Despicable Me (2010) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC When a criminal mastermind uses a trio of orphan girls as pawns for a grand scheme, he finds their love is profoundly changing him for the better. Directors: Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence.

a list of 27 titles created 24 Nov 2011 a list of 28 titles created 20 Mar 2013 a list of 38 titles created 17 Dec 2013 a list of 22 titles created 04 Mar 2014 a list of 32 titles created 06 Sep 2014 Search for " Despicable Me " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 38 nominations. See more awards » Videos When Gru, the world's most super-bad turned super-dad has been recruited by a team of officials to stop lethal muscle and a host of Gru's own, He has to fight back with new gadgetry, cars, and more minion madness.

Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud Stars: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt The Dragon Warrior has to clash against the savage Tai Lung as China's fate hangs in the balance: However, the Dragon Warrior mantle is supposedly mistaken to be bestowed upon an obese panda who is a tyro in martial arts. Directors: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson Stars: Jack Black, Ian McShane, Angelina Jolie After his swamp is filled with magical creatures, Shrek agrees to rescue Princess Fiona for a villainous lord in order to get his land back. Directors: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world. Director: Brad Bird Spoiled by their upbringing and unaware of what wildlife really is, four animals from the New York Central Zoo escape, unwittingly assisted by four absconding penguins, and find themselves in Madagascar. Directors: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath Stars: Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer A rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous restaurant.

Directors: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava Stars: Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt Set during the Ice Age, a sabertooth tiger, a sloth, and a wooly mammoth find a lost human infant, and they try to return him to his tribe. Directors: Chris Wedge, Carlos Saldanha Stars: Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Ray Romano A hot-shot race-car named Lightning McQueen gets waylaid in Radiator Springs, where he finds the true meaning of friendship and family. Directors: John Lasseter, Joe Ranft Stars: Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University -- when they weren't necessarily the best of friends. Director: Dan Scanlon The magically long-haired Rapunzel has spent her entire life in a tower, but now that a runaway thief has stumbled upon her, she is about to discover the world for the first time, and who she really is.

Directors: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard Stars: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and 1 more credit » Stars: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson Directors: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and 1 more credit » Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz Edit Storyline In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru, planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. (Yes, the moon!) Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad.

The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes. Written by Universal Pictures Supervillain, Superdad. (Dutch Translation) See more » Genres: Rated PG for rude humor and mild action | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 9 July 2010 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Mi villano favorito See more » Box Office $56,397,125 (USA) (9 July 2010) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia When Gru first comes home in the beginning of the movie the tv is on and the talk show host is interviewing a guest who appears to be Sia, which can be determined by her blond hair with bangs covering her eyes. See more » Goofs When Agnes first asks Gru to read a bedtime story, the picture on the book she is holding switches from the back cover to the front. See more » Quotes Gru : [reading book] "Three little kittens love to play. They had fun in the sun all day.

Then their mother came out and said, 'Time for kittens to go to bed'." [looks up] See more » Crazy Credits After the projection room is 'destroyed' you see the shadow of a minion. He starts to make shadow puppets, including one of Gru. You see the shadow of the actual Gru enter the screen and stare at the minion. The minion runs off in panic and Gru starts laughing. See more » Connections Performed by Various Studio Musicians Courtesy of Stingray Music (United States) – See all my reviews Despicable Me's teasers and trailers seemed to represent a few different movies, and that's reflected by the general segregation of comedy styles that the film begins with. At the film's start, Gru (Steve Carrell) handles the dark comedy, the trio of orphans get the cutesy comedy, and the minions handle the slapstick. As the film progresses, though, these lines begin to blur, building to a strong emotional finale and a satisfyingly complete tale. (This is one of those rare non-Pixar animated films that doesn't seem destined for sequel-dom.) The tale of rival villains isn't terribly original. Nor is the idea of a villain having his heart melted by adorable children.

But the way Despicable Me blends these two ideas is just fantastic. There's humor, action, and heart -- what more could you want from an animated film? Also notable is the way the star-studded voice cast handles their characters. While there are a ton of big names filling out the roster, most of them use accents which render them familiar but not too much so. It's a different route than many animated films take, and it's refreshing. Julie Andrews and Steve Carrell especially do well at straddling the line between their trademark voices and their characters' accents. The voice that steals the movie, however, is the adorable Elsie Fisher as Agnes. Almost every line gets either a laugh or an "Aw..." (On a related note, I love that the orphan girls are named Edith, Margo, and Agnes. I love old names for young people.) The plot has enough twists and turns to keep things interesting, and the antics of the minions provide a nice side of fun to the proceedings. Also, their reaching contest during the credits is a fun use of 3-D that had the kids in the theater reaching for the screen. Last year was a banner year for animation, and this year seems to be following suit.

How to Train Your Dragon amazed, Toy Story 3 is one of the best animated films of all time, and Despicable Me impresses. A very pleasant surprise. 125 of 160 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Despicable Me, Steve Carell 'makes a bad guy look good' Exclusive Interview - YouTube Despicable Me, Steve Carell 'makes a bad guy look good' Exclusive Interview Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jul 1, 2010 BlackTree TV's Jamaal Finkley sits down with the star of Dispicable Me, Steve Carell who is the voice of the protagonist 'Gru' in the 3D Animated Film. STEVE CARELL (Gru) has emerged as one of the most sought-after comedic actors in Hollywood.

He f irst gained recognition for his contributions as a correspon- dent on Comedy Central's Emmy Award-winning The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, and has successfully segued into primetime television and above-the-title status in the film world with equal aplomb. Carell's first lead feature, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which he co-wrote with director Judd Apatow, opened at No.1 and remained there for two straight weekends. The surprise hit of 2005 went on to gross more than $175 million worldwide and had No. 1 openings in 12 countries. The success of the film has continued as it has also generated more than $100 million in DVD sales in North America alone. AFI named the film as one of the 10 Most Out- standing Motion Pictures of the Year and it took home Best Comedy Movie at the 11th annual Critics' Choice Awards. The film also earned Carell and Apatow a co-nomination for Best Original Screen- play by the Writers Guild of America. Carell starred as Maxwell Smart, opposite Anne Hathaway and Alan Arkin, in Get Smart. The film grossed more than $230 million worldwide.

Due to the success of the film, Warner Bros. recently announced it will release a sequel in 2011. He also lent his voice as the Mayor of Whoville in 20th Century Fox's animated film Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!, based on the children's book written by Dr. Seuss. The film was directed by Jimmy Hayward (Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc.) and Steve Martino, and Carell played opposite Jim Carrey, which helped launch the film to international success by earning more than $295 million worldwide. In 2006, he starred with Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette as part of an ensemble cast in the black comedy Little Miss Sunshine, which earned an Academy Award® nomi- nation for Best Picture and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Carell's previous film credits include Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Bruce Almighty, Bewitched and Dan in Real Life. Carell currently stars in the American adaptation of Ricky Gervais' acclaimed British television series The Office. The show is in its sixth season and continues to flourish in the ratings.

For playing the role of Michael Scott, Carell has earned three Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. In 2006, Carell earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series—Musical or Comedy and has received four more nominations since then. The show won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Carell's endeavors and successes in acting, writing and producing were an organic segue into the creation of his new production company, Carousel Productions. Born in Massachusetts, Carell now resides in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Nancy Walls (NBC's Saturday Night Live), whom he met while at The Second City improv group in Chicago, where both were members. He is the proud father of a daughter and a son. This is a BlackTree Media Production Produced by Jamaal Finkley A BlackTree Media Production Thank you for watching! Blacktree is at all the hottest events on the planet (award shows, movie premieres and press junkets, fashion shows, etc.) and now BLACKTREE ON TV brings stars to YOU on Soul of the South! Watch Full episodes below, and tune in!

WEEKDAYS | 5:30 – 6:00pm, 1-1:30am WEEKENDS | 5 – 6:00pm Sat & Sun (CST) _________________________ BlackTree Media Production Who Are the Voices in Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2? | Voices.com Who Are the Voices in Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2? Who Are the Voices in Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2? Who Are the Voices in Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2? 2013-10-31 2015-10-15 articles Voices.com Contact Details: 150 Dufferin Ave., Suite 800 London Ontario N6A 5N6 Canada Tel (US/Canada):1-888-359-3472, Tel:+1 519-858-5660, E-mail: info(at)voices.com by Stephanie Ciccarelli Who Are the Voices in Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2?

Despicable Me 2 landed just behind Iron Man 3 as the second highest-grossing film of 2013, and the highest-grossing animated film of 2013, earning $364,239,000 in North America and $542,000,000 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $906,239,000 making it the most profitable film in the 100 year history of Universal Studios. The film catches up with Gru, the former supervillain, as he is adjusting to family life and trying to make an honest living in the jam business. When a secret laboratory near the Arctic Circle is stolen “The Anti-Villain League” (AVL) recruits Gru for his insider’s perspective. Gru reluctantly agrees to help AVL agent, Lucy Wilde, and they conclude that the perpetrator must be presumed dead supervillain, El Macho. Overprotective of his children and blinded by his attraction to Lucy, Gru nearly gets on the wrong track as his minions are quietly kidnapped. The film sees Steve Carell, Russell Brand, and Miranda Cosgrove reprise their roles.

Kristen Wiig, who played Miss Hattie in the first film, voices agent Lucy Wilde. Ken Jeong, who played the Talk Show Host, voices Floyd Eagle-san. Joining the cast for Despicable Me 2 is Benjamin Bratt as Eduardo "El Macho" (Al Pacino was originally cast in the role, but left the film due to creative differences) and Steve Coogan who plays the head of the Anti-Villain League, Silas Ramsbottom. Pierre Coffin plays Kevin the Minion, Bob the Minion, Stuart the Minion, Additional Minions, and Evil Minions. Coffin indicated in an interview that he lent his voice to 899 Minions for the production. The voiceover cast includes: Steve Carell as Felonious Gru, former villain turned father. Kristen Wiig as Lucy Wilde, an Anti-Villain League agent and Gru’s love interest. Benjamin Bratt as Eduardo Perez/El Macho, the owner of Salsa & Salsa, a Mexican restaurant in the Paradise Mall. Side note, Al Pacino was originally cast in the role, but left the film due to creative differences.

Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, the oldest of Gru’s three girls. Elsie Fisher as Agnes, the youngest child of the three girls. Dana Gaier as Edith, the middle of the three girl. Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario, Gru’s elderly, hearing impaired gadget man. Ken Jeong as Floyd Eagle-san, an owner of a wig store. Steve Coogan as Silas Ramsbottom, the head of the Anti-Villain League. Moisés Arias as Antonio Perez, Margo’s love interest and Eduardo’s son. Nasim Pedrad as Jillian, Gru’s irritating matchmaking neighbor. Kristen Schaal as Shannon, Jillian’s superficial friend. Pierre Coffin as numerous Minions Chris Renaud as Additional Minions, Evil Minions, and Italian waiter Vanessa Bayer as Flight Attendant A spin-off film is set to be released on December 19, 2014 and will feature the Minions before they met Gru.

Despicable Me – review | Film | The Guardian Despicable Me – review 3 / 5 stars This amiable animated comedy about a put-upon supervillain doesn't quite justify the American hype, says Peter Bradshaw Megalomaniac wheezes … Despicable Me. Thursday 14 October 2010 17.10 EDT First published on Thursday 14 October 2010 17.10 EDT Share on Messenger Close Here is an amiable animated comedy that has had a wildly enthusiastic response in the US. This baffles me a little. It is a perfectly agreeable family entertainment, but not exactly original and nowhere near Pixar's great creations. Despicable Me is co-directed by Chris Renaud – who created the bug-eyed squirrel Scrat in the Ice Age movies – and the French-born animator Pierre Coffin. Steve Carell voices the character of Gru, a career super-villain who presides over a secret lair populated by hundreds of little yellow creatures who do his bidding.

Times are hard in the super-villain world, and Gru finds it tough to get funding from the banks (there's a nice wisecrack about Lehman Brothers) for his various megalomaniac wheezes. And there's a thrusting new super-villain in town called Vector, voiced by Jason Segel, who is flavour of the month with the venture-capital community. Gru hits on the plan of adopting three orphans who will insinuate themselves into Vector's house by selling him girl-scout cookies and pinch his new gadget. But then, inevitably, he finds himself becoming entranced by his little kids, and wonders whether fatherhood is more his style after all. Decent stuff, but Gru is nowhere near as interesting as, say, Syndrome from The Incredibles, or Jim Carrey's Count Olaf in A Series of Unfortunate Events.

PB Steve Carell may be known as the nicest man in Hollywood, but his reprise of Gru, the bald-headed villain in Despicable Me 2, is just a warmup for the baddies the actor is about to unleash Published: 27 Jun 2013 Actor and comedian talks about his role in a new animation about a super-villain recruited by the powers of good Published: 25 Jun 2013 The star of Despicable Me on the joys of playing an anti-hero, voice acting for slobs and his favourite 'Germeasterns' Published: 18 Oct 2010 David Cox: This mature, unconventional romcom, which tackles the harsh realities of love, must succeed or doom its kind Published: 26 Sep 2011 3-D Animated Feature With the Voice of Steve Carell - The New York Times The New York Times Movies |Lunar Toons and Cookie Capers Search Movies | Movie Review | 'Despicable Me' Lunar Toons and Cookie Capers Despicable Me Directed by Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud Animation, Comedy, Family Photo The supervillain Gru reads to Agnes in “Despicable Me.” Credit Universal

 Pictures and Illumination Entertainment Is there a meaningful distinction to be drawn between exercising the imagination and just making up a bunch of stuff?

When it comes to children at play, probably not: the pleasure of inventiveness matters more than the quality of the particular inventions. But children’s entertainment, made by grown-ups at great expense in anticipation of even greater profit, is another matter. The difference between inspired creation and frantic pretending is the difference between magic and mediocrity, between art and junk, or to cite a conveniently available example, between “Toy Story 3” and “Despicable Me.” Directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud and produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment  a new player in the lucrative and competitive world of feature animation  “Despicable Me” cannot be faulted for lack of trying. If anything, it tries much too hard, stuffing great gobs of second-rate action, secondhand humor and warmed-over sentiment into every nook and cranny of its relentlessly busy 3-D frames. The movie relies on the funny voices of popular television and movie performers (many of them associated with other properties in the NBC Universal corporate family), most notably Steve Carell , who whimsically adopts a quasi-Russian accent in the role of Gru, a supervillain.

Gru is equipped with a disapproving, emotionally distant mother (Julie Andrews); a wisecracking nemesis named Vector (Jason Segel); a grouchy old scientist sidekick (Russell Brand); and a swarm of cute little yellow minions, whose mostly nonverbal chirping and squeaking provide a heavy, derivative dollop of cuteness and merchandising opportunity. And just in case those industrious little doodads (they look like extra-strength pain-reliever capsules with eyes and limbs) weren’t cute enough, the film supplies three adorable orphans with old-lady names who melt Gru’s stony heart not long after he adopts them. Continue reading the main story Do you want to know why? It has to do with his plan to swipe a shrink-ray gun from Vector and use it to steal the Moon.

Vector has a weakness for cookies, and the three little girls  a brainy, sensible older one named Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), a tomboy named Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher), a baby-faced pixie who is crazy for unicorns  sell his favorite kind door-to-door for the benefit of Miss Hattie (Kristen Wiig), the keeper of their Dickensian orphanage. Photo Gru with his minions. Credit Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment Are you choked up yet? Are you laughing yet? You might be before the picture is over, but only because the alternative would be the kind of snarling fury that would make you feel bad about yourself. “Despicable Me,” its title notwithstanding, means no harm and tries so hard to be likable that you may hate yourself for hating it. Its vision of evil is a man with a pointy nose, an exotic accent and a turtleneck sweater who wants to snatch the Moon because his mommy never loved him enough.

Gru is an underachiever, a perpetual second-place finisher behind the smug Vector, with his family connections, his track suits, his modernist mansion and his repertory of inane, done-to-death catch phrases (“Boo-yah” and “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”). It’s difficult not to see some of Gru’s inferiority complex reflected in the movie itself, which labors mightily to distinguish itself in a terrain dominated by Pixar and DreamWorks Animation. The tender bond that forms between Gru and his adoptive daughters, cemented with bedtime stories and spontaneous trips to a 3-D-maximizing amusement park, strives for a Pixaresque purity of feeling, while the winking, occasionally crude humor and pop-culture allusiveness, as well as Gru’s grumpiness, veer toward Shrekland. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Gru’s grand criminal scheme, which involves skittering robots baked into the cookies and then ever larger and more elaborate gizmos and flying machines, is as hectic and desperate as “Despicable Me” itself.

The filmmakers seem motivated above all by the terror that if things slow or quiet down for even a second, the audience will either fall asleep or throw a tantrum. And so the projectiles (aren’t you glad you paid that extra fee for the 3-D “experience”?) keep coming, interrupted by wisecracks and snippets of teary sincerity. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy The few moments of genuine visual or verbal wit  a bit of delicate minion slapstick that recalls the antics of Scrat in the “Ice Age” movies; a line reading that showcases Mr. Carell’s unparalleled deadpan  only highlight the paucity of real originality or artistic confidence. So much is going on in this movie that, while there’s nothing worth despising, there’s not much to remember either. “Despicable Me” is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). It has some action scenes that might rattle very young children. DESPICABLE ME Opens on Friday nationwide.

Directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin; written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, based on a story by Sergio Pablos; edited by Pamela Ziegenhagen-Shefland and Gregory Perler; music by Pharrell Williams and Heitor Pereira, songs and themes by Mr. Williams; production designer, Yarrow Cheney; art director, Eric Guillon; produced by Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy and John Cohen; released by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment. Running time: 1 hour 28 minutes. WITH THE VOICES OF: Steve Carell (Gru), Jason Segel (Vector), Russell Brand (Dr. Nefario), Kristen Wiig (Miss Hattie), Will Arnett (Mr. Perkins), Danny McBride (Fred McDade), Jemaine Clement (Jerry the Minion), Miranda Cosgrove (Margo), Jack McBrayer (Carnival Barker/Tourist Dad), Dana Gaier (Edith), Elsie Fisher (Agnes) and Julie Andrews (Gru’s Mom). Despicable Me 'Despicable Me 3' News, Rumors: Animated Movie Teased Its Villain, Gru’s Twin Brother?

: TV : BREATHEcast Share on Facebook Share on Twitter x To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Illumination Pictures/Minions Following the success of "Despicable Me," "Despicable Me 2," and "Minions," "Despicable 3" has revealed its villain and Gru's twin brother. On Apr. 13, Illumination Entertainment founder and CEO Chris Meledandri announced during Universal Pictures' Cinema Con 2016 presentation in Las Vegas the actor who will voice the next antagonist of the hit animated film "Despicable Me 3," The Wrap has learned. According to Meledandri, the "South Park" creator Trey Parker has joined the voice cast of Ken Daurio's upcoming animation adventure comedy film sequel. He is set to voice Balthazar Bratt, who is described as a n ‘80s child star obsessed with the character he used to play and Steve Carell's Gru's arch-nemesis. The Illumination Entertainment head and CEO also revealed that Parker is set to have double tasks in the film.

Aside from playing Bratt, he said that the "South Park" creator will also voice a new character - Gru's long lost identical twin Drew. The latter looks like his twin, except for his blond hair. While more details on Drew are yet to be revealed, his introduction to the animated film suggests that he is someone to take seriously, according to Cinema Blend . As per the publication, Drew's appearance might be related to family matters and Gru has no room to take him lightly. Jason Segel Interview DESPICABLE ME | Collider Jason Segel Interview DESPICABLE ME SHARE TWEET 0 Known for writing, producing or starring in such memorable recent comedies as Get Him to the Greek, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Knocked Up, along with his successful television series How I Met Your Mother, Jason Segel is on a roll in Hollywood. Making his animated debut in Despicable Me, the actor voices the villainous Vector, super arch-nemesis to Gru (voiced by Steve Carell). During a press conference to promote the film, Jason Segel talked about finding the right voice for Vector, his tips for being funny and how he’s more proud of this film than anything he’s ever done.

He also gave an update on how his Muppets movie is coming along, and hinted at what fans can expect from the upcoming season of How I Met Your Mother. Check out what he had to say after the jump: Question: What was it like to play this evil villain? What did you draw on for inspiration? Jason: I was given a sketch very early, and I have a bit of a background in puppetry, so coming up with a voice to match the sketch was my real inspiration. I had a few months to come up with a voice and I came up with a few, and then I went in and they helped me choose. These guys are such geniuses. The one they ended up choosing was perfect. You saw the character before you started finding the voice, but did he change at all during the process of making the film? Jason: No. I got a sketch very early on that looked exactly like he ended up looking, and I came up with two voices, one that we used and one that was totally counter to the way he looked. We ended up choosing the one that I think was appropriate. I couldn’t be more proud of the way the producers and directors made this film. It’s beautiful.

Obviously, you look nothing like your character, but did you see any mannerisms that they picked up from you? Jason: I was very excited. The whole thing that drew me to doing an animated film is that you’re freed from the physical limitations of your physical body. All of a sudden, you get to be something that has nothing to do with the fact that I’m a 6’4″, lumbering dude, and that was really exciting. Puppetry is very similar. And then, this guy is based almost wholly on insecurity. He just wants to prove to his dad that he’s worthy and, in this case, the most evil person alive, so I drew from there. It was very freeing. You’ll probably notice that nobody in the cast is doing their voice. No one is talking like they normally talk and it’s because, all of a sudden, you’re freed from the physical limitations of how you look, which is amazing. Which one of Vector’s gadgets did you love and wish was real? Jason: I wouldn’t mind the shrink ray because I would like to make a lot of foods bite-sized, so that I could eat them constantly. How is voicing an animated character different or similar to voicing a puppet?

Jason: They’re very similar experiences. The thing that ties them together is the idea that you’re not tied to your physical body. So, being able to voice a character that looked nothing like me was very exciting. If I did that voice as an actor, you would call b.s. You would say, “No, that’s not what he sounds like.” But, all of a sudden, I could be 5′ 3″, wear an orange jumpsuit, and be nerdy. Where does this fit in with your sense of humor, as far as the improv style you use? Jason: What’s cool about doing this animated film – and this is the only one I’ve done, so I have no other frame of reference – is that you go in for three hours, every few months. I probably went in six times over two years, or something like that. And, from their standpoint, the goal is for me to give them as much material as I can possibly come up with, and they choose the funniest, the best and the most on-story.

Every time, it was just three hours of intense effort, trying to be as funny as I could, and to be on story with the improv, and give them as much material as I possibly could. Does it fit with your sense of humor? Jason: Yeah. I am actually more proud of this movie than anything else I’ve ever done. There’s something very special about the idea of a family being able to go to a movie and everyone enjoying themselves, genuinely. It’s something “The Muppets” did beautifully and “The Simpsons” does it. Parents aren’t placating their kids when they take them to this movie because they’ll enjoy it as well. There’s something really great about the idea of a family walking out of a theater after everyone has had a really great experience and enjoyed themselves. I think a family getting along for a few hours is a special thing. Do you think that animated movies are like an actor’s workshop, in a sense? Jason: It’s a very unique experience, in that you’re not working with any of these actors, in any of these scenes. You’re alone in a booth. To me, it felt like a test of whether I could be funny, good and on-story.

On-story, to me, is a big part of improv. It’s very easy to come out and say funny lines that you’ve thought of the night before, but to be on-story is the real challenge. You’re in there for three hours, trying to give them material they can actually use. I have a million jokes I could say, but to try to keep it on-story and valuable to them was something that was a challenge, and I really enjoyed that. It’s just you alone, which is awesome. How did you become attached to Despicable Me? Jason: John Cohen, one of our great producers, came to my house and told me about the story. Then, he gave me a sketch of Vector and I was hooked, instantly. The story is so beautifully told that there was no doubt I was going to do the film. Growing up, did you have a favorite animated film? Jason: I was really drawn to the early Disney villains and, funnily enough, this movie is about villainy. They managed to be really terrifying without scaring kids. If you think about Ursula from The Little Mermaid, that’s a terrifying character. They’re all witches, for the most part, in the Disney universe.

They’re really terrifying, terrible and intense for the heroes, but somehow your eye was always drawn to them. Where did you find your inner dork to play Vector? Jason: I’ve been 6′ 4″ and 100 pounds since I was 12. I looked like Jack Skellington. Kids used to stand around me in a circle and, one by one, they would jump on my back and the rest would chant, “Ride the oaf! Ride the oaf!” It’s true. So, you either become funny, which is hopefully what I did, or you become a villain, which is where I got the idea for Vector. He’s a guy who was horribly picked on, and this is where he’s ended up. Both Vector and Gru have parent issues. Do you have any insight into why they both have these despicable qualities? Jason: I think they could be siblings. You only see Gru’s mom, and you only see Vector’s dad. It should be Despicable Me 2: This Time It’s Personal. In the film, you and Steve play nemeses. In real life, who is your celebrity nemesis?

Jason: I think it’s probably Ryan Reynolds, in that we have very similar comedic tastes and all that. And, our bodies are so similar that it’s basically a rivalry over who can be in better shape. At this point, I think I’m winning. When are we going to get a chance to hear your music again? Jason: I wrote some of the music for Get Him to the Greek. I wrote “Bangers and Mash” and “Supertight.” That’s a real side job for me, but I enjoy it. I taught myself to play piano when I was 17, to pick up girls. When you try to pitch a real musician these songs, they write them too musically. And, when you try to pitch them to comedians, they write them too funny. Somehow, I found a middle ground because I’m not that good a musician and I’m not that funny. It ends up being perfect. Did it work to pick up girls? Jason: I remember that the first thing I did was find a really not-that-intelligent girl and I told her that I wrote “Your Song,” by Elton John. I was like, “I wrote this for you.” And then, I lost my virginity.

What’s your best advice for writing comedy? Jason: To write a drama. I’m not joking. That was the first advice I got from Judd Apatow, and I think it’s why his movies are so brilliant. He told me, when I was writing Forgetting Sarah Marshall, “I want the first draft you give me to be a drama. We’ll make it funny. It’s going to be funny because we’re funny and we’re going to add jokes, and the people we cast will be funny. The reason people will see it – and see it again and again, or connect to it – is because there’s an underlying drama.” That’s the best advice I can give. When you’re trying to write a comedy, first write a drama, and then make it funny. So how do you write a drama? Jason: You go from real experience. Almost everything I’ve written is somehow tied to something I’ve gone through. You try to hit a universal theme. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is about how complicated break-ups are, which everyone has gone through. The next thing I’m writing is about engagement and love, and everyone has gone through that. You have to hit a universal theme, and this movie does it perfectly.

The idea of somehow opening yourself up to something in your life is universal, and that’s what everyone relates to. Does your height ever hinder you in getting roles? Jason: Not now. It hindered me, when I was a kid. I remember when I was 18, I was allegedly really close to playing Dustin Hoffman’s son, and I knew I wasn’t going to get that part. I’m about eight inches taller than Dustin Hoffman. I might be a foot taller than Dustin Hoffman. It just wasn’t going to happen. So, it hindered me then, when I was playing a boy. Now that I’m playing a man, it’s a bit easier. Girls have heels. Dustin Hoffman in heels isn’t a good look. How is the Muppets movie you’re doing coming along? How terrifying is it to have to live up to Jim Henson’s legacy? Jason: Well, that part is very intimidating. What I do think is that I have to approach it with a real sense of respect, and I’m very earnest about the way I approach it. There’s no sense of irony with me, going into the Muppets. I don’t think it’s funny that I’m doing the Muppets.

I truly love them. What I learned from this film is the idea of a family being able to bond over seeing something together, and walking out of the theater with everyone in a great mood. It’s a very special thing, for a family to walk out of a film satisfied and happy, and then go have lunch or dinner together feeling happy, and talking and laughing. It’s a very rare thing. Family dynamics aren’t easy, so the notion of anything drawing them together, especially a movie like Despicable Me, is a very special thing. When you go back to work on “How I Met Your Mother,” what’s in store for Marshall and Lily? Jason: I don’t know the storylines. Allegedly, from what I’ve heard, I’m going to get even funnier, which seems impossible, but that’s the plan. I think there might be a kid, in our future, if I had to guess, but I’m truly guessing. I always pictured myself and Marshall a bit like the Abominable Snowman from the Bugs Bunny cartoons, where they go, “I’ll hug him and squeeze him and kiss him all over.” I picture me holding a baby upside down by the leg, shaking it.

Are the producers amused by your idea for a post-apocalyptic finale? Jason: I just think, if the narration takes place in the future, there should be a reveal where they open the window and it’s horrible out there. I just think that’s a hilarious idea. But no, they’re not amused by anything I do. A lot of these ideas come from the fact that I’m a bizarre human being. Related Content

Question: Which US actor is the voice of Gru in the 2010 animated film ‘Despicable Me’?
Answer: Steve Carell