8 Facts from “Nemo” & “Marlin” in Finding Dory

This week, I’m continuing with stories and interviews from my time in LA for my Disney press trip. I hope that you are enjoying the posts. I still can’t believe I got to be a part of it all.

In addition to interviewing Ellen Degeneres, Ed O’Neill and Kaitlin Olson, we also got to interview Albert Brooks and Hayden Rolence (Marlin & Nemo). Today I have eight interesting facts from the interview to share with you. 

Fact 1: It was easy for Albert to play Marlin again, despite the 13 year span between movies: 

“I’m telling you it happens in about twenty seconds. Because the character itself, they- they didn’t age the character, so, you know, if it’s a year later, you start. You’ve created the character. So it, you know, as long as you’ve got your wits about you, you, you can do it. It’s like no time passed. But if they’re going to make a third one, they better hurry up [LAUGHTER] because he (motioning to Hayden) won’t get a job and I’ll have to have a wheelchair.

Fact 2: Hayden loved Nemo, even prior to being cast.
“I was a very big Nemo fan, even before I knew that I was going to be it- the voice of Nemo, I was still a really big Nemo fan.”

Fact 3: It was challenging for Hayden to step into a voice and role that had already been created.
“The biggest challenge was probably knowing that he was art- that Nemo was already a character and knowing that- knowing that I had- that I wanted to do him justice. And I didn’t want, and I didn’t want any like disappointment.”

Fact 4: Albert and Hayden did not record together. 

Fact 5: Hayden recorded scenes by watching Finding Nemo, then recording his audio. 

“I did watch Finding Nemo a lot, to get myself prepared for trying to make my voice sound like Nemo.  Because I live in Illinois, I had to send in a tape, so I was able to watch the movie, then practice the scene, and watch the movie and practice the scene.  And I did that over and over again.  And then finally I was able to make my voice sort of sound like Nemo.”

Fact 6: Albert’s favorite scene in the movie is the one with the shells: 
“Well I just saw the movie last night for the first time and I’m still thinking about it. The best one image of the movie were the shells. It looked like another planet and it had- it, it had so much emotion in that one image. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it, it was gorgeous.”

“I didn’t know that it was there and I actually am sitting in the audience and she’s swimming through that murky water and I’m wondering, well they left the action, where are they going, you know? That one visual image, I thought, was the most beautiful thing in the movie. And a couple of my jokes.”

Fact 7: Albert Brooks was more moved than he expected by Finding Dory

“I don’t like to tell people what to do emotionally.  But I came out [after watching the film] with more emotions than I thought I would.  And so I think that’s a good thing.”

Fact 8: Albert Brooks doesn’t worry as much about his kids as Marlin: 

“Well, when my children were younger, I worried more. Now I worry less and I pay more,” he said with a laugh. “Yeah, I’m a worrier but not as much as Marlin, nobody can worry as much as Marlin.”

Finding Dory is in theatres now. Connect with Finding Dory on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

Disclosure: Disney hosted me in LA in order to attend screenings and to participate in group interviews & media events. As always, all experiences, love of Disney and thoughts are my own.