Most actors get excited when talking about their upcoming projects, but none have ever been as “animated” as Gregory Smith, who will lend his voice talents to the stop-motion “Edison and Leo,” where he will play the main character Leo, the 24-year-old “The Dark is Rising” star revealed exclusively to MTV News.
Just don’t ask him to tell you who else is in it. “This was literally my first day today, and I was all by myself,” he laughed when we caught up with him on Monday. “[I don’t know.] I haven’t even thought about talking about it!”
Likened by Smith to “A Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Edison and Leo” has a plot that’s “almost impossible to describe,” he said. “It is about a character named George Edison, who is loosely based on Thomas Edison, and his relationship with his son, Leo,” Smith explained. “His son is accidentally electrocuted as a child so he son grows up as Electric Boy. He can’t touch anyone without electrocuting them, and that is sort of the set up for these zany, crazy adventures that follow.”
For Smith, the experience of staring in an animated film is a totally new one. “I have been lucky to do several films, but I have never done anything like this before in my life,” Smith said chuckling. “You just throw [your experience] out the window because it is a totally different ball game.”
August 20th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
THIS MAKES ME SICK! I was so excited about this movie and now all I feel is utter nausea.
Would you ever cast a V/O actor to star in an ‘onscreen’ production? (with absolutely no experience?) Never.
Then why is it ok to give the lead role in an ”animated film’ to an actor who’s NEVER DONE ANIMATION….EVER?!?! (stupidity maybe?)
There are so many talented voice actors, and to have your lead chuckling that he’s never done this before seems ludacris to me.
I could ‘maybe’ understand, if Gregory Smith was a house hold name. But no one I have talked to knows who this guy is, and no one I know who enjoys animation really cares. I don’t know about you, but a guy who “throws his experience out the window” isn’t a guy I want carrying a film.
On screen actors have wrecked countless animated films with their ‘lack of experience’… who’s ready for another one?
If anyone is listening out there, do yourself a favor, cast a VOICE ACTOR with some talent and experience, because this is just aggravating.
Casting a ’semi’ name, with NO experience, isn’t gonna sell those extra tickets, talented voice actors will.
And it’s about time the people who make these ‘animated’ films realize that.
Good Grief!
September 14th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Wow - lighten up dude. Lots of live action actors have made the successful transition to animation - Robin Williams anyone? Sounds like a jaded voice actor to me - show a little respect for people in their craft. Yes there are lots of good voice actors out there, but unfortunately they don’t sell tickets - trust me, after the Dark is Rising everyone will know this guy.
I don’t know too much about this film - but any time there is stop motion animation being made I am there!