Friday, March 29, 2024

‘CARS 3’ Actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. is Serving Black History in Animated Comedy [EUR Exclusive]

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*Veteran actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. voices River Scott in the upcoming 3D computer-animated comedy film “Cars 3,” produced by Pixar and scheduled to be released next month by Walt Disney Pictures.

His character was inspired by Wendell Scott, the first (and so far only) African-American to win a Cup Series race. As director Brian Fee previously noted, no one faced longer odds than Mr. Scott, racing primarily in the South during the 1960s, with little money at all.

Whitlock is best known for his role on the HBO television series “The Wire” as corrupt state senator Clay Davis. He recurs on HBO’s Emmy winning comedy series “Veep” as Secretary of Defense General George Maddox. Isiah also appeared in the recently released Warner Bros.’ pic “Chips,” and he’s featured in Spike Lee films “She Hate Me,” “25th Hour,” “Red Hook Summer,” and “Chi-Raq.”

“Cars 3” finds the legendary Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, and he’s suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician and inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet…with a few unexpected turns.

So how does River Scott fit into the mix? Catch the drop from Isiah below.

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disney pixar
NEXT-GEN TAKES THE LEAD — Jackson Storm (voice of Armie Hammer), a frontrunner in the next generation of racers, posts speeds that even Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) hasn’t seen. “Cars 3” is in theaters June 16, 2017. ©2016 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Talk about the research you did to help bring the legacy of Wendell Scott to life with this animated character. Did you gain any insight from his family?

Isiah: I didn’t speak to anyone directly. I was a little familiar with Wendell Scott from the, I believe it was “Grease Lightning” with Richard Prior. That was my first introduction into the fact that there was this African-American in the NASCAR series. As I started reading more and more about Wendell Scott, it really started to dawn on me what a great opportunity I had in bringing his character to life and really just kinda letting people know that, at one time, he was one of the top racers of NASCAR.

What role does your character play in Lightning McQueen’s comeback attempt?

Isiah: Lightening McQueen is kinda like, a bit at the crossroads in his life. Where this new, stronger, faster generation of racing cars are coming into existence and he’s starting to, for lack of a better word, feel his age. And he sorta comes to a lot of us for a little bit of counseling in dealing with that and dealing with getting older and being a part of the past and trying to stay relevant and making that transition from being a champion and constantly admired to becoming a mentor and finding other things he can do in his life.

Is there anything about Wendell Scott’s journey that resonates with your own life, or your journey in Hollywood?

Isiah: I see a lot of the drive and the determination. It would almost be impossible to play a character and not be able to relate. With some of the things that he had gone through back in the 60’s, a lot of the racial prejudice and things of that nature, we don’t really deal with that aspect in the film, but what we do deal with is that determination and that spunk and that spirit and the fire to race and to succeed. I think that Wendell was at the forefront of doing that. He was a racer and his heart and soul was into it. I’m an actor, I see a lot of that in myself.

disney pixar
Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson)
Lightning McQueen is world champion—a modern-day racing legend who’s riding high with five Piston-Cup wins under his hood. Suddenly, he finds himself faced with a new generation of racers who threaten not only his dominance in the sport—but the confidence that got him there. Determined to get back to the pole position, the #95 must decide if his love for racing is enough to fuel the comeback of his life.
©2016 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

“Cars 3” features an amazing ensemble cast. Did you collaborate with any of your co-stars during recording sessions?

Isiah: I was in the booth by myself. I had about a three-hour recording session, and I remember telling someone after I was finished that it was one of the hardest jobs that I’d ever done, because vocally, it really took me to some places that I hadn’t gone in a very very long time, vocally. But once I got going, it was very liberating. You keep finding all of those nuances and you keep soaking into the character and I found that very liberating, At one point an hour or so had passed and I hardly noticed it because I was having so much fun. It was a workout, definitely, but an enjoyable workout. I just remembering thinking to myself, thank God I got warmed up before I walked into the booth because I don’t think I would’ve made it.

I’ve spoken to quite a few actors who have done voiceover work for feature films and every one praised the process. But you found it a bit challenging?

Isiah: Yeah… people will tell you that but trust me, they’re full of shit. When you’re in the booth, there’s certain images and things that you’re dealing with. It’s impossible to read something and not have an image as to what you’re doing, but as I said before, you’re trying to find the nuance because you want to make it sound natural and real, but you need those things that make you special. The voice can sometimes go all over the place, so you’re trying to control everything. Sometimes it kinda depends on what you’re doing. If you’re just sitting there and chatting, maybe that would be a little easy. But I find it sometimes challenging because you want to find something special, not just in your voice, but also the character. You want it to stand out. You want when they think of River Scott they’re going to hear a difference and they’re gonna hear something from the soul coming out into that car. That’s what you’re looking for and that’s what you’re hoping you get. So that’s not an easy thing to do, especially if you’re aware of it. If you’re not aware of it maybe it is. What I had to do I had to knock out in that amount of time and try to fluctuate and make it specific, and that to me was the challenging part.

disney pixar
Jackson Storm (voice of Armie Hammer)
Jackson Storm is fast, sleek and ready to race. A frontrunner in the next generation of racers, Storm’s quiet confidence and cocky demeanor are off-putting—but his unmatched speed threatens to redefine the sport. Trained on high-tech simulators that are programmed to perfect technique and maximize velocity, Jackson Storm is literally built to be unbeatable—and he knows it.
©2016 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Pixar’s animated features often appeal not only to the kids, but adults as well. Some of the themes explored in these films certainly resonate with those over 30.

Isiah: I think the adults are going to enjoy this as much as the kids and for different reasons, mostly because of some of the things we talked about earlier: that transformation that a lot of parents are usually going through. I’m not a parent but I would assume that they would be going through and dealing with the realities of life. I think a lot of people will see themselves in a lot of these cars and they’ll find it very emotional and touching and in some ways heartbreaking. And then in some ways an incredible amount of joy that they’ll find in a lot of these cars. They will see themselves. There will not be an adult person who will go see this film and not see themselves in one of these cars, and I think that’s where I really credit Pixar and Disney because I think it’s just such amazing project.

What’s the central theme or overall message of “Cars 3”?

Isiah: I think the message is, you can go on and you can be relevant. There is nothing wrong with aging, so to speak, but also he has the heart of a champion, and I think a lot of people will begin to understand that and see a lot of themselves in McQueen. You have the old and you have the new, and we all sort of reach that point in our lives where we always ask ourselves those questions about what it’s all about, who we are, what’s happening. I think that will be the most important message that comes across.

“Cars 3” rolls into theaters June 16.

 

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