Benjamin Bratt loves blimps. I did not know this about him, but apparently it’s true, because halfway through our interview about Despicable Me 2 a blimp in the shape of a yellow minion blotted out the sun and he immediately leapt up like a schoolboy and ran to the window to get a good look at it. What a fun guy.
Benjamin Bratt may be best known for dramatic roles and romantic leads in films like Traffic and Miss Congeniality, but he’s clearly having the time of his life voicing broad comedic characters like the supervillain “El Macho” in Despicable Me 2. But it’s not your typical voice-over job: Bratt actually replaced Al Pacino in the part, at the zero hour, long after the movie was already finished. In our interview, Bratt explains how that part came to be, the technical challenges involved, and describes Pacino’s now abandoned work as “brilliant.”
We also talk about Demolition Man‘s three seashells, nacho-guacamole hats, middle age and breaking into broad comedy after years of serious roles. Enjoy!
CraveOnline: Hey, nice to meet you, man. Big fan.
Benjamin Bratt: You set? You want something to drink, man?
Oh, I’m good but thank you.
I’m gonna grab a Pellegrino.
Very nice. Very fancy. You movie stars and your fancy drinks….
[Laughs] It’s just mineral water, bro!
It’s fancy water. It has a name! It’s not just water-water.
I’m not a guy for toys or any gadgets, really. I mean, I kinda have too much crap already at home but my wife got me one of those home CO2 cartridge, soda-water makers.
Oh yeah, how does it work?
It’s my favorite fucking thing in the world.
Is it cool?
It’s just incredible. Put a little of my well water in it, in two seconds it’s carbonated.
My mom got me this one thing that makes iced tea at home and I’m just addicted to caffeine, so it never stops being used. How ya’ doin’, man?
[Laughs] I’m great. You know, it’s been really fun today, talking to people who dig the movie. It’s kind of refreshing that across the board, they seem to like it.
Do you do interviews for other movies…?
You’re gonna ruin my day though, aren’t you? [Laughs]
No, no! Do you do interviews though, where people are just like, “Hey, Benjamin Bratt. I’m a big fan. I hated this one, but tell me about it!”
No. You know, typically what happens is, if the bulk of the [interview] ends up talking about other things unrelated to the movie, you know they didn’t like it. [Laughs] So, if you start asking me what my favorite color is, I know we’re in trouble.
I never do that. I do sometimes ask about other movies you were in, because you were actually in one of my favorite movies, Demolition Man.
Is that right?
I love that movie! That movie is, I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but it’s getting kind of a cult, where people really start appreciating just how ahead of their time the jokes about the future were in that movie. It plays well.
I’m sensing that because it’s one of those films that won’t go away. And I’m continually asked, “What is the deal with those three seashells?”
I think Stallone actually answered that once. He was like, “I asked the screenwriters. One is for clamping, one is for scraping…” And I’m like, “Argh! I didn’t actually want to know!”
A little too much visualization.
A little too much. I’m sorry, “now” I’ve ruined your day… Did you get to keep your glow-rod? I always thought those things were cool. Did you get to keep anything from that movie?
No.
Do you keep props? Do you keep any souvenirs?
I’m not a nostalgic in that way. I probably should have been, and I’m aware of a lot of people who have like, a vanity room where they keep all their trophies and their pictures. Had I started that a long time ago, I’d probably have a pretty cool room setup.
Yeah, you’ve been doing this a while. You’ve got some great movies to your credit.
I’ve worked with a lot of really wonderful people, but I’m just not that organized, man. That’s my problem.
I’m a clutter-bug. I collect everything. This little Despicable Me notepad right here, this is gonna go on a chest somewhere, with all my other movie paraphernalia.
You’re a movie fanatic.
I am a movie fanatic. That’s why I do what I do. I was reading in the press notes that your kids loved Despicable Me 1.
Right.
So, they were fanatics for the first film.
They are. They’re actually pretty discerning, too, for their ages. I think kids in general, have a really good, built-in bullshit meter, and they know when something’s too saccharine, that’s overdosed on marketing ploys to get them hooked into a franchise. This one has undeniable heart. In fact, the first time I saw this movie was with my Wife, apart from my kids and subsequently, we watched it on DVD together. Although, by its markings it looks like it’s designed for children, it’s actually a film….
It’s kind of a pessimistic little movie, at times. Like, it’s very dark.
Well, there’s this great balance of this acerbic, subversive humor. It’s kind of dark in nature, balanced with what we discover is a real kind of tenderness. A heart.
Even as a kid, I always liked characters and stories with a sad sack at the heart of it. My favorite Winnie the Pooh character was always Eeyore. Characters like that. There’s a sympathy. We’ve all felt like that.
In Charles Schulz, you liked Pig-Pen.
Yeah, right? Actually, I think I was more of a Schroeder kid, just because I wanted to play piano and I was never any good at it…
