Nick Offerman got 'pretty giggly' over playing Smurfs with John Goodman
Actor Nick Offerman likens getting a movie pitch to the feeling of unwrapping a present at Christmas. "Sometimes it says it has Amy Poehler, and it's written by Mike Schur," Offerman explained in an interview with For The Win. "And this one, it's like, it's Smurfs, and you're like, 'Come on.' And then Rihanna, and then John Goodman as Papa Smurf is so ridiculous."
The former Parks and Recreation star is part of a loaded cast, including Goodman and another huge name as his Smurf-y movie brothers. "I am thrilled to get to play brothers, and also to imagine myself in the middle of a trio of men, and the other two are John Goodman and Kurt Russell," said Offerman. "You know, for a farm kid from Illinois, that gets me pretty giggly. So it's been really fun."
Smurfs hit theaters on July 18, bringing the little blue beings back to the big screen in the United States for the fourth time. This is the first time, however, that it has been under the Paramount Pictures umbrella. The loaded cast also includes Dan Levy, Sandra Oh, Natasha Lyonne, Amy Sedaris, Hannah Waddingham, James Corden, Nick Kroll and Octavia Spencer.
The Smurfs cast is far-and-away its biggest strength, and having a voice work expert like Goodman elevates the project. Goodman has lent his voice to major animated movies like Monsters Inc. (Sullivan), The Emperor's New Groove (Pascha) and The Princess and the Frog ("Big Daddy" La Bouff), and the long-time actor loves the challenge.
"It's fun to go away to a pure fantasy place," Goodman gushed. "It's actually a wonderful community that you're helping to create. I mean, it's been created, but you're breathing a little life into it, and thinking of it like that, it just gets you excited."
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