Angelina Jolie who has lent her voice to the character of Tigress, and Jack Black, the voice of Po, talk about their love for these characters and how they relate to them. Excerpts
What made the last two Kung Fu Panda movies a hitIJ
Each film has its own uniqueness. They’re about family, and they raise questions like: ‘Where do I belong’IJ Also, because of the influence of China, people get to know this other world and understand a different place. There’s a wisdom of the ages that comes out of these characters, and for a lot of children, it’s the first time they’ve ever heard these things. It’s very nice to entertain and give them a bit of culture and grounding.
Tell us about the third edition of the movieIJ
Po meets his birth father and is now no longer the only panda around. We learn about other pandas and where they are and who they are, and Po has to learn to understand who he is.
What do you like about Tigress and which of her qualities do you think you haveIJ
She can take things too seriously — I think I’ve that problem. I can want to be in battle all the time and take things very seriously and forget to have a laugh. Tigress is kind of private; even though I’m a very public person, I’m quite private.
What do your children think of her, and do they have a favourite characterIJ
How can they not love PoIJ Though I’ve never actually asked them if they have a favourite. They’re all different ages, so probably some will like the baby pandas and some will like Seth Rogen because they’ve seen his movies, and some will like Jackie Chan... but everybody loves Po.
What was it like returning to this hugely popular characterIJ
It was great to revisit the character of Po. It is always fun to jump into his enthusiastic skin and relive the dream of becoming the master, the Dragon Warrior.
What makes Po so popularIJ
It is his innocence and naïveté. He’s not the brightest bulb in the hardware store, but people identify with his emotional purity, that love of kung fu and the kindness at the core of his being. He’s bumbling and clumsy, but he is also a magical creature, so he’s got that yin and yang about him.
How much of Po is in youIJ
A little bit, it’s inevitable. I’m not putting on a voice in the way I’ve done with other characters. I’m not even lowering the voice to be bear-like or anything. I’m just being a more enthusiastic, innocent version of myself. I guess Po keeps me in touch with my inner child. He is like a younger version of me. It reminds me of that childlike side we all have, how it is important not to lose that part of yourself, the child who just wants to play and do things because they’re fun.
Have you encountered any real pandasIJ
I went to see a baby panda at the Atlanta Zoo (in 2011). There’s a naming ceremony when a panda turns 100 days old, and we were there and named him Po.