Ben Stiller, Chris Rock & Jada Pinkett Smith
The Madagascar 2 stars on parenthood and talking zebras.
by Meghan Pleticha
October 31, 2008
Dreamworks is coming out with a second installment of their Madagascar film, and in this one, they're upping the ante. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, set to be released November 7th, follows the New York zoo animals from Madagascar to (surprise!) Africa, via an almost-working plane. The cast features a whole slew of new characters including Moto-moto (which means "hot hot" in Swahili), the superhunk hippo voiced by hip hop singer will.i.am, Alex's father Zulu voiced by the late Bernie Mac, and a herd of zebra all voiced by Chris Rock (yes, all of them).
Babble went to a little pre-screening (we can confirm your kids will once again get to "move it move it"), and sat down with Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Chris Rock to talk kids in the studio, momtourages, and how tough it is to remember the names of all those Thomas trains. — Meghan Pleticha
BEN STILLER
What was it like having your kids come into the studio so young?
[Quinn's] only three, and Ella's six. They were sort wary of the situation — they don't like to be told to do anything. [Laughs.] But then Quinn got in there, and he got in front of the microphone, there was a run of a minute where he just had fun and was making sounds, and we were saying, "Be happy! Now be sad!" And then he started to get a little bit intimidated by the microphone and the whole thing. And then that's when you start to feel like this horrible stage parent. "Laugh, cry, cry," stuff, you know. But I'm happy that they're both in the movie. You realize if kids aren't that comfortable with that situation you don't wanna force them to do it. I was happy that they weren't like, getting up there and going all Shirley Temple or something.
Would you like it if your kids got involved in show business?
If they wanted to, I would support it — it's not the easiest business, and I think I would try to tell them the ups and downs, you know? But it's the type of thing, if you love doing it, that's why you should do it. I've encouraged them to go to college, though. 
"My son likes to have stories told to him that involve the Thomas trains. The hard thing is remembering the names of all the trains, cuz there's, you know, hundreds."
Does being an actor come in handy when you're doing bedtime stories with the little ones?
I think every parent has to be an actor with their kids when they're doing that. You have to commit fully, and you don't care, because they're the audience, and you want them to be happy — and my kids love to be told stories, my son especially. So if you can make them laugh, or you can get them into that mode where they're into it, then yeah, you use whatever abilities you have.
When you come back home after a long day shooting and they ask you, "Can you read me a story, daddy?" how do you tell it?
It's always great to see your kids after you're working. It's always such a fresh, new, energy, and it's just pure love, that's all — it's nice. My son likes to hear stories over and over again sometimes. And he has this thing with the Thomas trains, he knows all the names of the trains, which — there are a lot of them. So, he likes to have stories told to him that involve the Thomas trains. And, you know, the hard thing is remembering the names of all the trains. 'Cause he knows them inside out, and there's, you know, hundreds. Well, not hundreds, but, maybe fifty, sixty. They keep coming up with new ones. So there's the stress of trying to remember, because if you get the names wrong, he'll correct you. And then sometimes I'll fall asleep while I'm telling the story, and then I'll like, fall into my subconscious and I'm talking and not making sense, and then he'll say to me, "You know, you're not making sense," and then I'll wake up.
So, what do you do to balance work and family?
You just have to be aware of it. Being together no matter what is probably the biggest thing. This summer I've been up shooting in Vancouver and the family's been up there all summer, so we've been together. You just have to try to plan your life accordingly, and make sure that you know how long you can go without seeing them, which is not too long.
Did your kids like the first Madagascar movie?
Yeah, they did. I don't think they're any more connected to it because I'm in it; I think they just like the movie. They know that it's my voice, but they get wrapped in just watching the story and the characters, so you don't wanna keep on reminding them, "That's me, that's me!"
Are they excited to see the characters with their voices?
I don't know if Quinn is gonna quite get it 'cause he's so young, but I think Ella will be excited.
Have you had a favorite dad moment in the past few months?
Gosh, you know, there are a lot of great ones. We all went to the playground yesterday on the Upper West Side where I grew up going. And it's fun as a dad to be able to take my kids there, having gone there as a kid. I love feeling that connection and that continuity.
©2008 Meghan Pleticha and Nerve Media
About the Author
|
|
Related Articles
|
 |
Meghan Pleticha recently graduated with a degree in English and a minor in LGBT studies (like women’s studies, but less angry and more fabulous). Having grown up in Northern California and gone to school in L.A., she’s just popped over to New York to see what all the fuss is about. She is a contributor to Nerve.com and Babble.com.
|
|
|
-
by Jennifer V. Hughes
The author shares her three-martini approach to parenting.
-
by Katie Bayless
Designer Denai Jones makes the diaper bag glamorous.
-
by Jennifer V. Hughes
The show's executive producer on the secret joys of math.
|
