Do people expect you to be big and enthusiastic in real life because they have seen you play such characters before?
Yeah, all the time. When people know you’re an actor, period, they think you’re going to tell this amazing story of what happened to you on the way to dinner and it’s going to be charming. Add to this the fact that I’m mostly known to do kydy medi and it’s like, “Well, where are the voices?” I’m not going to do the characters right now. It is believed that acting is an extroverted thing. But that is not necessary.
So where do you get those qualities when you play these types of roles?
It depends on the character, but once I do that – especially “SNL.” But, because he is alive and you have millions of people watching – you will only go into one zone. And then you get out of it. It’s funny because at first Barbara was nervous and unsure about herself but I found it difficult to play. That Who happens after that.
Why was it difficult?
Because I was initially resistant to adding humor to it. I didn’t want her to feel like she did things before, or I wouldn’t be able to do this part without adding that Kristen wasn’t. But Patty and I did this one thing that completely shifted my mind to where she was, if you let yourself just let that humor come out, it would feel authentic and not as strange as you think. And that completely changed my experience. When the cheetah is evil, it’s like this, right, now I’m this guy. Maybe having more of me in Barbara, I had a really more challenging time with that part of the shoot.
Was there physical training for this role?
[Exhales audibly] Yes. About two months before we started shooting, I got a trainer – the movie I wanted to start. While you watch the movie, we learned and performed all those fight sequences, in addition to our stunt people. There are definitely some CGI elements later, but for the most part it’s wire work. They are all real people. I originally had a sore throat like nine months. And it’s so easy to complain and say oh my God, I can’t even walk up the stairs. But, to be honest, being strong was so helpful, to get who this character was. It just makes me feel really good.
[The next few questions contain mild spoilers for “Wonder Woman 1984.”]
There is a scene where Barbara, just beginning to come to her senses, enters a party and finds joy in finding that she is the center of everyone’s attention. Does it make her experience as enjoyable as it is for you, or do you feel the glare of more attention?
