Benedict Cumberbatch has never done an animated family film before like “The Grinch,” but he knows a thing or two about lending his voice to angry old monsters living secluded in a mountain.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cumberbatch compared his grumpy green character to Smaug, the dragon from Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” films.
“For this character, a little bit like Smaug, he lives in a mountain and he’s quite angry and isolated and alone,” Cumberbatch said of the Grinch, adding that being alone in the recording booth without his fellow cast members like Angela Lansbury or Kenan Thompson around helped him tap into his lonelier side.
The British actor was also asked about how voice acting for an animated film compares to doing motion capture voice work, which he did for Jackson’s “The Desolation of Smaug.”
“You have to create a lot of energy, but it’s around a really fixed access of a microphone. Whether you’re being hauled around in a sleigh round a mountain or flung through a catapult or talking very quietly to a dog — all those levels have to come around a microphone,” Cumberbatch explained. “Your voice has to be supported by the action that makes it sound that way. But you have to stay on the mic, whereas with motion capture you can really swing yourself about because you have a headset usually. You can throw your body around the landscape.”
Cumberbatch clarified that unlike Smaug when the motion capture technology picked up both his movements and facial ticks, while animators filmed his vocal performances for “The Grinch,” he doesn’t think his hairy, green, Seussian character looks anything like him.
As for what he does share in common with the Grinch, he certainly likes those snarky green billboards that have each been localized to each city, like “You’ll never make it as an actor” for Los Angeles to “I’ve seen windier cities” in Chicago.
“The billboards are a very adult way into enjoying what ‘The Grinch’ is about,” he also told EW. “I get a real vicarious thrill out of knowing my green alter ego [is] looming over everyone in traffic being rude. That really makes me very happy.”
“The Grinch” opens Friday, Nov. 9 in theaters.
Dr. Seuss Major Movie and TV Adaptations, Ranked From Worst to First (Photos)
Oh, the places you'll go. Dr. Seuss's legacy runs far and wide, with his children's stories being adapted into cartoons and live action films alike. Here we rank all 10 of Seuss's film features and beloved TV specials.
Al Ravenna, New York World-Telegram and the Sun staff photographer - Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection.
10. "The Cat in the Hat" (2003)
The live action adaptation of Dr. Seuss's classic book is insultingly awful, trading in gleeful whimsy for madcap cynicism. Mike Myers is goofing off instead of playing a charming scamp.
Universal Pictures
9. "The Lorax" (2012)
As a fable, "The Lorax" is about as dark and complicated as Dr. Seuss gets. This light and colorful animated film featuring Danny DeVito and Taylor Swift, which is a combination of "Minions" meets "WALL-E," certainly isn't that.
Universal Pictures
8. "The Butter Battle Book" (1989)
This short is faithful to Dr. Seuss's work. It's a story about two rival races of people divided by a wall, based on their differences over how they butter their bread. But the songs are flat, and the animation isn't much better.
Turner
7. "Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000)
Though it's incredibly cheesy and the Whoville makeup is a joke, Jim Carrey brings his overly-exuberant charm to the story, even if he looks a bit silly.
Universal Pictures
6. "The Grinch" (2018)
Taking cues from the cutesy "Despicable Me" movies, Universal's "The Grinch" with Benedict Cumberbatch has more elaborate animated mayhem than grouchy, mean-spirited fun and wordplay. The inoffensive charm is there, but the film's heart is two sizes too small.
Universal Pictures
5. "The Lorax" (1972)
"The Lorax" begins and ends in a grim, polluted world, using music and rhyme to chart how industry can harm the environment. Its message remains poignant and hopeful that a new generation can save nature.
CBS
4. "Horton Hears a Who" (2008)
The best of the modern Dr. Seuss adaptations, Jim Carrey voices another Seuss character for this delightful, madcap romp.
20th Century Fox Animation Studios
3. "The Cat in the Hat" (1971)
"Everything back in its proper place, no more rainbows for us to chase." This version of "The Cat in the Hat" takes some liberties, but it lovingly and musically captures the spirit of Dr. Seuss's iconic character.
CBS
2. "Horton Hears a Who" (1970)
"A person's a person, no matter how small." This Chuck Jones-directed TV special is beautifully animated, faithful to the story of acceptance of everyone and a joy from start to finish.
MGM
1. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (1966)
The songs are indelible, the lessons are heartwarming and the animation is impeccable. "The Grinch" isn't just the best Dr. Seuss adaptation, but one of the finest animated shorts of all time.
MGM
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Universal’s ”The Grinch“ opens Friday, Nov. 9
Oh, the places you'll go. Dr. Seuss's legacy runs far and wide, with his children's stories being adapted into cartoons and live action films alike. Here we rank all 10 of Seuss's film features and beloved TV specials.