Minion fans rejoice! The cutest criminals to hit the big screen are back in Despicable Me 3. I was invited by Universal Pictures to attend a special sneak preview of the film celebrating the return of Gru and the girls and had the chance to interview stars Steve Carrell and Kristen Wiig about their roles.
D3 picks up with the world’s most lovable villain-turned-hero getting fired from his job at the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down the latest bad guy threatening humanity. Gru (Steve Carrell) then finds himself in the midst of an identity crisis when his long-lost twin brother shows up wanting to be bad. Now Gru will find out just how good it feels to be bad!
Gru and his brother Dru (see what they did there?) are BOTH voice by Steve Carrell. I had the pleasure of interviewing him about his role and the comedy that comes from voicing two different, yet similar, characters.
“Dru was fun to do because I hadn’t done it before. And it was fun to just come up with a different voice that was similar to Gru’s voice but not exactly the same. And I differentiated, or tried to, more in their demeanor than an accent. I think Gru is kind of a grouch, and Dru is really effervescent and silly.” Carrell said.
Kristen Wiig plays Gru’s wife Lucy who is struggling to find her identity as well. She’s now a mom to three very unique little girls. Wiig and Carrell are seasoned improvisors and having a ton of improv experience myself, I had to ask them how their experience plays into a role like this.
“Most of the lines, we say them, you know, a few different ways. And they’ll ask for them a few different ways. They say, “Well, how about trying it this way,” or “If you have any ideas for this part. We improvise. You know, we’re able to improvise a lot. “ Wiig said.
I should point out here that this isn’t the first time I’ve met Steve Carrell. I worked with him on a couple of episodes of The Office years ago when I first started acting. And I can tell you he is as warm and genuine today as he was then. One of my favorite things about him is how realistic he is about his movies and the movie business.
When asked if he feels there is a message or lesson for kids in Despicable Me 3 for kids, his response was priceless.
“I hope they don’t feel like they’re going to see anything that’s going to teach them a lesson. To me, the whole series is about the power of love and family. And I think that just underpins everything. And I think in a–in very gentle ways, I think the filmmakers are able to infuse the movie with stuff like that. It’s not a sexy way to sell a movie, infusing with life lessons. But–’cause ultimately it’s funny.
It’s the funny silliness of the Despicable Me franchise that has resonated with kids and parents over the years. D3 keeps the jokes coming plus the added bonus of a killer soundtrack, produced by Pharrell. 80’s babies will appreciate the references and music.
We had a lot of fun music and silliness at the Despicable Me 3 preview party! There were adorable Minion cupcakes, breakfast from Kellogg’s and delicious treats from Yummy Spoonfuls. And this incredible Bounty paper towels cake from The Ace of Cakes, Duff Goldman.
We also got some one-on-one time with the little yellow guys themselves. How many jail Minion costumes do you think we’ll see this Halloween? Several of my mom friends were already talking about it. Just like everybody will be talking about Despicable Me 3!
Despicable Me 3 stars Steve Carrell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker, Miranda Cosgrove, Nev Sharrel, and Dana Gaier. It opens nationwide on June 30th.
