Source: People
Date: July 6, 1998

Animal Instincts

So how did Hank Azaria get into character to play a gonzo cameraman nicknamed Animal in Godzilla? "I thought of that Lou Grant character [a photographer played by Daryl Anderson] and the drummer on The Muppets," says Azaria, 34. "Both those guys were named Animal." When it came to acting opposite the computer-generated lizard, he looked within for inspiration. "At first you imagine Godzilla, but that gets boring," says Azaria. "Then you imagine, `What if my dog was that big? What if my mom was that big? What if my first-grade teacher was that big?' It was a long shoot."