Disney has provided me with an expense paid trip to Hollywood for the Disney Planes Event in exchange for my review of the events of the trip. No other compensation was given. The opinions and experiences in my posts are 100% mine. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Disney Planes comes out in theaters on August 9!
Disney Planes is almost here! I am so excited to take the kids to see it after it comes out on August 9. I was in Hollywood for the #DisneyPlanesEvent and learned so much about the amazing work and talent that goes into a film like this. Check out my posts on the animation and story artists and my interview with the Director and Producer for some more behind-the-scenes scoop!
I had such an incredible time at the Disney Planes Event where I was part of a group of 25 bloggers that got to not only screen the movie but get an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. One of the *squee* moments was getting to interview Teri Hatcher who was the voice of Dottie, the no-nonsense mechanic. Unfortunately poor Teri was sick with a miserable sinus infection and wasn’t able to chat with our group in person but we got to interview her over the phone which was nearly as much fun!
First I have to tell you how much I love Dottie in Planes.
She’s cute and purple, but the stereotypical ‘girly’ is not at all how I’d describe her…which I absolutely LOVE! How fantastic to show our kids (who you know absorb every little detail from these movies) that heck yeah, girls can be mechanics who are smart and loyal and don’t wear a crown. Another reason I love Dottie? I got to try my hand at voice acting and play her role for a short scene. Definitely check it out! It was SO much fun to do.
I was so in love with this idea that I popped the first question to Teri during our phone interview and asked how she liked breaking that mold, playing a female in a non-traditional role in a kids’ movie. As I expected she loved it and had so much to tell us about really BEING Dottie, who she described as tough, smart, capable, friendly, and caring. Perfect list of adjectives for her character, by the way. Teri told us that she has a lot of that ‘get ‘er done’ attitude in her but she knows nothing about mechanics so she had a whole new language to learn, and not just learn it, but learn it well enough so that she could speak her lines credibly. Job well done! Dottie is just the mechanic I’d trust my car (or plane) to! She struck the perfect balance with offering words of support to Dusty without being discouraging while still getting across the message to be safe. Moms, we are Dottie.
“Everybody’s life feels like a lot to deal with and at the end of the day you just have to find the joy in it.”
Chatting with Teri about her role as Dottie was so cool, probably because even as famous as she is one of the main things I learned about her through our interview was that above all, she’s a Mom. She told us that her daughter’s favorite Disney movie is the Aristocats and they love to watch it together. She said she gets up at 6am to take her to school. And she said she’s been functioning for weeks with a nasty sinus infection because she’s a mom. Can’t we all relate to that? Take care of everyone else and just keep swimming.
That realness is what makes Teri a perfect voice for Dottie. She’s not cartoony but authentic. Dottie is a very solid, believable character and it’s worth repeating that I love that this role is female voice and wasn’t played down by making it sound flighty and silly. She’s the real deal. And by she I mean both Teri and Dottie.
What do you think of when you think of Teri Hatcher?
Before this interview I definitely thought of Desperate Housewives. Now of course I think of Dottie. Pretty different roles, right? We asked Teri how different it is to play an on-screen actress versus a voice character. It’s actually not as different as you might think. The Director wanted her to be as close to an on-screen actress as possible, using all the same emotion and expression she would if she were on TV. But she got to really relax into her voice and tell the story without worrying about hair and make-up. In fact, she sort of dressed this part in a different way by wearing heavy shoes so she felt grounded to remind her that she was a tough truck and not a lightweight fairy. That physicality can really effect the way you voice your role and helps you connect with your character.
“Kids 50 years from now, whatever the technology is, will still be entertained by these movies. And that’s pretty cool.”
I absolutely agree. Cool indeed. Though Teri’s not dreaming of any specific animated role she’d love to have in the future, she definitely would like to keep doing animation. It’s so much fun and she loves the challenge. Well, girl, you don’t make it sound challenging. I’d say you nailed it.
Stay tuned for even more Planes news from me including my movie review coming in the next couple of days! In the meantime, you can catch a another sneak peek of the movie here, and see the entire line up of stars that are part of the voice cast, too! Check out the Disney Planes website for more Planes fun, and keep up with all the latest Planes news by following on Facebook and Twitter!
Planes hits theaters on August 9!
Retweet and tell your friends!
Teri Hatcher is Dottie in #DisneyPlanes…and I got to interview her! http://t.co/FnhnMKvejO #DisneyPlanesEvent In theaters August 9!
— Lindsay (@PandorasDeals) August 7, 2013
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