Actors Bateman, Goodwin discuss their roles as Nick and Judy in Disney’s ‘Zootopia’

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If you’ve got kids, or you’re a Disney fan, you already know that “Zootopia,” the entertainment studio’s 55th animated feature film, comes out on Friday (March 4). What you might not know, however, is that it’s a richly layered movie with elements that will appeal not just to children and Disney fans, but to parents and casual moviegoers, as well. It offers laughs for all ages with the antics of a bunny and fox, but it also surprises adults with clever references to pop culture and film noir. Moreover, “Zootopia” leaves viewers of all ages with a collection of positive messages from a comedy-adventure movie that isn’t necessarily trying to lecture its audience.

Given all the nuances of this film, it’s no surprise that when I was invited to join a group of writers for roundtable interviews with the actors who voice the lead characters, we had a wide range of questions. Ginnifer Goodwin voices Judy Hopps, a bunny determined to move to Zootopia where “anyone can be anything” so she can join the police force. Jason Bateman voices Nick Wilde, a slick city fox who opens Judy’s eyes to the real world and ultimately helps her solve a crime mystery. Bateman spoke to our group of ten writers at Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World, while Goodwin chatted with us via video-conferencing from Disney Studios in Los Angeles.

Both actors are parents: Bateman has two daughters, ages 4 and 9, and Goodwin has a 2-year-old son and is pregnant with her second son. Naturally, we were interested in how those familial relationships helped shape the actors’ interest in being a part of “Zootopia,” their characters’ development, and the messages they hope children and adults take away from the movie. Here are some of the questions we asked Bateman and Goodwin.

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What was it like to play an animated character when most of your roles have been live-action parts?

Bateman: It is an interesting process. … I don’t know what those pictures are where you stare at a pattern and after a while your eyes start to see three-dimension and then you can never see it the other way. There’s that kind of a process when you recognize somebody’s voice behind an animated character. For the first few minutes, all you can do is see that actor’s face and then after a few minutes you only see that character and you can’t imagine them sounding any other way. There’s a transition there. It’s going to be interesting to see if my 4-year-old has that at all. I wonder if she’s going to hear me. I wonder if she’s going to know that’s me. … The two screenings I’ve had access to started well after her bedtime, and she’s not much to be with after she gets tired so she’s going to have to wait.

Do you see a lot of yourself in the animated performance?

Bateman: They captured the half-interested eyelids, you know. I can see that. He’s a real smart-ass and he’s always got his fist on his hip and he kind of wants to get on with it. So there’s a lot of body language in it that is similar to me. The facial characteristics, I think they’re beautifully subtle and sort of those caricature elements. There were two cameras inside the booth the whole time and that’s what they do so they can give the animators a guideline if they need it or want it at certain times. It really is just sort of for facial tics because you’re hidden by that script. You’re not asked [to] “give us some body movements” so they know what to animate.

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What did your older daughter think of watching you on screen?

Bateman: [She] has seen the film and gave it real high marks. All she sees are these films [animated movies] so she’s got a real fine opinion about them. She loved it, and I really tried to drill down a bit to see if she was trying to be nice. … She came by the studio while we were recording a couple of times. She’s a big, big fan of animated movies … so for her to look behind the curtain and see that you sit in a booth and there’s a microphone and you only do four scenes at a time and it’s a two-hour session every few months. … For her it was really a cool window into how these things she loves so much get done.

Did your older daughter have questions about some of the more serious themes of “Zootopia,” such as prejudice and inclusiveness?

Bateman: You know, not yet. The central message of Judy’s sense of optimism and enthusiasm and “I’m going to go to the big city and make it” kind of thread is a great one for young girls to see. She immediately runs into this pessimistic and cynical character who is saying life’s not all cherries and ice cream and she kind of proves him wrong. So that part she really loves. The other stuff, I’m sure on future viewings, will start to kind of permeate, but until then I’m going to let her take her own time with it. It’s nice with these Disney films that parents have this tool to kind of hit pause and start referencing these friendly animals that are carrying some of the heavier water for us parents. You can kind of draw the parallels there when you broach these types of subjects.

Do you think when one of the characters says “fear always works” it’s going to get across to anyone?

Bateman: It hit me and it hit you, and I would hope that that hits a lot of people because, as you said, it’s extremely relevant and topical. That would be the one that I hope lands the most because that’s a real dangerous thing as far as using fear-mongering to either gather or hold onto power. It’s a real dangerous slope. There was no way they could have known that four years ago when they started writing all this stuff, but I’m glad that they timing has worked out for them.

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Goodwin, too, expressed an appreciation for how the characters in this film could appeal to youngsters and adults alike, and how the movie’s messages come across along with its humor.

Did you relate to Judy and her goals?

Goodwin: I feel like they just animated me. There are qualities Judy has that I wish I had, but then there are a lot of overlapping things. I feel like we’re both fiercely optimistic and ambitious, but I think we also are idealistic and a bit self-righteous. I would like to think I take as much responsibility for my actions as she does, but I’m sure I don’t. I wish I were as fearless as Judy, and I know I’m not. But we’re both triers, and I know that how we express ourselves is exactly the same because after I even tried to act with a voice I thought they would want me to portray Judy, they said, we actually would love for you to bring yourself to the character. So I feel like it really was just me animated.

Can you talk about the complex themes in the movie?

Goodwin: That’s what makes this movie so special. It’s a comedy, it’s an action-movie, it’s a buddy cop movie, it’s about friendship, it’s about an homage to film noir in Hollywood and, yes, there are overlying themes and underlying themes that I hope are the things that people really leave carrying with them. Most articulated is the idea that either you are what you are or anyone can be anything, and that’s the first thing I would hope my kids would pick up on and discuss it afterward when they’re finally old enough to see the movie. And then there are ideas about taking responsibility for our actions and there is great social commentary and it’s really, creepily timely right now. It could be really political but to realize this movie was written years ago is also to realize that these issues are timeless, unfortunately. I think it’s a really ballsy move for Disney to make the statements that they’re making and that they’re not doing it in a message movie. … They’re just actively asking questions and then leaving it for the audience to make their own decisions about.

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Are you excited for your children to see “Zootopia”?

Goodwin: No. My husband and I decided very recently that we’re not going to let our kids see “Zootopia” for quite a while because — it has nothing do with the content — we just showed our son his first movie about a month ago. We’ve kept him away from all screens of all kinds — he’s almost 2 — and he had the flu about a month ago and we let him watch “Winnie the Pooh” and he thinks that Winnie the Pooh is real. He thinks that character exists in the world, and, by the way, he thinks that animated character is the same one he saw walking around at Disneyland a couple weeks later. And the last thing I want to do is shatter that illusion by having him understand at all what acting is. And so I don’t want him to recognize Mommy’s voice. Therefore, I’ll keep him from those things until he really gets the concept of how entertainment is made.

How would you feel about Judy and Nick getting together in a sequel?

Goodwin: I’m not all about the animal husbandry. … One of the things I love most about the movie honestly … it’s so rare that we really can just celebrate a platonic friendship of a male and female character. There’s no sexuality there, and I think that’s maybe what makes it so brilliant. You can actually have such a gorgeous relationship and not bring sex into it. … I would like to see Nick have to prove to Judy that the world is worth saving. I’d like their roles to flip flop. I’d like to see her go to her darker place and have Nick be the one that pulls her out of it.

DISCLAIMER: I took part in a “Zootopia” press junket, during which I attended an advance screening of the movie, a party at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and round-table interviews with actors and filmmakers. Although coverage of the movie was expected, my opinions are completely my own.


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