Jamie Chung on the Voice-Over Process for 'Big Hero 6'

I'm joined on the Young Hollywood sofa with the lovely Jamie Chung. How are you?

Good, how are you?

Looking as stylish as ever.

Thank you.

Always very well dressed.

Always, I knew I'd have to step it up today with some. You look great too. With some flowers.

Yeah, I wasn't fishing for that but thank you. It looks good.

Thank you. I'll take it.

Maybe we should wrap this up now. End on a high.

We're done. We we can we can do this.

No we can't because there's something bigger ahead. Big Hero 6.

It's exciting. So fun. You know, I I saw the movie once with the cast and crew in a really small group and I got to see it again last night with my nephew and my family and it was it's like 700 people. Um, people of all ages and it was it was a good time.

You're not seeing yourself. It's different. You're you're hearing yourself. Yeah. How is that?

It's so strange. Um, you know, the first time watching it, I'm listening and I'm still judging myself which is like an awful like thing that actors do I feel like. Um, but you know, and the second time around, I I really got engulfed by the world that was created and it was it's just so fun. You know, there's like different elements that they picked up on that I didn't get to see the second time and you know, it's this is one to be proud of.

Right. Yeah. And and you say the world that they created. So when you're doing this process, what what exactly is going on for people that obviously don't know?

You you're given nothing. I mean, you walk into a sound booth. Okay. There's a there's a glass wall and there's the producers, writers, editors behind it. And you can't hear them unless they press a button. Okay. Kind of like a taxi.

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, but no, it's it's soundproof. So you don't hear anything and it's quite daunting because you perform, you perform the line and they're like, hold on and they take their hand off the button so you don't hear anything and literally the guys are like talking and they're like, oh, I don't know and you're just like, God, I guess I really screwed up that line. That's because no one's done it before. Zero resistance, faster bike. There are no red lights in a car chase. With a live action movie, you get the visual aid of of being on a set and this world is created for you but on an animation film, you know, there's animation is still being worked on. So, you know, you have a couple sketches, but that's about it.

Did you know what you were going to look like?

Yeah, I did. They had they had um conceptual art up for us to give us inspiration. But it's it's interesting to see the progression of each character because they have like the original concept idea and like what they ended up with is still different.

See, I always look at like for me an actor has made it when they've done an animation. That's it. That's it then. Yeah because it's like Oscars and all that. You forget that but as soon as you see on that billboard that an actor has their voice in an animation, I'm like, where do you go from there?

Exactly. It's brilliant. It's amazing. You're done. You can retire.

Yeah. But the plot is a hero for Mar and uh they they uncover a criminal a criminal plot. And then so there's six of you that are crime fighters that go against go against to stop this.

Yeah, I mean, it's really hard to to kind of get everything in the nutshell. Um

Right. But you haven't done it yet.

I tried. I tried. I mean, I tried.

It's a good start. And we have only got a small nutshell. So we we got to try and fit it in.

So it's it's a story of about Hero and um his robot friend Baymax. Right. And they're they kind of see this is hard. They they try to solve the mystery of his brother's death and so the their friends gang together and they become Big Hero 6 and they protect San Fransokyo as well as themselves from this villain in a mask, Mr. Man in a mask.

San Fransokyo. It's brilliant. Brilliant. Um you mentioned Baymax. I think he that's going to be the biggest selling toy. He's my favorite character. That's going to be the biggest selling toy this Christmas time.

How could you not love them? He's like a vinyl. He's

Right. Like a marshmallow. He's perfect. He's perfect. Um and uh animation-wise, what's your favorite animation movie of all time?

I mean, I've watched so many growing up. I I remember watching the re-release of Bambi and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I watched Cinderella. I watched Mermaid. Up. Finding Nemo. I mean, you name it.

I just said one, Jamie. You're getting carried away. I'm sorry. Let's do this. On that note, if you could just voice over one of those characters, any any animation, any cartoon character ever, which one would you like to be the voice of?

Oh man.

So a tough one, I know.

It would probably be just around the river bend. I look once more. It'd be Pocahontas. I really.

Did you not know that one? No. I did but I was just in shock because I just expected a little simple answer. That was brilliant. That was amazing. When you're watching you've done all this. You you're in the sound booth. You're watching it for the first time. Is it is it quite nerve-wracking especially at the premiere? Because you mentioned the premiere when when everyone's there. Is that nerve-wracking?

It's crazy but you know, it you know, watching the movie for the first time and knowing how much work is put into these projects. Like, you know, the thing with Disney animation films is they spend anywhere from 7 to 10 years working on a particular project. Right. So they really have the luxury of time of like, you know, molding it into what they want it to be and perfecting every joke and like it's it's so well thought out and detailed and so, you know, the the end product that you get is like you can't help but be proud of it. Right. So I wasn't worried. I was more excited to like share this experience with my family.

It's exciting times. Yeah. And um going going into bigger things right now. I had lunch today. Oh no, you didn't. Look. This is like amazing. It's a little what do what do you call that? Is it a moose? Is it a messenger bag?

This is this is a fresh fit for kids messenger bag. It's a little um yeah, it's a it's a carry all. It's a little lunch lunchbox.

I I saw this and they mentioned it was for kids and I was thinking, this could totally replace women's handbag as well. That's so cool. You know. It's quite good. Have you have you seen that yet? Or is this the first time?

No, I mean, I I saw other this is yours. I saw other characters but I didn't see one with just Gogo. This is Gogo. That's you.

In the movie, you're a crime fighter. What do you prefer being a hero or a villain?

I haven't had the opportunity to play a villain yet and I think it'd be so fun. And you know, you don't ever think I'm a think of these people as like malicious individuals. They're just misunderstood.

Oh. Yeah. That's a lovely note. Yeah. That's a lovely note. Look, he's it's like a little drool pad. It's multi-purpose. This is brilliant. Oh. I think it's just because it's you on there. She had she was kissing. Oh. She was kissing. I love you too. Right on there. Jamie Chung. Big Hero 6. Watch it. I mean, everyone's got it. It's going to be the blockbuster of the year. Animation. It's just Disney. They just do it right. It's awesome. So awesome. It's awesome. Gogo. Gogo Tomago. It just rolls off your tongue. It does. Gogo Tomago. Go go to Tomago. Go go Tomago.