Jay Baruchel in the recording booth for 'How to Train Your Dragon'. Courtesy Paramount Home Entertainment.
Jay Baruchel has come a long way since getting his start on Canadian TV shows Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Popular Mechanics for Kids when he was a pre-teen. Even with his newfound success stateside after appearing in big Hollywood films Million Dollar Baby, Tropic Thunder, Knocked Up, and She’s Out of My League, the diverse actor makes a point of returning to his humble roots (and country), and he’s helped spearhead Canadian productions The Trotsky, Real Time, and the upcoming Good Neighbours. Baruchel’s also got a soft spot for making children happy, which is one of the main reasons he jumped at the chance to voice the character of Hiccup in the animated adventure How to Train Your Dragon.
Criticize This! spoke with Baruchel about How to Train Your Dragon, which is landing on DVD
Criticize This!: What was it about the role of Hiccup that attracted you to the part?
Jay Baruchel: He’s your quintessential Joseph Campbell “hero’s journey” hero in many respects. He’s a classic character and I immediately connected with that. More so, it was the work as a whole I connected to that got me interested… the chance to be part of something that would make a bunch of kids happy, as cliched as that sounds. I remember growing up and watching certain movies and cartoons, and reading certain books, and it impacted me in such a huge, meaningful way. When you like something when you’re little you’ll like it more than you’ll ever like anything later on — you carry those fond memories from your childhood with you. For me the chance to play even a minor role in being a part of something that might do that for just one kid was a no-brainer and I had to be a part of it.
CT!: Were you actively looking for a part in an animated film?
JB: No, I wasn’t, but I wasn’t looking to avoid them either. I like all sorts of different types of movies. None of my top three movies have anything to do with each other, there’s nothing in common. As a result I want to be in different types of movies. A good movie is a good movie regardless of what medium it’s made in and what country it’s done in. A great story with awesome characters is all that matters. But when you get to do animation you get to see this wonderful world, and there’s so much stuff we can do with animation that we can’t even come close to touching with live-action.
CT!: Did you find you had to prepare for the role differently than you do with a live-action film?
JB: Doing this part robbed me of certain crutches I rely on. I no longer had my hands or my posture or anything to sell what I was selling. I had nothing but my voice. It was like a mini acting school. I had to relearn a bunch of things and I’m a better actor for having been in this movie.
CT!: How long did it take to record the part of Hiccup?
JB: I started recording it while I was shooting Tropic Thunder, which was at least three-and-half years ago. It was done piecemeal for two hours in a booth every month.
CT!: How did it feel when you got to see the final film?
JB: I can’t describe it. It was moving and inspirational. I got goosebumps and was a weepy, sobbing, crying mess for many parts of it. In a word I was proud, proud as hell. Seeing Hiccup specifically was as close to having a kid as I’ve ever come. He looks and moves kind of like me but he’s his own dude. I felt this immense parental pride.
CT!: Are you a fan of the new 3-D technology?
JB: If it’s used properly. To me it’s just a tool in the arsenal to tell stories. 3-D is irrelevant if there’s nothing to connect to it in the story and the characters. There have been plenty of movies that have used the technology that have not been that awesome but there’s been plenty of great ones too. The difference between them isn’t which 3-D is better but which one has the best writing, directing, and acting. Our movie is every bit as impactful and important without 3-D as it was with it.
CT!: With How to Train Your Dragon and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice both coming out this past summer do you notice a younger fan base now?
JB: A little bit. It’s weird because I’m 28 now and have been doing this since I was 12. When I was a kid I did a bunch of children’s shows and a lot of them are still on so my whole career I’ve had kids come up to me and dig things that I did. There’s no greater moment for me than having a little kid say ‘You’re Hiccup!’ or whatever. That stuff is important.
CT!: Your new film Goon begins production next week, which you not only star in but also wrote. Can you give us some info on it?
JB: This movie is going to be a kick in the teeth. People have certain expectations and I plan to smash all of them. I’ve been getting a bit of flack for my lack of modesty when it comes to Goon, but I’m so proud of what we have put together and we haven’t even started shooting yet. When all is said and done we will have given Canada, hockey fans, and movie fans as a whole a pretty special two hours. At the end of the day we’re just making a really, really bad-ass flick.
How to Train Your Dragon is available on DVD
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