Date: June/July 1998
Source: Nick Magazine

Wild Animal

What does the character Apu from The Simpson's have in common with teh character Animal from Godzilla? They're both played by Hank Azaria. David Lewman talked to the actor about his latest role.

Nick Mag: Why is your character in Godzilla called Animal?

Hank: Because he throws himself into any situation. He's a news cameraman who will do whatever it takes to get good footage of Godzilla. He has no regard for is personal safety whatsoever. He also eats like an absolute pig.

Nick Mag: How did you prepare for the movie?

Hank: Seeing anything twenty stories tall walking down the street will make your face do something interesting, so I'd play an all-day game of imagining different things that size. I'd imagine my dog or my mom twenty stories tall walking down the street.

Nick Mag: Who are your favorite mosters?

Hank: I loke the alien in Alien, and Cookie Monster - he's a very enjoyable monster.

Nick Mag: Were you scared of monsters as a kid?

Hank: I was terrified of monsters such as Dracula and Frankenstein. It wasn't until I was a teenage that I started enjoying them. I was never scared of Godzilla or King Kong, though - they were sort of heroes.

Nick Mag: When you were a kid, did you watch Godzilla movies on TV?

Hank: Yes, I remeber arguing with friends about who would win if Godzilla and King Kong we matched up against each other.

Nick Mag: Back then, who did you think would win?

Hank: Well, the sentimental favorite was Kind Kong. But we all figured Godzilla would take him, because he had the tail and the firey breath, which King Kong did not have.

Nick Mag: What was the hardest part about filming Godzilla?

Hank: The entire movie takes place in one day, during a pouring rainstorm. For about a month we shot at night, so we;d be soaking wet all night long. We'd shiver for hours straight. Everyone got sick. That was the toughest part.

Nick Mag: How did the filmmakers make it rain?

Hank: They used enormous sprinklers. Gigantic. I was like have buckets of water dumped on your head. In order for rain to show up on film, the raindrops have to be thick, thick, thick.

Nick Mag: What would you do if you met the real Godzilla?

Hank: Certainly not what I do in the film, which is run at him with a camera in my hand. I probably would do what everyone else does in the movie - run screaming.