By Susanne Robbins
Mike Myers and Antonio Banderas -
Q - What was it like to come back for the third time and is it true there are going to be like 10 Shreks?
Mike - Boy that's the fourth number I have heard today. I hear 75 we'll be doing it posthumously we will be through the dirt. Or eventually they will just have it in Pill form.
Q - When you signed on did you sign on for three installments?
Mike - No, I went to a premiere and at the party before the movie, Jeffrey said would you like to be in an animated movie? I of course said yes. He said the name of the movie was Shrek... I said mmmm that's a terrible title and I was wrong. No, honestly though, before the movie came out people would be like "Hey Mike Shriek?" So no, I didn't know and you know a common question I am asked is "did you know?" and you don't ever really know. I mean before Austin Powers people asked if I was afraid I would be cast as Wayne, so you never know.
Q - But at this point Mike you have had so many successes you have had a career that has gone on for 20 years. How do you make a step knowing that everything you do is going to be compared to the greatest hits that you have done?
Mike - First of all I love your question! I would like to record it and play it for my friends in Toronto.
Antonio - I thought he was talking to me.
Mike - I just like making stuff I have made stuff since I was a little kid.
Q - Do you have to do any research for your roles? Antonio did you...
Antonio - have to study cats? No I did not although I have cats and dogs and they live together happily. I didn't do that type of research for this type of the movie because the cat is personal. I have to do research more in my life because the cat is mocking what people think I am supposed to be. So I take that character and I mock myself, because I think laughing at yourself in many ways is healthy.
Q - Mike how do you feel about Shreks' evolution through the movie?
Mike - I think they have done a great job. As Antonio said it looks so life like so beautiful. I think in the first movie he had to learn to love himself in order to be loved. He had to learn to love himself in order to be a husband. Then he had to learn to love himself in order to be a father. This is life like people will see or learn about the difference rights of passage. They have honored one and two with this third one I think it is the best of the three. They advanced every aspect of this film.
Q - Do you have input into the characters like some improv when you are reading the script?
Antonio - Sometimes what I do and I am not sure how the rest of the actors work but what I do is to try and give the most amount of material for them to work with. I may just say let's do something 20 times and I know that number 15 I am going to change the line. They will never say no to you, they will use everything you will go away and come back a few months later and see the process. For me the biggest decision for Shrek 2 was in the voice and deciding what type of voice we were going to give the cat. Knowing the cat is about 3ft tall normally the voice would be a higher pitched voice. Instead we went into the opposite direction and I think that contrast in between what we see and who he thinks he is. Because he doesn't know that he is not six feet tall but he carries himself that way. I also dub the movie in Spanish.
Mike - You do the Castilian "S" (which sounds like "th")... I dub the Canadian version.
Q- What advice would you give to young people who are considering acting?
Antonio - Love. Don't get into this business for the results. Don't think you are going to be walking down the red carpet, or that you are going to be rich with a limo waiting for you. Love telling stories to people that is the most important thing and the rest will come if you really love acting.
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