Minions, the wide eyed, metal goggle-wearing and gibberish-spouting yellow helpers of Gru, the protagonist of the Despicable Me franchise endeared themselves to critics and audiences alike in the series. Now as they star in their own movie, Minions , slated to release on July 10, Sandra Bullock, who voices one of the characters in the movie talks about about working in the film.
To begin with, can you tell us what prompted you to take up Minions?
Sandra Bullock: My purpose in this film is to just be perpetually crabby and irritated the entire time. Scarlet is like a spoiled eight-year-old little girl. She did not get the attention she needed growing up, so now she’s going to find a way to be the Queen.
What is your character in the film like?
SB: I play Scarlet OverKill. She is evil and crabby — all the traits that I think make a good villainess.
What is the equation between your character and Herb (Jon Hamm) in the Minions like?
SB: In an animated film, it is nice to see a good relationship between adults. Usually they are sort of misfits, but what the filmmakers created is a real partnership between Scarlet and Herb. They are the grooviest couple from the ’60s. He is a scientist, and she is a villain. He loves and adores her and supports her like crazy, which you wouldn’t expect from this period, and she loves and adores him and thinks he’s brilliant, which he is. I loved that they showed (Scarlett) having a loving relationship with her husband. They worked as a great team together.
On a lighter note, how much of what the Minions say do you really understand?
SB: What I love about the Minions is that you can’t really understand them, but you absolutely feel what they’re saying. They emote with so much emotion that the language barrier doesn’t exist.
Voicework is a long process, how did it change from early sketches to the script of Minions?
SB: It evolved like crazy every time we went in. Something would dawn on me a year later that was not evident before and I’d say ‘Can we go back and tweak this?’ Sometimes there was time to do it and sometimes there wasn’t. But it is a growing process, it was very organic.
Is it true that you have done Minions for your son Louis?
SB: I wanted to make something my son could see and watch and enjoy, even though he doesn’t know what I do and he doesn’t know it is me—I can sit in the theatre and watch him. Nothing makes me happier than hearing that boy laugh at physical humour and animation so hopefully I’ll be able to do that.
Finally, what are the positive things that motherhood has afforded you? What is your day like when you are not working?
SB: Every day is with him, every moment is with him. I don’t go anywhere unless it is a quick, short trip. Otherwise, it is not fair to him. On a typical day, I get up at the crack of dawn, make lunch, go to school, manage to have two hours to myself, clean something, work out, go back to pick him up from school, take him to swim class and by then, I am exhausted. And still, it is the best day ever! Even though I am exhausted, it is for a really good reason.
