Three-time Emmy winning voice acting icon Keith David and four-time Modern Family SAG Awards winner Rico Rodriguez star in Sneaks. It opens in theaters this Friday April 18th. The animated comedy adventure is about new sneakers won by teen basketball player Edson. The pair is quickly stolen from him — and gets separated. The quest to be reunited in time for a big game is on! David voices “O.G.”, and Rodriguez lends his talents to “Ice”. (Interviews were conducted separately. This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)
Jackson Murphy: Keith, what do you love so much about the voice acting aspect of your career — all the projects you’ve been a part of, and lending your voice to great animated films like this one that have such a good spirit to them?
Keith David: Working!
JM: (laughs)
KD: That’s what I like about it. Working! I got a job. And outside of that, I get to be a part of a great story. The story in anything you participate in as an actor is not always life-changing. It can have that effect but it’s not always. Sometimes it’s just fun. And we need that. Sometimes we just need a fun escape. Now if within that there are some values to be considered, like forgiveness and community, faith, perseverance… if some of those things come into play, well, all the better. But there’s nothing wrong with just having a little old-fashioned fun.
JM: And this is a fun film. You do a wonderful job giving advice and wisdom as O.G. You also voiced Dr. Facilier in “The Princess and the Frog”, which was written by “Sneaks” co-director Rob Edwards.
KD: Yes, indeed!
JM: What do you like about the vision Rob has, towards “Princess” and “Sneaks”, and working with him on this?
KD: Rob is one of my favorite guys. He’s got vision. And he’s tasteful. He’s got good taste. One thing about “Sneaks”: it’s not just fun, it does speak to values that are essential to good community. Like the song says, “We get by with a little help from our friends.” Nobody does anything by themselves. Nobody. We always need help. We need a hand. We need assistance. And this film talks to… asking when you need it, accepting help when you need it, the importance of finding the help you need, even when it’s hard. Those are important values that we as a society should not gloss over.
Keith David (right) and his “sneak”
JM: I agree. Are you a big sneaker guy? Do you have a real connection to them, as you approached your role of O.G.?
KD: Over the years I’ve had some great sneakers. It was kind of a nice irony that I got to play the old Converse, because I love Converses. That was probably my first pair of sneakers.
JM: You have one of the great voices. What would you say to aspiring voice actors to get into the business?
KD: Just keep doing it. Follow your heart. There’s room for everybody. The truth of the matter is: You’re not gonna get every job you go out for, but every time you go out for a job is an opportunity for you to get a job. Keep doing the best that you can, and somebody is going to appreciate your uniqueness and use you in their project.
JM: Rico, we meet Ice during a gumball-style basketball scene that’s a lot of fun. And a lot of your smack talk dialogue is to Martin Lawrence’s character [J.B.]. He’s one of the comedy greats.
Rico Rodriguez: It was a blast. Being able to be a part of this project and then being able to do a scene with Martin Lawrence, who I grew up watching… he’s hilarious. And I’m playing basketball with Captain America [Anthony Mackie, the voice of Ty]. Not a lot of people can say that. When I recorded… Martin and Anthony had already recorded their parts for that enough, so I was able to get a good mixture of what they were gonna sound like. I was able to match their energy. It was so much fun.
JM: Nice. I think this film is gonna connect to families, especially kids who love sports.
RR: My scene is one of the first times you see what Ty is capable of. He’s meant for something special. This movie is something I would see even if I wasn’t in it: It has sneaker culture, basketball, hip hop… the soundtrack is amazing.
Rico Rodriguez and Jackson Murphy (right)
JM: Yes it is. You have also done voice work on several Disney animated shows, like “The Lion Guard”, “Kick Buttowski” and “Jake and the Never Land Pirates”. So what has the voice acting aspect of your career meant to you?
RR: I think it’s so unique and special. I don’t get to do it as often, but when I do… no project’s the same. It’s always something different. On-camera acting is tough. You’re on set for hours with the lights and the lines. And in the booth, you have it right here and you’re recording. You can come in your pajamas. But every sound, every movement of your body, every facial feature comes with a sound that you have to omit from yourself. And that’s always fun.
JM: In 2019 I interviewed your “Modern Family” co-star Eric Stonestreet for “The Secret Life of Pets 2”, and he told me what he loves about animation is the zaniness and craziness. He’s not as much into deep messages and deep commentary — he wants it to be all about fun. When you watch animated films and shows, what’s the tone you’re going for? What are you a fan of?
RR: A lot of movies, when they do it right, blend a good message with a great plot and great fun and craziness that comes to it. It’s animation. It’s not real life. It’s something people are creating from their own imaginations. With “Sneaks” they do a great job. I resonate with movies like “Coco” and “Monsters, Inc.” Yeah it’s a movie about monsters scaring, but at the end I always tear up because it’s bittersweet — you went through this whole journey with these characters and you’re seeing them get to their end point. When a movie does it right, it’s inflicting great stories and emotions and you’re laughing and having a good time. At the end of the day, that’s what I think people will take away from this movie: you’re having a good time. Those are the best animated movies: combining all those elements into one.
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