Teri Hatcher is back on the big screen this week as she lends her voice to new animation film Places.
We caught up with her to chat about the film, the character of Dottie and what lies ahead.
- You have lent your voice to new film Planes so can you tell me a bit about the movie?
Planes is about a crop duster plane called Dusty, who wants to reach outside of his limitations of just being a crop duster and compete in a race around the world.
What I love so much about what Disney films do is they enthuse very human qualities with these inanimate objects and really make them come to life.
In this case, I think that it is a very relatable idea - you may perceive as one thing, and you have to risk or face your fears in order to reach outside your comfort zone and obtain some dream. That is what happens in this movie.
- You have brought the character of Dottie to life so what was it about this character and the script that drew you to the project?
I think more than anything it is a wonderful Disney film. I love being part of animated films as it makes me feel like I am creating a piece of material that my daughter or my grandchildren or my friend's children will get to see.
It makes me happy to feel that I am being part of something that is going to be a joyful piece of entertainment for families; so that was first and foremost.
Dottie is funky, and she is loveable. She represents the kind of friend who balances their care for you with this cautionary tone, but ultimately wants to be supportive of your dreams. She rides that line of friendship in the movie.
- This is not the first time that you have done this kind of film work - you lent your voice to Coraline - so how do you find the whole recording process?
I really enjoy it as it is very creative. But each project is different. But at the core, it's similar to any other kind of acting in that you are still trying to be a truthful and influential character.
You are part of a puzzle of a bigger story; that is like any acting work. It is just a different type of challenge.
- Where it slightly differs from traditional acting is you are in the booth alone with no other actor to feed off or bounce off, which is the complete opposite to how you usually work, so how do you find adapting to that way of working?
In some sense, it is freeing because you can just try one line over and over and give it a slightly different colouration to each version of the way you record it - you are not necessarily reacting off what someone else is doing.
I think it allows the director and the editor to blend together the story the way it will ultimately sit with the final animation; it gives them more license and more creativity.
- Klay Hall is in the director's chair for the film so how did you find working with him? And how important is the director with this type of acting because you don't have any of the other cast around?
They are very important. I loved working with him as he was a doll. It is interesting because you are influencing with just your voice, and so they sit outside the booth, and they can hear a subtlety in just one word that either works for them or they would like to have something different.
So he was really able to communicate what he wanted, and he was very much a cheerleader in terms of how much he was enjoying what you did. He was really great, and I think he has put together a really beautiful movie.
- You take on the role of Dottie in the movie so what kind of journey do we see this character go on?
She goes from a place where she is just a very strong realist telling her friends 'you are only capable of being this', and 'you can't dream about being bigger as it is not who you are'.
I think because of Dusty's intense passion to do something he loves so much - which is fly fast - she ultimately comes to support that decision. In doing so she wants to make him as fast and as credible as she can; and she does that.
- Disney are animation giants, and their movies are as loved today as they ever were. So what do you think is Disney's universal and long lasting appeal?
You can go all the way to movies such as Fantasia or The Aristocats up to a movie like Planes and while animation has certainly morphed I think the basis of it all is still making a family film.
It is still about making a film where the story is going to be engaging to children and adults; they don't play down to the adults, and they allows the adults to enjoy the ride of the film.
I think that is the through-line as you can always expect high-quality family entertainment from a Disney film.
- How did you find working with the studio and being part of that whole Disney legacy?
I could not possibly be a bigger Disney fan; I love the movies and the TV shows. I also work on a TV show Jake and the Never Land Pirates; I have done about four episodes of that show.
Everyone who works there is lovely, and it is just a great family to be a part of.
- Throughout your career we have seen you move between film and TV projects and back again so how do the two mediums compare/differ?
I imagine any actor brings their best intent and their passion to whatever form that they are in - even a commercial. You arrive wanting to do a good job and be a part of telling the story. In some ways, it doesn't matter what genre it is in.
Television is probably faster paced, and you have less room for rehearsal. When you are on stage, you have lots of room for rehearsal, and you have to consider being in front of an audience. In a film, you might have more the luxury of more time where you can take your time with things.
There are all of those things that are different but each one is a challenge, and each one is exciting.
- You have been a student for the last year so how have you found that whole experience? And how great has it been to get away from acting for a little while?
I just encourage anyone to continue to push themselves outside of their comfort zone and learn new things.
I read somewhere that you should change jobs every ten years, and you should change where you live every ten years because you get stuck; your brain can get into habits that are difficult to break.
For me, it has been nice to be in a completely different arena and meet completely different people and demand completely different things of myself.
Cooking school has been pretty serious as there has been homework and reports and timed chopping tests (laughs). If you don't do something that is medium rare, then you get an F.
So it is not without its own version of stress, but I really feel energised by learning new things.
- Finally, what is next for you?
The next thing in my mind is to take a summer vacation. Beyond that there is nothing specific.
Planes is released 16th August.
Tagged in Teri Hatcher Planes