‘Coco’ Movie: Anthony Gonzalez Talks ‘Toy Story,’ ‘Incredibles,’ And How He Got The Part
Coco, the Pixar movie, won the Best Animated Feature award at the Oscars 2018. Directed by Lee Unkrich, it was up against other animated drama films such as Ferdinand, The Boss Baby, The Breadwinner, and Loving Vincent. The film follows the life of a young Mexican boy named Miguel, voiced by Anthony Gonzalez, who aspires to become a great musician.
He accidentally gets the chance to visit the land of the dead, where he meets his great-great-grandfather, who then helps reunite him with his family back in the land of the living. Scripted by Matthew Aldrich and Molina, the movie is themed after Mexico’s Día de Muertos, which is a holiday that focuses on remembering and celebrating dead friends and relatives.
About what the experience was like, the main star, Anthony Gonzalez, revealed to Collider that getting the part was the most fun part. He apparently got word that he got the role via a Christmas card sent by director Lee Unkrich. The following was his expression.
“I opened it and there was this big, wonderful piece of artwork that said, ‘You got the part!’ And I was just like, ‘What? I can’t believe this just happened!'”
His family was just as overwhelmed. Before that, his role had been just the scratch voice, Miguel’s temporary voice, and only got to record about three times a month. In the interview, Gonzalez also credited the Coco movie team for the awesome support and outlined his daily routine while developing Miguel’s voice at the studio saying, “I would just do it like I was in Miguel’s shoes.” To him, the whole thing was like having a conversation, which made it fun.
Gonzalez also talked about his love for Disney/Pixar animations such as Toy Story, Cars, and The Incredibles. He apparently has the Woody toy from Toy Story and a Buzz Lightyear blanket. That said, Coco‘s other voice cast includes Edward James Olmos, Gael García Bernal, Alanna Ubach, Benjamin Bratt, Ana Ofelia Murguía, and Renée Victor.
Coco director Lee Unkrich dedicates Best Animated Movie Oscars win to Mexico: 'Representation matters' https://t.co/TxElKydDNC
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 5, 2018
The movie made history as the first all-Latino cast to feature a budget of more than $100 million, with actual figures being between $175 and 200 million. Accolades it won at the Academy Awards are Best Original Song – “Remember Me” and Best Animated Feature. The movie also won a BAFTA award, Critic’s Choice Movie award, Golden Globe award, and the Annie award.
