Latest news with #Klebba
South China Morning Post
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Meet Martin Klebba, the voice of Snow White's Grumpy: he's a Disney veteran with credits including Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion – he's also an advocate for people with dwarfism
Disney's live-action Snow White recently premiered in Los Angeles to mostly positive reviews, per The Hollywood Reporter, but not everyone had a good time. Actor Martin Klebba, the voice of Grumpy, was expressly disappointed about the reduced scale of the event. According to Variety, the studio decided to make it low key because the Marc Webb-directed movie has been embroiled in controversy for 'going woke'. The film was also criticised for how it handled the story's seven dwarves, which Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage called 'f****** backwards' on comedian Marc Maron's WTF podcast. The use of CGI for the characters instead of real performers also sparked discontent among actors with dwarfism, who plan to protest outside Disney Studios, per The Standard. Martin Klebba attends the recent premiere of the film Snow White, in Los Angeles. Photo: Reuters Advertisement 'I'm not disappointed in Disney. I'm disappointed in the world,' Klebba told the New York Post at the less-than-grand premiere, while telling The Hollywood Reporter that Disney was 'afraid of the blowback from different people in society'. TMZ also reported that the actor was frustrated that the lead actresses' political opinions – Gal Gadot 's support for Israel in the war on Gaza and Rachel Zegler's pro-Palestine sentiments and anti-Trump rhetoric – diverted attention from the cast and crew's hard work. So who is Martin Klebba, the happily married husband of Michelle Dilgard and father of two, per Famous Birthdays? How Martin Klebba get into acting? Martin Klebba arrives at the premiere of Disney's Snow White, in Hollywood. Photo: EPA-EFE According to his IMDb profile, Klebba caught the acting bug while attending Troy Athens High School in Troy, Michigan, where his drama teacher noticed his talent. The actor, who has Polish heritage on his father's side, broke into the industry with the help of fellow actor Michael Gilden, who had dwarfism. Klebba is also a successful stunt performer, with credits in works including Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and has co-produced films, such as In the Gray (2012) and Monsters on Main Street (2014). He has worked with Disney before Martin Klebba is best known for his work in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Photo: @thestuntrunt/Instagram Klebba played buccaneer Marty in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and also had a role in Disney's 2003 film The Haunted Mansion, starring Eddie Murphy. Speaking to the New York Post, he recalled dreaming of working for Disney when he was younger. 'Never did I think I was gonna become an actor and work on some of the biggest franchises of all time,' he mused. He is an advocate for people with dwarfism
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Snow White' Actor Reacts to 'Controversy' Surrounding the Live-Action Remake, Claims Disney Is 'Afraid of the Blowback'
Martin Klebba, an actor in Disney's live-action remake of Snow White, is sharing his thoughts on the controversy surrounding the soon-to-be-released film. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Klebba, 55 — who voices Grumpy, one of the seven dwarfs, and also serves as an advisor for the characters — reacted to the project's premiere plans that are set to take place in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 15. 'It really isn't going to be a red carpet,' the actor told the outlet. 'It's going to be at the El Capitan [Theatre], which is cool. But it's basically going to be a pre-party, watch the movie, and that's it." "There's not going to be this whole hoopla of, 'Disney's first f------ movie they ever made.' Because of all this controversy, they're afraid of the blowback from different people in society," Klebba continued. The star also claimed that Snow White's California premiere was changed from original plans because of 'the controversy with Rachel," referring to Rachel Zegler, who portrays the titular Snow White. THR clarified, however, that Klebba "had not been given direct information on why the event was altered." A source with knowledge of the situation also tells PEOPLE, "Nothing was scaled back. It was always the plan to have an afternoon event for families as Disney has done in the past on other family films." Representatives for Klebba, Zegler and Disney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: Rachel Zegler Responds with a Swift Correction to Commenter Questioning Her Casting as Snow White Snow White, which also stars Gal Gadot as The Evil Queen, is a live-action retelling of Disney's first-ever animated feature, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Ahead of its release, the film — which is directed by Marc Webb, written by Erin Cressida Wilson and features original songs from composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul — has faced backlash for a few different reasons. Following her casting announcement in 2022, Zegler, 23, dealt with racist backlash over her playing the Disney Princess while being of Latinx background. (The actress is of Colombian and Polish descent.) She then faced controversy on other occasions, including when she revealed that Snow White's name has a different origin story in the new film and when she described the original movie as 'dated' and added that Prince Charming 'literally stalks' Snow White. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! There has also been rumors of a rift between Zegler and Gadot, 39. A source recently told PEOPLE the two "have a huge age gap and very different political views.' (The Israeli-born Gadot, who served in the Israel Defense Forces, has advocated for the release of Israeli hostages, while Zegler has voiced support on social media for Palestine amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.) Elsewhere, Snow White has been called out by Peter Dinklage, who was born with a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia. He accused Disney of "hypocrisy," citing the fairy tale's "backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together." (Disney opted to use CGI to bring the characters to life.) Related: Inside Snow White's 'Iconic' Costumes, Including the Evil Queen's 'Glamour and Sophistication' (Exclusive) Speaking about the concerns with using real people to portray the seven dwarfs, Klebba told THR, 'I don't usually get into the political stuff, but I [felt], 'Dwarfs aren't going to go away just because you can't imagine that they're there.' We're still going to be walking around." "So I didn't get the whole stuff about not doing the dwarfs. The story's been around forever, and it's a classic," he continued. Klebba did explain to the outlet, though, that he understands why CGI was ultimately used to create the characters — which also include Doc, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey. 'If you guys go this route, it just makes sense to be able to draw them the way you want,' the actor said. 'This way, they're all the same size. And to find seven little people actors to pull it off, that's not an easy thing either.' Klebba previously appeared in two other versions of Snow White, including 2012's Mirror Mirror, which starred Julia Roberts and Lily Collins, and Snow White: The Fairest of Them All, a 2001 TV movie starring Miranda Richardson and Kristin Kreuk. Snow White is in theaters on March 21. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Snow White' Actor Responds to Disney Movie's Premiere Pivot: 'They're Afraid'
One performer from Disney's new Snow White is sharing his thoughts amid the debate surrounding the launch for the live-action movie. Martin Klebba — who has appeared in two previous versions of Snow White, including the 2012 feature Mirror Mirror that stars Julia Roberts and Lily Collins — provides the voice of Grumpy in the new movie and also serves as an advisor for the miner characters. Klebba tells The Hollywood Reporter that the recent controversy surrounding Snow White, which has led to the film's Saturday premiere not inviting press onto the red carpet, has meant a less exciting celebration for those involved in the project that stars Rachel Zegler as the title character and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Freakier Friday' Trailer: Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis Return to Swap Bodies Over Two Decades Later 'Lilo & Stitch' Live-Action Remake Makes Splash With Full Trailer Inside Disney's 'Snow White' Troubles: "They Need to Get This Over With" 'It really isn't going to be a red carpet,' says Klebba, who emphasizes that he is very proud of the movie and cannot wait for audiences to see it. 'It's going to be at the El Capitan [Theatre], which is cool. But it's basically going to be a pre-party, watch the movie, and that's it. There's not going to be this whole hoopla of, 'Disney's first fucking movie they ever made.' Because of all this controversy, they're afraid of the blowback from different people in society.' Klebba says that the premiere changes were due to 'the controversy with Rachel' but clarifies that he had not been given direct information on why the event was altered. Zegler is known as an outspoken star who suggested in 2022 that she was not a fan of the original 1937 animated classic due to outdated plot points. Additionally, after President Donald Trump was elected in November, Zegler posted comments to social media that were critical of his victory before later apologizing. Back in 2022, before filming on the new Snow White had even begun, Peter Dinklage spurred debate when he criticized Disney for retelling 'that fucking backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together.' According to Klebba, the film had already intended to use motion-capture animation for the seven miners in the film. As the voice of Grumpy, Klebba is the only little person to voice one of the seven dwarfs in the film. 'I don't usually get into the political stuff, but I [felt], 'Dwarfs aren't going to go away just because you can't imagine that they're there,'' Klebba explains. 'We're still going to be walking around. So I didn't get the whole stuff about not doing the dwarfs. The story's been around forever, and it's a classic.' Klebba added that, given that the film was creating CGI animals, it also was the right call to use VFX for the dwarfs. 'If you guys go this route, it just makes sense to be able to draw them the way you want,' he says. 'This way, they're all the same size. And to find seven little people actors to pull it off, that's not an easy thing either.' He also was surprised that the new film's title, Snow White, does not mention the dwarfs, as the 1937 version did. 'I wish they would've kept it,' Klebba says of including the dwarfs in the name. 'I wouldn't have gone away from that. But the marketing people know what they're doing.' The actor is grateful to have now been in three film projects related to Disney theme park rides, in addition to his roles in the Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion franchises. As for a potential future Disney gig, Klebba says he would love to be considered to play the Marvel hero Puck, a comic book character with dwarfism. 'I've been waiting forever for somebody to write something for the Marvel Universe, instead of all these beautiful-looking guys like Chris Pratt — let's have somebody different,' quips Klebba, who stars with Pratt in the Netflix film The Electric State. 'Let's see some people that aren't exactly nature's wonder.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked 20 Times the Oscars Got It Wrong The Best Anti-Fascist Films of All Time
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Snow White' actor says he is 'disappointed in the world' over downgraded premiere of Snow White remake
"Snow White" actor Martin Klebba, who voices the character of "Grumpy" the dwarf in the live-action adaptation, lamented that the film's premiere is being downgraded amid public backlash. Variety reported this week that the studio is scaling down the film's red carpet premiere on March 15, making it a smaller event than Disney's typical big-budget premieres. The smaller red carpet event will not be attended by media outlets that usually attend premieres to speak to the film's cast and crew. Though film stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot are set to attend a pre-party and screening at L.A.'s El Capitan Theatre, media coverage will only include photographers and a house crew. Disney did not reply to Fox News Digital's questions about why the premiere was downsized, but the news comes as the film has been mired in controversy for years, stemming from the outspoken views of its lead actress, Zegler, as well as the film's original portrayal of the Seven Dwarfs. 'Snow White' Reboot Star Responds To Backlash Over Her Comments Criticizing Original 1937 Film: 'Made Me Sad' "I was a little disappointed," Klebba, who plays one of the seven dwarfs, told The New York Post. "I'm not disappointed in Disney. I'm disappointed in the world." Read On The Fox News App He explained, "We've come to this place in society where people work really hard on this movie, where Marc [Webb], the director, is probably four years into putting this together, [along with] the producers and Disney, and just because a couple of people have views that not everybody feels the same way, now we're having to alter the fun part of making a movie, which is premieres." Even so, he said that he ultimately understands why Disney chose its current course of action for the film's premiere. "So I'm a little bummed, but I understand it as well," Klebba said. "Disney is one of the greatest production companies of all time, so you gotta be really careful in today's world. So I see why they did it. I'm just still a little bummed because I was really looking forward to doing the red carpet." "I just was really hoping to get together and walk the red carpet with these guys," he said, referring to his fellow cast members. Disney Delays Woke 'Snow White' Reboot For A Year Following Backlash: 'What A Disaster' Nonetheless, the actor, who has been in projects like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the upcoming "Electric State" film on Netflix, said that times have changed. "The world has come a long way. Whether you're woke or not woke, God doesn't make mistakes. Just be you and accepting," he said. "Accept everybody for who they are, and the world would be a great place." He did say that Hollywood has room for improvement, however. "I wish Hollywood would be a little bit more open minded with people with disabilities," he told The Post. "Whether they're in a wheelchair or they're shorter or whatever it might be, give everybody an opportunity." "Step outside the box and be open to casting someone for their abilities, not just for what they look like, even though I'm better looking than Brad Pitt," he quipped. He expressed gratitude for Disney granting him significant opportunities, however. Even if he is frustrated by how this premiere panned out, he credited the company for granting him some major opportunities so far. "When I was 8 years old and I went to Disney World, I was like, 'I'm gonna work for this company one day,'" he said. "Only I thought I was gonna be one of the characters that walked around the park with a big plastic head on, you know? Never did I think I was gonna become an actor and work on some of the biggest franchises of all time." "I love Disney. They do what they gotta do," the actor said. "It's sad that society has gotten to the point where we have to do this nowadays."The film endured multiple controversies in the years before it was released. During Disney's D23 expo in 2022, Zegler slammed the original movie, telling the media, "I mean, you know, the original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird. So we didn't do that this time." One of the remake's other controversies included discussion of how the film's dwarves would be portrayed. Disney ultimately said the company would be taking a "different approach" for the characters. In October 2023, the film was delayed a year. In November 2024, star Zegler apologized for her social media rant against Donald Trump and his supporters that wished they never knew peace. – Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this article source: 'Snow White' actor says he is 'disappointed in the world' over downgraded premiere of Snow White remake
Fox News
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'Snow White' actor says he is 'disappointed in the world' over downgraded premiere of Snow White remake
"Snow White" actor Martin Klebba, who voices the character of "Grumpy" the dwarf in the live-action adaptation, lamented that the film's premiere is being downgraded amid public backlash. Variety reported this week that the studio is scaling down the film's red carpet premiere on March 15, making it a smaller event than Disney's typical big-budget premieres. The smaller red carpet event will not be attended by media outlets that usually attend premieres to speak to the film's cast and crew. Though film stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot are set to attend a pre-party and screening at L.A.'s El Capitan Theatre, media coverage will only include photographers and a house crew. Disney did not reply to Fox News Digital's questions about why the premiere was downsized, but the news comes as the film has been mired in controversy for years, stemming from the outspoken views of its lead actress, Zegler, as well as the film's original portrayal of the Seven Dwarfs. "I was a little disappointed," Klebba, who plays one of the seven dwarfs, told The New York Post. "I'm not disappointed in Disney. I'm disappointed in the world." He explained, "We've come to this place in society where people work really hard on this movie, where Marc [Webb], the director, is probably four years into putting this together, [along with] the producers and Disney, and just because a couple of people have views that not everybody feels the same way, now we're having to alter the fun part of making a movie, which is premieres." Even so, he said that he ultimately understands why Disney chose its current course of action for the film's premiere. "So I'm a little bummed, but I understand it as well," Klebba said. "Disney is one of the greatest production companies of all time, so you gotta be really careful in today's world. So I see why they did it. I'm just still a little bummed because I was really looking forward to doing the red carpet." "I just was really hoping to get together and walk the red carpet with these guys," he said, referring to his fellow cast members. Nonetheless, the actor, who has been in projects like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the upcoming "Electric State" film on Netflix, said that times have changed. "The world has come a long way. Whether you're woke or not woke, God doesn't make mistakes. Just be you and accepting," he said. "Accept everybody for who they are, and the world would be a great place." He did say that Hollywood has room for improvement, however. "I wish Hollywood would be a little bit more open minded with people with disabilities," he told The Post. "Whether they're in a wheelchair or they're shorter or whatever it might be, give everybody an opportunity." "Step outside the box and be open to casting someone for their abilities, not just for what they look like, even though I'm better looking than Brad Pitt," he quipped. He expressed gratitude for Disney granting him significant opportunities, however. Even if he is frustrated by how this premiere panned out, he credited the company for granting him some major opportunities so far. "When I was 8 years old and I went to Disney World, I was like, 'I'm gonna work for this company one day,'" he said. "Only I thought I was gonna be one of the characters that walked around the park with a big plastic head on, you know? Never did I think I was gonna become an actor and work on some of the biggest franchises of all time." "I love Disney. They do what they gotta do," the actor said. "It's sad that society has gotten to the point where we have to do this nowadays."The film endured multiple controversies in the years before it was released. During Disney's D23 expo in 2022, Zegler slammed the original movie, telling the media, "I mean, you know, the original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird. So we didn't do that this time." One of the remake's other controversies included discussion of how the film's dwarves would be portrayed. Disney ultimately said the company would be taking a "different approach" for the characters. In October 2023, the film was delayed a year. In November 2024, star Zegler apologized for her social media rant against Donald Trump and his supporters that wished they never knew peace.
