JS: That's a tough question, they're both different. Both are extremely exciting and addictively, you know, it's almost like a drug high when you think of something that you think will work, or when you perform something and you feel that it does work, and they're different stages of the same experience but they are different. I don't really know which is better but you need both, that's for sure.

How surprised was Ray Liotta to find himself re-imagined as a honey mogul?

JS: Erm, you know he was just completely, he walked in like this was normal, you know? That's he's going to come in, as himself. I don't think he's ever played himself in anything and not only play himself but play a buffoon version of himself, to be totally made fun of. And he was just totally thought this was a fantastic thing to do and that was our great good fortune that you have someone that has a sense of humour. As everyone knows not everyone does. So, he didn't seem at all surprised or thrown, he just came in and said "Yeah let's do this, this is great."

SJS: Yeah he couldn't wait to do it, he went in with full gusto. It was phenomenal.

JS: He was sweating. He was performing with such energy when he was doing the laughs for us. He said "Do you want to Goodfellas laugh?" You know that famous scene that everybody knows

  SJS: He was fantastic. You know I'm sure you got a little... when he was shouting at you at one point you got a little bit scared. Very intense at one point.  

And did John Travolta and String share this lovely sense of humour about having themselves mocked?

 JS: Sting was in the film, it's his voice, so he was into it. And John I have to call.

?

Jeffery, the whole business of animation if just growing and growing and growing and it begs the question, just how many is enough?

JK: Well I think last year we sort of saw the peak with about 15, 16 movies released, it's about half that this year. But when you step back and you see that, the most popular movies, certainly on a worldwide basis, three of the top 10 movies this year, top 12, are animated films and so these are no longer cartoons that are being made for some small portion of the audience, they're made for everybody, and I think this is as good a representation of how an animated movie can be made by adults for adults and at the same time be wildly popular with kids.

I think it's one of the great fun surprises for Jerry is he made this movie for himself and with his sensibility to it, and yet it's amazing to see how much fun it is for the kids and how much they get. It's surprising in a way. You know, these films are very mainstream and so when you say how many is enough, I don't know, there are five hundred movies made every year and 10 animated movies, so not very many.

: Renee, what do you love most about being in big films?

RZ: Oh that's a good question isn't it? Erm, the boys, the boys. I mean this year alone we had plenty, look at this row right here. Not bad. I would encourage you to look into it, it's an excellent, excellent profession with regards to that. No, it's just, its the work. I love the work. And I don't know what that says because if you knew what the day entailed you'd think I was absolutely insane because you usually start, a lot of the time, at four in the morning and you don't end until right around that time the next day. And I love it. I love the day on the set, the collaboration, I love watching this thing come together with this co-operative effort behind it. I love the creative opportunities that I have, the people that I meet, travelling. I learn a lot - I never stop learning, and I think that's probably what I love most about this job.

Simon, what's next for you?

SJS: I'd love to do something else. Honestly, I haven't really had a chance to think about it because we've been promoting the film in different places. And after three and a half years on one film I'd quite like a little vacation perhaps. So maybe at the beginning of next year I'll start thinking about it but I haven't really had a chance to think about it.

But honestly, what been amazing for me is going from whatever I was doing before directing, it's a huge change. Because I was used to being told "Can you do this?" And I'd say "Yeah sure." Then all of a sudden  you become a director and they say "What would you want to do?" And it's like, "Well whatever you want" "Well what do you like?" "Well I like everything, I like all sorts of movies, I like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I like Toy Story, what do you want?" And it's like no, you have to decide what you fall in love you and I think it's very much like finding a mate. You have to find a script you fall in love with because you have to commit. You have to commit fully to it because you know you're not going to have a great relationship with it unless you fully commit. So I guess I'll be going on the dating circuit with a few scripts in January I think.

Renee, what are we going to see you in next?

RZ: I think what comes out first is Leatherheads with George Clooney which he wrote, directed and starred in. A lot of underachievers in my life, they should work on that. And, let's see, then there's Case 39 which comes out, I don't know, I'm probably boring you to death with this information. Then there's Appaloosa which I just finished a couple of days ago with Ed Harris who also wrote and directed and produced and starred in it.

 

The usual busy busy busy. Finally, Jerry, have you now got the busy busy fever upon you?

JS: Erm, not really. Next year I'm going to be performing my stand-up comedy show in the States and Las Vegas so I'm going to be writing and developing a bunch of new things to do with that show and taking it around the country and that's actually a kind of relaxation for me.

Caz Moss- Female First

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