Ginnifer Goodwin was a dream to interview. I actually got to sit right next to her (be still my beating heart!). She is somebody I've watched on Once Upon A Time, so it was really cool to be in the same room with her. Best of all, it was for a movie I definitely loved! She was so normal and down to earth. You easily could go out to dinner with her and be at ease – that's how awesome she was.
For those of you who don't know, Ginnifer plays Fawn in Tinkerbell And The Legend Of The Neverbeast. Our first question to her was how much is she like Fawn.
I think I’m always sort of cast for myself. I think that I’ve almost always been cast for the characterstocs that I naturally exhibit like optimism, faith, hope and love of life.
Ginnifer has done other voiceover work. We asked how this was different.
I didn’t realize it was so different. Frequently when I’ve done things before, I hadn’t tackled a character this large. I started working on this about three years ago, and there were other things that were peppered in along the way that I did after I’d started this. I had to face some harsh realities about my limitations as an actress.
It ended up that I had always been relying so much on how I express myself physically which I never realized. When I do voiceovers, I often tone down how animated I sound in scenes where I think that I have expressed plenty. I kind of thought that just going in and acting in the same way that I would act on a live action film set would produce the results that I wanted. Instead it ends up that I didn’t sound like I was expressing anything. Whatever it was that as connected in me was lost. When we started over and tried new things, I had to find a way to put everything in my voice and take out some of the qualities that tonally don’t match who Fawn is at least in my ear when I hear it back.
We then talked about how in the sound booth a lot of actors use props. When I interviewed Vin Diesel from Guardians of Galaxy, he used stilts to make himself as tall as Groot. We asked if Ginnifer did the same and ended up with a great story!
When I was struggling and feeling really bad about myself, he would say OK, well walk me through what your process is. I was like I go into the booth and I sit in the chair. He said why are you sitting in a chair. I said because I'm gonna be in there for like all day. He’s like no, no, no. You need to be on your feet. We tried that and it was so much better for me.
When Fawn is jumping around like a monkey, I was jumping around like a jumping. That being said, I was super pregnant for a couple of sessions. I was told I had to stay off my feet, but I really still wanted to come to work. I came in and everybody was a little like giggling. They took me into the sound booth and they had set up a bed covered in Disney stuffed animals! We recorded some sessions that way.
I wasn’t supposed to be jumping up and down. I think we realized during some of the emotional scenes they sound different depending on what you’re doing physically for sure. They’re recording everything on a camcorder that’s always running to see what you’re doing because they’re gonna then use that to animate the character.
Being that she was pregnant, we asked if that helped with the emotional levels. (As someone who has been pregnant 3 (aff) times, I can vouch for your hormones going a little wacky during this time.)
Yeah. I mean just call me in for like any job that requires crying. I mean I’ve never had a problem being overly emotional. I think a lot of actors, we’re just sort of like freaks. I don’t know what I would do if I weren’t an actor, because I am such a crybaby. I would just be like that weird cat lady that always crying. Instead I found a career that totally gives me an outlet. Being pregnant was like a whole other level of crying on cue.
Having a child now, we asked if it changes the roles that she takes.
I feel like after “Once Upon a Time”, I think I need something a little more adult for my own just creative satisfaction. Ironically, I've done the opposite where I feel like I have so much imagination in my life now, because I’m with this youthful creature 24/7 I think that though I will want to for sure take jobs that will make him happy and proud like this one. I think it will at the same time keep me from making a TV series that like no children should be watching.
After making “Once Upon a Time” and after this, I’ll probably swing the pendulum in another direction again.
We asked if she was a Tinkerbell fan before this film.
This particular franchise came into being like after I was their target audience for sure. I mean I was raised with Peter Pan. I was introduced to the Tinkerbell series as an adult and fell in love with it. There was no question about wanting to be part of it. I wish that the movies were released in movie theaters. I would think they would appeal to everyone. I mean like my husband he is 36 and was crying through the premiere. There’s something for everyone in the way these stories are told.
We also asked her what the message of this film is.
Balancing your heart with your head. Not judging a book by its cover. The value of being a team player. It can’t just be about our own hearts.
I do think that one should follow one’s heart, but I think that it has to be balanced with what the people around you needed as well.
Our last question was about what is next for her.
Mommy and Me. That would be art and music classes with my kid. I told my reps I need some time off. Outside of promoting this and “Once Upon a Time”, we’re going to just have family time.
Honestly, I loved this answer. She knows where her priorities are. She has managed to balance life and work. Ginnifer was a joy (aff) to interview and I'd love to meet her again.
Will you be watching Tinkerbell And The Legend Of The Neverbeast? Did you learn anything from my interview with Ginnifer? (I loved the pregnant sound booth story myself!)
