Teri Hatcher Q&A

1 month ago 01st Oct 10:07

Coraline has been one of the animation hits of 2009 when it opened to rave reviews back in May.

Based on Henry Selick's novel the movie followed an adventurous girl finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets.

- This is your first voice work?

This is where I get to check off the box of being an animated voice in a kid’s film. It was amazing. I feel so fortunate. I’m a huge fan of Henry Selick and that kind of animation.

I feel this story is deep and entertaining, and the kind of story that just stays with you. It was a great challenge to get to play not just one but three different characters.

- Why do you think you were cast?

I don’t know Henry’s journey of casting. I understand he listened to many voices but he felt that mine and Dakota’s voice fell into a particular cadence that he felt was accurate and correct. We spoke on the phone and he cast me.

It’s the kind of thing you don’t know what you are going to get. He didn’t know I could sing and hum the things in between. I didn’t know the guttural raw place my voice could go or the higher place. It was a discovery for both of us.

- What did you like about the film?

Sometimes I think 3D can be jarring. I think this film made the best use of it. Instead of these things coming at you, it was like you were invited into this world. It was this seamless experience and I love the fact that it grew at a particular pace.

Why would this kid want to go off to this other place, so you really had to be mired in this boredom and neglect, and then you see the film pick up and pick up. I love being a piece of this big beautiful pie. There was no Teri Hatcher star or Dakota Fanning star. To me it was an amazing experience.

- Your daughter voiced a character in the movie?

She plays a firefly when they come by and say 'Coraline, Coraline'. It was really sweet. I started working on the film when she was eight and all I had was sketches, but she was really into the story and the scariness of it. 

So right from the beginning she was excited to be involved. Not that she wants to be an actress or anything, but when we were up in Portland seeing the animation studios, I was doing some recording there and Henry let her go into the recording studio and gave her some direction and he ended up leaving it in the movie.

- Does she relate to any of the mothers?

I don’t think she relates to any of the mothers I play. She doesn’t watch Desperate Housewives. I think that’s my biggest accomplishment. I can keep it very separate. For this role I don’t think there is any Teri or even Susan in them.