'Finding Dory' Cast News, Spoilers: Filmmakers Used 'Ellen' Interviews To Cast Sequel
Director Andrew Stanton and producer Lindsey Collins have unveiled the clever way they cast "Finding Dory," the long-awaited sequel to "Finding Nemo," the 2003 blockbuster hit from Pixar.
The people behind "Finding Dory," which was 13 years in the making, had some serious hurdles to overcome. They had to make a movie that would match the critical and commercial success of "Finding Nemo" and they had to cast actors whose voice acting would work well with that of "Finding Dory" star Ellen DeGeneres. Fortunately, the film's casting department had a great resource for potential voice actors: "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
"Sometimes casting can be the hardest thing because the editors have to find obscure clips from TV shows and try to cut them together with other characters to see what they would sound like," Collins told Entertainment Weekly. "But because it's Ellen, we'd be like, 'Well, what does she sound like with Ty Burrell? I'm sure she's interviewed him five times.'"
The much-anticipated follow-up to "Finding Nemo" focuses on DeGeneres' Dory, a blue reef fish with short-term memory who suddenly recalls her childhood memories and embarks on a mission to find her long-lost family.
As Dory, accompanied by Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence), attempt to reconnect with her parents, she will encounter a bunch of new faces, including an octopus, a beluga whale, a whale shark, some otters, and a couple of sea lions. The task of casting all these new characters was made much easier by the fact that many of them have been guests on DeGeneres' talk show.
"She's interviewed everybody in the world!" Stanton told EW. "How does she sound against Eugene Levy? How does she sound against Diane Keaton? It was all there."
Levy and Keaton appear in "Finding Dory" as Charlie and Jenny, Dory's parents. "Modern Family" stars Ed O'Neill and Ty Burrell are Hank, an octopus, and Bailey, a beluga whale. Former "The Wire" costars Idris Elba and Dominic West appear as sea lions Fluke and Rudder. Kaitlin Olson is Destiny, a whale shark, and Torbin Bullock is Becky, a loon.
"Finding Dory" hits theaters June 17.
