Toon-In-Talk Episode 11: Interview with Ed Asner

Hello and welcome to eleventh episode of Fanboy Nation’s Toon-In-Talk, your rendezvous for animation interviews. Whitney had the pleasure of interviewing a legendary actor of screen and stage, the incomparable Ed Asner. Asher is famous for not only playing Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but he has lent his voice to many animated shows and movies. You might recognize him as Hudson on Gargoyles, Granny Good from the DC Animated Universe, and as Carl Fredricksen from Up. He even tells Whitney he hates her spunk to her delight! Show Notes Ed Asner has a prolific career ranging over fifty years, including Broadway, TV, movies, and more. He was the voice of Carl Fredicksen on Up, he was also on Freakazoid!, Captain Planet, Gargoyles, Spider-Man, and Batman: The Animated Series. The villain on Batman scared Whitney as a child. He started out as a radio actor and when he switched over to visual performances, Ed had to retrain himself on using his voice. They talk about the weather, the various places where Ed has lived, and how he dislikes New York. On Gargoyles, Ed was intimidated by his fellow voice actors because of their talent. The show had a great staff and he especially notes Greg Weisman as a writer. Ed sings the Jeopardy theme as Whitney searches for a number. He loved playing Granny Good from the DC Animated Universe. When he plays a villain, Ed draws influences from the characters in the Dick Tracy comics. Carl Fredricksen wasn’t specifically made for Ed, he had to audition like everyone else. Ed says that avuncular is the best way to describe old grumps. The entire recording session for Up lasted about six to eight sessions totaling about four-six hours each. Ed took a big spill in the Pixar recording room, but he went back to work without a problem. Actors are regular people who love to play certain parts and indulge in certain character traits, but they especially love to keep people surprised. Ed thinks of Up as a double love story, the first is with Ellie and the other is when Russell. He wishes that dogs and cats could communicate with humans like Dug in the movie. They talk about Up’s emotional impact on people and on Ed himself. Ed says that he is most like Carl Fredricksen out of all the characters he has voiced. We end the interview with a drug PSA.