by Paul Fischer
by
Paul Fischer
John Goodman is no stranger to the
world of animation, Disney-style, recently stealing 
the
likes of Emperor's New Groove and now the world of Monsters, Inc.,
from the Academy Award-winning creators of Toy Story. The top kid Scarer
at Monsters, Inc., the largest scare factory in the monster world, is James P.
Sullivan (Goodman), a huge, intimidating monster with blue fur, large purple spots
and horns, known as "Sulley" to his friends. His Scare Assistant, best
friend and roommate is Mike Wazowski (Billy
Crystal), a lime green, opinionated, feisty, one-eyed monster. Scaring
children isn't such an easy job, though -- monsters believe children are toxic
and that direct contact with them would be catastrophic. The film's eclectic cast
of characters also includes the factory's crab-like CEO Henry J. Waternoose (James
Coburn), the beguiling serpent-haired receptionist Celia (Jennifer Tilly),
and the sarcastic chameleon monster, Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi), who
schemes to replace Sulley as Monsters, Inc.'s top Scarer. Making an uninvited
visit from the human world is Boo (Mary Gibbs), a tiny girl who turns the
monster world upside down. [Interview conducted 10/2001]
CrankyCritic®: What is your attraction to animation?
John Goodman: Well, I started doing it for my daughter, but in a couple
years she'll probably be too old for this stuff. I listened to a lot of radio
theater when I was a kid and I've always been a fan of that stuff.
CrankyCritic®: Did you have a deal with Disney?
John Goodman: No. They started this about halfway through Emperor's
New Groove and then started doing Jungle Book 2 about three quarters
of the way through this.
CrankyCritic®: If animation is for your daughter, what are roles
like Coyote Ugly for?
John Goodman: For the money. Honest to God, that's the only reason
I did it.
CrankyCritic®: Is computer animation a different process for
you than traditional?
John Goodman: No. It's just you and a microphone, so it's the same
principle. There's no difference at all.
CrankyCritic®: Did you know what Sullivan would look like when
you started?
John Goodman: Oh, yeah. From jump street, they had the illustrations
and computer stuff. It's a long process, so it would be maybe two months later
I'd come back and they'd have more stuff done and show me how they incorporated
- they videotape you when you're reading so they incorporate some of your gestures
and your facial expressions.
CrankyCritic®: So, if it was no different than the usual animation,
how did you get such great interaction with Billy, since he records his lines
separately?
John Goodman: No, we did! They usually don't let actors read together.
They usually read them one at a time with a producer or a director, but this time
they brought Billy and I together, I guess to see what would happen. The energy
just took off like a rocket. So, Billy, after we'd get done with the script, he'd
kind of take over and do whatever he wanted and I'd just try to keep up with him.
CrankyCritic®: Any comedy bits that were left out of the film?
John Goodman: Probably. I haven't seen it yet, but Billy would go
off on these tangents and a lot of them you don't want in a Disney film. He'd
start and then I'd have to bite my lips and I'd be crying. Then I'd try to get
a line out and he had me going so hard. Oh, man. He's a beast.
CrankyCritic®: Whose idea was it to sing the end song?
John Goodman: Well, Randy Newman was always doing the score. Then
he wrote the song and I've always been a huge fan of his. I just think he's the
best. We did it pretty much after we wrapped everything else.
CrankyCritic®: Will you take that song on the road now?
John Goodman: Yeah, I think we ought to do it at the Oscars next year.
CrankyCritic®: Where did your monsters hide?
John Goodman: Under the bed, not the closet. After a while I got hip
and started getting a broom stick, pushing it under there. Yeah, I had all kinds
of crap in my closet. There's no way one could've survived in there with my sneakers
alone.
CrankyCritic®: Was there one particular monster that was worse
than the others?
John Goodman: Frankenstein. Scared the hell out of me. They used to
have a show called This is your Life. One night Boris Karloff was on and I made
the mistake of watching it. So, that night, I knew he was coming for me and I
got up. I don't know why, but I could actually see him walk down the hall and
I ran into my mom's room. "What are you doing in here? Oh, no he's not. Go
back to bed."
CrankyCritic®: Did the broomstick help against him?
John Goodman: Well, once you went under the bed, through the closet,
hit the bed again, and then you were good to go. And I invented bullet proof sheets
so they couldn't kill me.
CrankyCritic®: Do your kids have monsters they hide from?
John Goodman: My daughter, I have an 11 year old daughter and we had
just gotten her out of my bedroom when the big earthquake hit. So, that was a
big monster there. She was afraid of that for a while.
CrankyCritic®: Where did the comedian come from in you?
John Goodman: Desperation. I don't know, I've always looked at the
world kind of weird.
CrankyCritic®: How?
John Goodman: I just always liked to laugh.
CrankyCritic®: Now that it's in every character you do, do you
have to maintain a certain weight?
John Goodman: Dah. Yeah, I do this on purpose. Dah. It'd be a goddamn
shame to lose 100 pounds.
CrankyCritic®: Why do you think Normal, Ohio didn't
work?
John
Goodman: Oh, I don't know. People didn't watch it. Basically, that's
it. The network hated it too. The only thing that I wanted them to do was show
the last show that we shot where Danny Aykroyd and I had an affair. We could get
two lines and I'd just start laughing. They showed every one of the damn shows
except for that one.
CrankyCritic®: Was that a money project?
John Goodman: You bet. No, I had been wanting to get back on television
and Bonnie Turner and Terry, her husband, who I've worked with on Saturday
Night Live, and it sounded like a good idea at the time. I'm half kidding
about the money part, but I really do enjoy doing television shows.
CrankyCritic®: Do you want to try TV again?
John Goodman: Sure. It's gotta be good though because if it's not
brilliant coming out of the box, they'll pull the plug on you after two weeks.
They don't give you a chance.
CrankyCritic®: Would you want to do a drama?
John Goodman: No. You work so goddamn hard on them, pulling 16 hour
days. The money's not that much better than a half hour and it's just a lot of
time away from home and then it's over. It's gone in one night. I'd rather just
do sitcoms. They're a lot easier and a lot more fun.
CrankyCritic®: Would you do a single camera sitcom or standard
audience one?
John Goodman: I'll be honest with you. I like doing it in front of
an audience. I'm getting old and cranky. I just like the old stuff. Everybody
Loves Raymond is great, stuff like that.
CrankyCritic®: Do you miss SNL?
John Goodman: Yeah. I think I've worn out my welcome there. I don't
have anything interesting or hot coming up. You can't blame them. They want these
young kids that actually have a career now to host the show.
CrankyCritic®: Why isn't this movie hot?
John Goodman: I mean as an actual actor. I'm very proud of this.
CrankyCritic®: What
else are you working on?
John Goodman: Nothing. I've been away from home for too long, so I
just want to go fish and play some golf.
CrankyCritic®: Fly fishing?
John Goodman: No, sir. I'm a lazy boy. I bait fish. We get all kinds
of water around us in Louisiana so I need to get the boat out and go for a flounder
and red fish, speckle trout, go off a little bit, go out to the oil rigs and get
some red snappers.
CrankyCritic®: You live in St. Louis?
John Goodman: No, I don't. I live in New Orleans. I was born in St.
Louis.
CrankyCritic®: Why New Orleans?
John Goodman: I wanted to get out of Los Angeles for a while and my
wife is from Louisiana. I'm going to be away from home a lot so I wanted her to
be with her family when I was gone.
CrankyCritic®: Have you kept in touch with Roseanne?
John Goodman: Rose called about six months ago, just to check up,
see what I was doing. But no, I haven't talked to her for a while. I hope she's
doing all right. She looks great.
CrankyCritic®: Have you gone on her talk show?
John Goodman: Yeah. IT was weird. The last time, she was determined
to sing the blues so I wound up playing harmonica behind her. She started improvising
lyrics and it went on for about a half hour.
CrankyCritic®: You're playing "Baloo" in Jungle
Book 2?
John Goodman: Yeah.
CrankyCritic®: Was that fun?
John Goodman: Yeah. We did a couple pretty good songs. It's just everybody
remembers Phil Harris from it. I try not to imitate him but go along those lines,
so it is kind of a challenge.
CrankyCritic®: Any of the same songs?
John Goodman: Well, there's a small repetition of "The Bear Necessities".
CrankyCritic®: Do you like singing?
John Goodman: Yeah. Unfortunately, I'm not very good at it anymore,
not that I ever really burnt the house down, but I just smoked too many cigarettes.
My voice isn't what it should be.
CrankyCritic®: Are you wary of traveling now?
John Goodman: No. This is the second trip I've made. I got home last
Sunday from Australia, so that was a big airplane ride. Then, this is the first
trip. They're checking everything really, really well. Plus the passengers now
aren't going to take any crap. None at all.
CrankyCritic®: Did they check you?
John Goodman: Yeah, but they're pretty good at that anyway. I think
it would ease everybody's mind if every airport was like Heathrow. It's not that
bad. They'll get you through it. Some of the people, God Bless Them, security
points in this country are a minimum wage job. It'll get better and it's just
going to take some getting used to.
CrankyCritic®: How important is it for the kids to have this
movie now?
John Goodman: It's tough for me to comment on something like that
because anything I say is going to sound self-serving. I think in times of crisis,
entertainment's always been important.
CrankyCritic®: This one has a positive message?
John Goodman: About fear. I feel a little weird talking about it now.
CrankyCritic®: Do you still do The Blues Brothers?
John Goodman: I haven't for a long time. There might be a reason for
that. I don't know. Jimmy and Dan go out every once in a while. I just haven't
been available, but if they ask me, I'd be there.
CrankyCritic®: Are you trying to work with Dan again?
John Goodman: It sounds to me like Danny wants to retire. That's the
last thing I read about him. I haven't talked to him for a while. I wanted to
call him last week, but I haven't been around to.
