WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.280 --> 00:00:05.120 How are you doing out there? It's me Tigger. I am Doc Wing 2 00:00:05.280 --> 00:00:09.160 Duck. It's me bouncers keep babcat All right, y'all? Did it ring 3 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:15.240 your favorite bibly you desire hold old nag. My name is Jim Cummings and 4 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:21.160 welcome to tune Jim. Welcome to tuned in with Jim Cummings here on the 5 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:25.239 four Finger Discount Network. I and Brendan Dando joined right now by the professor 6 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:28.839 of pop culture. He is Guy Davis. Hello, Podcast Pounds, as 7 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:31.559 well as producer Chris over there. Hey you doing, Chris good? How's 8 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:34.359 everyone doing? Everyone's doing fine down here in the landown under, and of 9 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:37.240 course they're the man of the hour. He is the one and the only 10 00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:41.600 Jim Cummings here to talk about Hondo anaka had on SUPERB. Thank you for 11 00:00:41.719 --> 00:00:44.920 asking, how's the life of a scoundrel? You know, it's good. 12 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:49.719 It's good to be the pirate. Pirates get away with a lot. The 13 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:53.679 thing is, you can't be the bad guy who's just evil. He's just 14 00:00:53.960 --> 00:00:57.200 this, he's just that. Because I tried to give Hondo a certain sense 15 00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:00.759 of humor about himself and about his coach to it. In fact, this 16 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:06.840 is the one character him and probably Darkwing Duck are the two characters, but 17 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:11.159 definitely Hondo that I just ad libbed a ton of tons of things. And 18 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:15.319 in fact, while we're making a movie, Christopher Robin, one of the 19 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:19.519 producers, came up to me and says, do you subscribe to Vanity Fair? 20 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:22.319 And I don't know. He said, well, just pick up the 21 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:25.760 one on the news stand now and read through it. And I said, 22 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:30.280 okay, So I did, and right in the middle of the magazine it 23 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:36.480 had this little tribute to Hondo O Naka and his top twelve most famous lines 24 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:38.840 that did he had, And he had tons of lines, you know, 25 00:01:38.920 --> 00:01:44.040 like, oh, my goodness, is it a the stories like good Deel, 26 00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:49.480 so many of them true, you know. And he just came up 27 00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:53.560 and I realized as I went down the line there, I made up ten 28 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:57.159 of them. Ten of them were ad libs. So I felt really good. 29 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:01.480 So I'm glad Hondo. I'm glad I was here too. You're bringing 30 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:06.519 him out into the world. I'm guessing that someone at Vanity Fair might be 31 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:08.680 a bit of a Gyms Cummings fan, because there was also an article in 32 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:14.400 that magazine around the time Christopher Robin came out saying there is an Oscar worthy 33 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:16.560 performance and Christopher Robin Chris, were you running for Vanity Fair at that time? 34 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:23.360 Yeah, but there it was. It was Jim Cummings gives an Oscar 35 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:27.360 worthy performance voicing Winnie the Pooh. I'm like nice, Yeah, yeah, 36 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:30.039 I was told about that I and then about that one. So now I 37 00:02:30.039 --> 00:02:34.599 have two. Now I have two Vanity Fairs. You're waiting for the next 38 00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:38.240 one. Why are they talking about me anymore? Yeah? A couple of 39 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:42.520 years the best podcast online Top twelve episodes of two D with Jim Cummings In 40 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:46.560 the next episode of Vanity Fair, hopefully. Yeah. But you know you 41 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:51.240 said you improvise Hondo quite a bit as well as Duck Quen Duck. Have 42 00:02:51.319 --> 00:02:53.960 you ever improvised something when you've gone it's probably a little bit non PC for 43 00:02:54.039 --> 00:02:57.960 Star Wars or do you sort of are you able to sort of get yourself 44 00:02:58.039 --> 00:03:00.319 at the moment and go, no, don't cross that line. There is 45 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:04.199 there a line you just never crossed with Hondo. Uh hard to say. 46 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:06.639 I'm sure I crossed it a few times. It just didn't make it to 47 00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:12.120 the Yeah you know, um they went and delete. Yeah, I mean 48 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.759 I could remember silly ones. I mean that this has nothing to do with 49 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:20.039 Hondo, but just basically, there were these two hillbillies. Um, I 50 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:23.039 think it was in a I can't even remember what it was, but it 51 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:27.680 was these two hillbillies and they were going across the desert and they were looking 52 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:30.039 for something or this and that one and it felt on one guy says this 53 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:32.919 and that another thing, and I said, well, well that eight man, 54 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:39.439 it must be Yurin. And I ended up back in the studio redoing 55 00:03:39.479 --> 00:03:43.639 that line. Now you have to say yours. You can't say yurine. 56 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:47.680 I said, okay, fine, So nothing to do with Hondo. But 57 00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:53.599 I wonder how many gems Disney have to their name because of you that you've 58 00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:58.240 improvised. It could probably be never ending what's linking? For one, you 59 00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:00.400 got the fat joke in oh yeah voice. I'm good at that. I've 60 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:08.199 done that with two major motion pictures. Thank you, Yes, Ray the 61 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:15.160 firefly oh scued me and um and then of course uh Kunamatada and I got 62 00:04:15.160 --> 00:04:17.920 down hotter, tell him how did you feel? Every time? Did I 63 00:04:17.959 --> 00:04:23.000 poom? But not in front of the kids. Sorry, Koona Amatata Jess 64 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.040 Harnell and I did the demo for that so that the other two guys could 65 00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:29.399 And then and they kept And I remember going up to Don Han with the 66 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:33.160 premiere and I went, you kept the fart joke in. He goes, 67 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:35.399 well, it's funniest thinking of a movie, and I went, oh, 68 00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:39.879 oh good, yeah, I meant to do that. Yeah, okay, 69 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:42.959 I don't see the fat joke taxing my paycheck though, so yeah I don't. 70 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.360 Yeah, I don't. And where did that? Where's that residual? 71 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:50.480 That's literally the moment everyone remembers from that song. You did it? You 72 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:55.399 have no credit to it, that's insane. But yeah. And then I 73 00:04:55.439 --> 00:05:00.399 read it was in at the La Times and I and it was interesting. 74 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:05.120 They said something about never in a Disney movie has there been a reference to 75 00:05:05.160 --> 00:05:10.120 a bodily function, so blatant and so cleverly done, and blah blah blah, 76 00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:14.240 and then they they quoted me and uh. And of course they gave 77 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:17.920 it to Nathan Lane because they said that Nathan, oh my, you know, 78 00:05:17.959 --> 00:05:20.439 and I think, oh, yeah, I'm gonna strangle him, and 79 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:27.879 then uh, and then they and then they also praised the most deliciously demonic, 80 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:30.560 not demonic but whatever villain song ever. You know, that was be 81 00:05:30.680 --> 00:05:35.240 prepared and Jeremy did the first part and the great guy uh you know, 82 00:05:35.240 --> 00:05:42.560 and his incredible voice that that speaking voice is amazing. But you know I 83 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:47.199 finished the song. I did little sidestep there, but don't tell anyone whatever 84 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:51.240 you do. But bringing Hondo to life? What did you want to express 85 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:56.160 about Hondo? Not just in the dialogue, but the way Hondo just sounds. 86 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:59.759 It's like you're painting a picture of his history every time that he talks. 87 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:03.000 Well, you knew Hondo, he was too incredible. Kick that I 88 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:09.079 does you'le brenna in Charles Bronson, And that's one way to cover your tracks 89 00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:12.959 because that way you're not doing a dead on impression of somebody and um, 90 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:15.519 and that's kind of one of my philosophies anyway, if you do a bad 91 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:20.279 impression, it's a new character. So I purposely did a mix of two 92 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:27.439 pretty strong characters. You'll Brenner and Charles Bronson, excuse me, and you 93 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:30.319 kind of put him together and out came Hondo, and then you just make 94 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:35.639 him braggadocious and full of himself. So yeah, I was I just loved 95 00:06:35.720 --> 00:06:43.399 him. I got two Emmy nominations out of out of that, ye know, 96 00:06:43.480 --> 00:06:46.720 one year, and I'm oh for five. By the way, thanks 97 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:50.199 for bringing it up. What were the other three but two? Well, 98 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:54.600 Tigger was up, dark Wing was up once. But that year I was. 99 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:59.600 There were five nominees and I was two of them, and I really 100 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:04.120 yeah, I didn't win Tigger and Hando and the same with any awards. 101 00:07:04.759 --> 00:07:10.360 You know, I'm really good at presenting and I'm great at being nominated. 102 00:07:11.079 --> 00:07:14.399 There's not all that good at winning. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. 103 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:16.920 Yeah, that's okay. Yeah, but you know what the check cleared, 104 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:20.879 Like my agent said, that's all about okay, it's most of what 105 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:28.519 matters, Jimmy. We've spoken in the past about the physicality that that you 106 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.319 that comes to the four when you're voicing your characters, and I mean your 107 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:38.199 name checked. You're Brenner and Charles Bronson, both very dynamic, strong physical 108 00:07:38.199 --> 00:07:42.720 presences. You say you'll bring an automatically thinking him, hands on the hips, 109 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.439 standing up, very Yeah. I'm wondering if you feel that in your 110 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:50.079 body when you're in the booth and you're voicing Hondo. I mean sort of 111 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:54.199 pretty much. You gain a couple of inches in stature, and you know, 112 00:07:54.279 --> 00:07:58.120 yeah you shoulders get a bit broader. Yeah, yeah, you know 113 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:01.240 it helps, It helps, you know, and with characters like that, 114 00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:05.079 a lot of people sit, and uh, you know I sit sometimes, 115 00:08:05.399 --> 00:08:07.480 but I like to stand. You open up the diaphragm. It's probably from 116 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:11.560 singing, you know. Nobody slumps it over and sings because I started off 117 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:16.959 singing so long ago, and it's just more natural. Everyone used to work 118 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:20.720 in radio. We used to have a standing studio and you always founded. 119 00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:22.720 The atmosphere and in the energy in the room was so much better when we're 120 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:26.360 all standing. Just I guess we get around a bit better. Yeah, 121 00:08:26.360 --> 00:08:31.040 oh yeah, yeah. I remember the last time I was in Australia, 122 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:35.000 I visited gosh, it must have been five or six eight radio stations and 123 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:39.960 they were really cool, really great people, and every one of them was 124 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:41.679 standing. You know. It was awesome, you know, very cool. 125 00:08:41.879 --> 00:08:45.120 We should probably mentioned he coming back to Australie. So you don't you for 126 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:48.360 super over in June. Yes, I am, come on down on, 127 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:52.559 gonna be a good time. June seventeenth, I believe is Sydney. And 128 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:54.480 then you're hitting over the following week to Perth. Perth is gonna be lovely, 129 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:58.879 very good weather over there in Perth. Oh good, absolutely, well 130 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:03.080 I was crazy about Brisbane. Couldn't what a beautiful place. Oh my gosh, 131 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:07.600 too bad. There's no good food. I'm kidding. Yeah, good, 132 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:09.320 everything down here. But let's go back to the birth of Hondo. 133 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:13.320 So you've just read the pitch for the character. How close was your first 134 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:18.440 impression of Hondo to what you eventually settled on for the role. Well, 135 00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:24.240 it's the voice and everything was the same. You know, the audition they 136 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:26.879 you know what they'll do, uh is because it could be a couple of 137 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:33.240 months between the audition and the actual show, and it usually is. And 138 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:35.039 uh so they you know, they said, okay, well here we go. 139 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:39.080 Here, we're gonna play this for you in blah blah blah, and 140 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:46.320 there was Hondo and I just jumped right in and started swimming. And it's 141 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:52.720 it's interesting he uh he was written into two shows, two maybe three? 142 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:58.200 Yeah, uh and um what happened. And I'm so blessed. I'm so 143 00:09:58.279 --> 00:10:03.679 grateful and thankful. You know, George Lucas liked him really specifically, George 144 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:09.960 w Yeah, and have you met George once a long time ago? And 145 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:13.799 then when I got the Emmy nominations, Uh, he wrote me this really 146 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:20.159 nice letter and uh yeah and he signed it and everything, and uh so 147 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:22.840 it was great, you know, it was and it was just an honor. 148 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:28.120 And he was only in maybe like two two and a half shows and 149 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:33.720 that was it, right, yes, yeah, yeah, and uh, 150 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:39.720 I guess George saw it and he said, wait, who's this um, 151 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:43.559 Okay, bring him back. I like this guy, you know, condo 152 00:10:45.159 --> 00:10:50.639 And so I think I finished off the tail end of that first season there 153 00:10:50.679 --> 00:10:52.320 that I was in, and then I was in five or six of the 154 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:58.240 next one, and then the show concluded. But they went on from Clone 155 00:10:58.279 --> 00:11:03.399 Wars to be a Star Wars Um Rebels the Rebels. Yeah, and he 156 00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:07.279 showed up again and he was a little bit older but still just as big 157 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:11.720 a con man and uh and he was hanging out with Ezra and you know, 158 00:11:11.799 --> 00:11:16.200 the whole gang. And I just loved it. I could not believe 159 00:11:16.279 --> 00:11:20.440 that they incorporated this guy into yet another of the of their shows. And 160 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:26.639 I guess it was a universal feeling, thankfully. And I can remember years 161 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:33.279 after that being invited to go down to Disney on the lot, uh and 162 00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:37.519 okay, and what are we doing? And well, it's apparently it's something 163 00:11:37.559 --> 00:11:39.879 to do with Hondo and Naka. I go, oh, oh, well 164 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:45.639 that's nice. And there I'm in there and the guys are walking me through 165 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:48.559 and it's just like with a movie. They storyboard these movies and you you 166 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:54.360 walk around and there's like a wall of frames and pictures and you know, 167 00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:58.639 storyboard, story blah blah blah blah blah blah blah, you know, and 168 00:11:58.679 --> 00:12:01.200 they walk you through it and then you know, Pooh comes crashing in and 169 00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:05.440 flies away and saves the day and defeats the dragon and you know, the 170 00:12:05.480 --> 00:12:11.159 whole bit. And so um, it was interesting. They're they're showing me 171 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:15.039 one thing after another, and I'm going, okay, well this is good. 172 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:18.039 And I go, I mean, gosh, how you know, you're 173 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:22.080 talking about recording things and you're talking about doing that, which is great. 174 00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:24.279 I'm going to be there. Oh so you like it? And I go, 175 00:12:24.759 --> 00:12:28.799 well, what's not to like? Yeah, of course I like it, 176 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:31.200 you know, And I said, but isn't this going to take forever 177 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:35.000 to build? An IgA? Oh we're almost done, I said, Oh, 178 00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:41.639 get out of here. You know, they just started it and too 179 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:45.200 bad. Yeah yeah, we say no, well yeah, well just I 180 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:46.799 said, yeah, try and stop me. Yeah, there's a slim chance 181 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:50.120 I would like to do this, So can we make make that happen? 182 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:54.919 And here we are, and I can't tell you how cool the ride is. 183 00:12:54.279 --> 00:12:58.039 I really want to delve into Smugglers Run. Everything would be letter in 184 00:12:58.039 --> 00:13:00.919 the show, because that's just that's incredible. The fact that this character that 185 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:03.879 started up with a couple of episodes in Clone Wars as now the face of 186 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:07.840 Galaxy's Edge, it's amazing. Well, you know, the big leap for 187 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:16.559 me was always the fact that he started off in a television show and ended 188 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:20.639 up right smack dab in the middle of the Star Wars universe. I mean 189 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:26.440 he's still the Millennium Falcon. Yeah, I mean okay, well, yeah, 190 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:28.600 let's do that. Then. There's definitely elements of Han Solo in the 191 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:35.399 role. You can see that he is of the modern style. He's kids 192 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:37.639 today growing up with their version of Star Wars. Hondo is their Han, 193 00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:41.919 I think could be. Yeah, yeah, he's much better looking. Is 194 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:46.759 the anti hero. It's much fatter looking at he's indeed, yes, but 195 00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:48.639 Yeah, so you're you're touching on earlier inspiration for the role and things like 196 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:52.039 that. But who would you say is a Hondo fan? Everybody loves a 197 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:56.840 good rogue. So what do people like about the character of Hondo and has 198 00:13:56.840 --> 00:14:00.919 their feedback ever shaped the way that you view and play Hondo. Uh, 199 00:14:00.919 --> 00:14:03.039 well, we haven't been recording him much lately, so you know, they're 200 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:07.000 watching all the you know, the raft of shows that are out there. 201 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:11.600 Yeah, and uh so it's you know, it's it's a gas you know, 202 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:15.639 and inevitably the the young men like him, then wow, old man 203 00:14:15.799 --> 00:14:20.240 like me, everybody, everybody, everybody loves a lovable rogue, you know, 204 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:24.399 and a guy who he's and he's not a bad bad guy. He 205 00:14:24.600 --> 00:14:28.399 kind of used to be, but he's been mellowing with age. And it's 206 00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:31.360 like he once said, I may not be as young as I once was, 207 00:14:31.879 --> 00:14:35.960 but I'm older and you know, and he says, it's like it's 208 00:14:35.960 --> 00:14:39.519 a good thing, because it is a good thing. Yeah, and uh, 209 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:43.000 you know, I'm just flabbergast that I love the fact that people glom 210 00:14:43.080 --> 00:14:48.159 onto him, and I think it is that everybody loves a rogue. You 211 00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:52.480 know, he's not an evil guy, but you know you don't want to 212 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:58.919 trust him with your bank card. Don't leave Walt on the table. Yeah, 213 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:03.840 no, Jim. Hondo wasn't the first Star Wars character that you've voiced. 214 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:07.000 I mean you've voiced characters like Master a Tag and the General Skylast in 215 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:11.399 Star Wars the Old Republic, is that right? The APG game? Yeah? 216 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:16.480 Yeah, I think so. Yeah, but not really anything to sort 217 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:18.759 of write home that. I mean you, yeah, now you're like a 218 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:24.240 true central part Star Wars Galaxy with Hondo. And I mean you mentioned the 219 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:28.440 sort of the material and all the behind st but behind the scenes stuff that 220 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:31.320 you were privy to when you were first introduced. I mean, was there 221 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:33.960 a lot of education, a lot of homework that you had to do and 222 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:37.080 sort of like the who, the what, the why and the why. 223 00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:41.720 I mean, Star Wars is a saga, man, there's a lot going 224 00:15:41.799 --> 00:15:46.039 on. Oh yeah, what's he? Fortunately I was a fan ware before 225 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:50.480 I was in the universe. I wanted to touch on that to your your 226 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:54.080 Star Wars fandom. Yeah oh yeah, well you know, I remember I 227 00:15:54.679 --> 00:15:58.120 was living in New Orleans. I want to say it was you were twenty 228 00:15:58.120 --> 00:16:00.919 five when the first film came out. Oh that was okay, But I 229 00:16:00.919 --> 00:16:03.279 don't even think I was at old. Were you fifty two? When are 230 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:06.879 you born? Well? When when when did Star Wars come out? The 231 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:11.519 first one? Seventy seven? Okay, so yeah, I would have been 232 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:15.759 twenty yeah, almost twenty five. Yeah, and uh so old enough to 233 00:16:15.799 --> 00:16:22.679 know better, but didn't. And I just remember being absolutely blown away, 234 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:26.600 you know. I just couldn't believe it, you know. And uh and 235 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:32.399 and it's just and it's one of the coolest things not to name drop oops 236 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:36.720 too late. Mark hamill Um and I were actually talking on the phone the 237 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:41.960 other day, and I remember it was interesting because we were doing Tasmania as 238 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:45.840 would happened you you may have heard of that place, um, and I 239 00:16:45.919 --> 00:16:48.320 was, I was up there and I was doing my thing, and uh, 240 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:52.000 I think Tim Curry took a swing at Batman or the Joker, I 241 00:16:52.039 --> 00:16:56.600 should say, and they said, well, and they moved on to Mark. 242 00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:00.080 And Mark was brilliant as the Joker and the Batman Man cartoon series. 243 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:03.359 You remember that. I'm sure he is the Joker to a whole generation of 244 00:17:03.359 --> 00:17:07.400 fans. Yeah, Oh, he is the Joker, he really is. 245 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:11.119 And he's just bloody amazing at it. And one of the producers said, 246 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:14.400 you know, we're an up in Building B and down and Building A. 247 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:17.440 They were. They were doing Batman and we all kind of knew that, 248 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:19.519 and the buzz was that, Oh my god, did you know that Mark 249 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:23.440 Camil's gonna be the new Joker? Get out you're kidding. Oh well, 250 00:17:23.480 --> 00:17:26.640 I'm gonna have to go down there. And as it turned down, I 251 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:30.079 was coming up and I was getting out of my car. As it happened, 252 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:33.559 I had my mother in law, my mother, and my good old 253 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:40.480 aunt Nan God bless their souls. They were there that day watching Jim go 254 00:17:40.599 --> 00:17:44.000 to work, and uh so they're kind of sitting there in the lobby and 255 00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:45.160 I look out there and like I said, there's, oh my god, 256 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:48.359 there's Mark Camill. You know, I'm gonna go say hi, and so 257 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:52.119 my god, oh my god. Yeah, I was kind of like that, 258 00:17:52.279 --> 00:17:57.079 you know, Mark Hamill. And so I walked down and I said 259 00:17:57.160 --> 00:18:00.240 Mark, Mark, and he goes, Jim, I'm Jim, and I 260 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:03.680 went he knows my name? And and I walked up and I go, 261 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:08.680 hey, man, I congratulations, I hear you're you're down here slumming with 262 00:18:08.839 --> 00:18:11.640 us. You're gonna do some cartrions. Oh my god, I've been an 263 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:15.240 animation fami my whole life. Are you kidding me? I love this stuff? 264 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:19.480 So anyway, give me some dark wing duck. What give me some 265 00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:23.480 dark wing duck? Um? I am the terror that flaps him. And 266 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:26.759 oh that's good. That see that's good. So it's in the mask. 267 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:33.039 Uh okay, sure, Oh give me some pooh. Well, I suppose 268 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:37.839 if I had a smack rel of honey. Oh that's amazing. See it's 269 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:41.799 not really falsetto, is it? And I go, um no, I 270 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:45.440 don't, I don't, I don't what? And how about tiggers? Oh, 271 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:49.039 wonderful thing about tiggers? He goes, Oh my god. See that's 272 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:56.039 just like Paul Winchell. That's amazing. So it all comes from right right 273 00:18:56.079 --> 00:18:59.799 here. You're not getting to meet me. I'm getting to meet you, 274 00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:07.839 Okay, let's get that straight. I'm the fan fan you're you remember, 275 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:12.200 you know. But he's just so selfless and self effacing. He's one of 276 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:15.480 my best buddies in the business. Great, great guy. So when you 277 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:18.200 first saw the film, where did you Where did you see it? Who'd 278 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:22.240 you see it? With? Tell Us about your first experience watching Star Wars 279 00:19:22.119 --> 00:19:26.759 film. It just boggled my mind. Well, I you know, that 280 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:30.480 was all breakthrough stuff. Yeah, you know all that. I mean, 281 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:33.400 whether it was the green screen, I don't even remember if they had it 282 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:37.480 fixed then, but you know the way that the speeders went across and it 283 00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:41.440 looked like they were hovering, and it was. It was just one thing 284 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:45.599 after another. And then I even liked the way the guns sounded. Yeah. 285 00:19:47.480 --> 00:19:51.039 And then subsequent to that I saw the making of the sounds of Star 286 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:52.960 Wars. Do you guys know how they did that. Well, they would 287 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:56.519 go out and to the country in America. We got a lot of country 288 00:19:56.920 --> 00:20:02.880 and they would go up to these gigantic telephone poles and there are big steel 289 00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:07.680 cables tied to the top and brought down to the ground, maybe about fifteen 290 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:11.079 twenty feet awek pounded into the ground tight as a drum and you know, 291 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:14.880 like a violin string, and they would get the mic, hold it up 292 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:21.160 to the cable and pound the cable with a hammer. That's the pure fuel. 293 00:20:21.880 --> 00:20:23.839 Yeah, and then they would go home and dip it in reverb. 294 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:29.400 Okay, we've got we've got a gun sound. That's how guns sound in 295 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:33.519 the Star Wars long ago in a galaxy far far away. Fund a little 296 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:37.400 trivia fact there, brilliant. If you're enjoying everything we do, hear it 297 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:41.160 tuned in and want access to even more Gym Cummings podcasts, you can support 298 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:44.920 the show today on Patreon. Here you'll not only get early and add free 299 00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:48.079 access to the show, but you'll also get access to our exclusive Q and 300 00:20:48.119 --> 00:20:52.559 A podcasts price draws, our exclusive Facebook and Discord communities, as well as 301 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:56.039 that Cummings Commentaries where Jim goes back and records audio commentaries for all those classic 302 00:20:56.119 --> 00:21:00.559 Disney Afternoons cartoons and in character. Kick things off this month with a revisit 303 00:21:00.599 --> 00:21:03.640 of an episode of Dark Wing Duck. So go ahead and support Jim by 304 00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:07.200 becoming a member of the tuned in family today at patreon dot com. Slash 305 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:11.039 Jim Cummings podcast link is in the description of this show. Do you remember 306 00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:15.000 where you saw the film? What cinema? He was in New Orleans? 307 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:21.000 You know, I was with friends with a girlfriend. Uh no, I 308 00:21:21.079 --> 00:21:22.160 think it was just with a couple of buddies, just a couple of buddies. 309 00:21:22.200 --> 00:21:25.319 Yeah, yeah, couple of my buddies. You've got a guy. 310 00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:26.599 You would have been how old at the time, would have about eight, 311 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:30.799 would have been near seven or eight years old. Yeah, I was born 312 00:21:30.839 --> 00:21:33.319 in sixty nine. Yes, you would have had a whole you had had 313 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:36.680 the kid experience, you know, Yeah, absolutely, yeah. I mean 314 00:21:36.920 --> 00:21:38.680 I always say, you know, I walked into the cinema one person, 315 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:45.160 I walked out a different person. An absolute mind blower. And of course 316 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:51.359 this is um this is the day's prior to UM VHS, prior to DVD 317 00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:53.880 all that kind of stuff. Oh. Absolutely, So I must have seen 318 00:21:53.880 --> 00:21:56.720 it like seven times at the cinema because you know, you'd go, yeah, 319 00:21:56.759 --> 00:21:59.559 Sadia, mate, what are we going to do? Let's geese? 320 00:21:59.640 --> 00:22:03.680 Star was that's what you did? It was like a hobby. Well I 321 00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:07.400 had. You know, when I first made my first demo tape, I 322 00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:10.359 was working at a video store in Anna High Mills. My sister and brother 323 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:12.880 in law owned a few of them with their friends. And that's an episode 324 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:15.960 in itself. By the way, you managing a video store. I want 325 00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:19.039 to get into some store day. Yeah, I'm afraid it's probably not, 326 00:22:19.319 --> 00:22:25.359 but okay, anyway, yeah we're gonna do. But I remember when Star 327 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:30.039 Wars was being released. They gave us these placards and it said Star Wars 328 00:22:30.200 --> 00:22:33.279 coming August of blah blah blah, you know, and a guy would come 329 00:22:33.319 --> 00:22:34.720 in once a wee can go so, have you got Star Wars yet? 330 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:40.559 And I go, George, it's June. Look at the sign. No, 331 00:22:40.920 --> 00:22:42.000 I don't have it. You made the film, you should know this. 332 00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:47.160 Yeah. Yeah, it was a different George. But you know, 333 00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:51.160 and when I came out, you know, we had the big screens such 334 00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:55.160 as they were back then, and I just put it on in the morning 335 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:59.640 and just let it play all day. Get out another one. I didn't 336 00:22:59.640 --> 00:23:02.759 even real wind it. Put it in another tape to tech to rewind it. 337 00:23:03.000 --> 00:23:04.559 Got a fresh one, put it in there. We'll watching Star Wars 338 00:23:04.599 --> 00:23:07.400 again. And I would have people, you know, the guys from the 339 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:11.400 pizza joint would down the street would come up and they'd bring slice of to 340 00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:15.039 a pizza. Dude, you mind if we sit and watch? Yeah, 341 00:23:15.079 --> 00:23:18.160 I go right ahead, go alright ahead. There, the cople the squat 342 00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:22.519 there. Man, it's so good, you know, And it was it 343 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:26.440 was it was Star Wars time. Yeah, so you know, to allow 344 00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:30.359 me to be a little asterisk in that universe is okay, yeah, you 345 00:23:30.440 --> 00:23:36.160 know, not to steal any of Jim Sun because this has tuned him with 346 00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:41.240 Jim Cummings, not with God Davis. But my dad brought home our first 347 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:45.039 m vcr F first video recorder back in nineteen eighty or nineteen eighty one or 348 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:47.799 something. I was like, oh, that looks cool. Oh, we'll 349 00:23:47.799 --> 00:23:49.160 be able to record us with the tippy. Then he pulled out from me 350 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:53.480 on his back VHS of Star Wars. It's like, father, I've never 351 00:23:53.559 --> 00:24:03.759 loved you more that. Oh yeah. Just a quick question, quick question 352 00:24:03.839 --> 00:24:06.640 for you, Jim, just your experienced growing up with Star Wars. Did 353 00:24:06.680 --> 00:24:11.799 that inform any of your performance as Hondo or did that inspire anything inside of 354 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:14.559 that character for you? Well? Yeah, yeah I did. Actually in 355 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:18.039 a way, that's a pretty good question because I noticed that if you notice 356 00:24:18.039 --> 00:24:22.720 that, I mean, every now and then there'd be an Australian Star Wars 357 00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:27.559 character or or from you know, Tasmania, and a lot of Brits in 358 00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:33.640 in in the Star Wars universe. One yeah, you know, yeah, 359 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:37.400 everyone, yeah, I mean, and then Darth Vader whatever, he was 360 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:38.960 so cool. He didn't you didn't know where it was from. You didn't 361 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:44.759 care because it was James Earl Jones. I knew that I wanted to make 362 00:24:44.839 --> 00:24:48.920 him sound well, which is what I always say when they get a British 363 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:52.079 guy or an Australian guy, Well they want him to sound foreign, but 364 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:56.640 we still would like to understand what the hell he's saying. So and that's 365 00:24:56.759 --> 00:25:00.920 that was kind of my guideline with the Hondo. I said, well, 366 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:03.519 we got to make sure he sounds foreign, but it'd be still fun to 367 00:25:03.640 --> 00:25:07.519 know what he's talking about, you know. So that's that's kind of where 368 00:25:07.559 --> 00:25:11.240 that came. Man. I think with the Hondo character, you bring you 369 00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:15.480 bring a real chum wit to the Star Wars universe that allows shows like Clone 370 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:18.519 Wars and Rebels to appeal to viewers of all ages. You know, the 371 00:25:18.599 --> 00:25:22.720 Hondo. The dialogue's clever. However, more importantly, I think just your 372 00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:26.599 delivery is so commedially time to perfection that even though kids may not truly understand 373 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:30.799 what he's saying, they're still able to enjoy it. It was always obvious 374 00:25:30.839 --> 00:25:33.279 that Hondo was going to be such a generational role. No, not at 375 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:38.000 all. Like I said, he was in and out two three episodes. 376 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:41.079 I think it was in two episodes, then out of one, then a 377 00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:45.680 really smile part in the next one, and that's all you thought he was 378 00:25:45.720 --> 00:25:48.839 going to be ever just three episodes. Yeah, yeah, well I had 379 00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:51.599 no idea. I had no idea A little did I know that Jim Cummings 380 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:52.799 was going to be voicing him and then the whole world was going to change? 381 00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:56.480 Oh yeah, the whole world. Well, the whole world, My 382 00:25:56.680 --> 00:26:02.599 whole world change, that's for sure. Because everybody you want to do I 383 00:26:02.680 --> 00:26:07.039 mean it be associated with Star Wars, Well let me think. Okay, 384 00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:11.680 yea, yeah, let's do that. You know. So it was awesome. 385 00:26:11.960 --> 00:26:15.000 It's an honor and I'd take it very seriously. I don't take myself 386 00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:17.759 seriously, but I take I take the work seriously. Did you audition for 387 00:26:17.799 --> 00:26:19.880 any other roles for Clone Wars before you got Hondo? Was Honda the first 388 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:23.920 one you went for? No? Uh, you know, I auditioned for 389 00:26:25.400 --> 00:26:30.359 um. I think Boba was it? Boba fat? I didn't I wasn't 390 00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:33.400 feeling it. But but Hondo, I really really liked it because because of 391 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:37.079 the way he was written. You know, he was clever, and he 392 00:26:37.240 --> 00:26:41.240 wasn't like I said, he wasn't an evil, evil bad guy. Anti 393 00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:45.720 hero yeah yeah, anti hero yeah, and some people have likened him. 394 00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:49.920 To excuse me, a character I did for Tailspin called Don Carnage and they 395 00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:53.240 said Don Carnage in Space and I said, well, he doesn't sound liked 396 00:26:53.319 --> 00:26:56.160 I mean, no, he doesn't sound like it, and I go, 397 00:26:56.240 --> 00:26:59.319 okay, good, you know, but they both they both have a tongue 398 00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:03.880 in cheek and they're kind of self effacing. But you don't want to but 399 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:07.440 don't turn your back before you did a really good Mark Hamill? Do you 400 00:27:07.559 --> 00:27:10.319 do any good Star Wars impressions? Like can you do the voices? Like? 401 00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:11.720 Have you did? You ever used to do them? Going? I 402 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:14.279 think everyone's tried to do at least a Yoda at some point, you know 403 00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:15.400 what I mean? Like, do you do any of the Star Wars characters? 404 00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:18.960 She is you know? My throat? Actually? Hope, I can? 405 00:27:19.880 --> 00:27:23.160 You know? You da? You know? That was it? And 406 00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:30.240 oh that's funny. We can all do that one. Pretty scary, huh. 407 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:33.839 It's like he was in the room. That's what I love about. 408 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:37.640 There was a film that came out several years ago called Rogue One, and 409 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:40.599 that's what I felt that the newer Star Wars films might have been lacking. 410 00:27:40.680 --> 00:27:42.839 Was that that hero that's sorry, that villain like Darth Vader where all you 411 00:27:42.920 --> 00:27:48.000 had to hear was the and everybody panics. You know, it's just that 412 00:27:48.160 --> 00:27:51.640 that role was James L. Jones's such a fantastic job with that, with 413 00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:55.720 that role, it was incredible. You know. I had occasion to meet 414 00:27:55.839 --> 00:28:00.559 him a couple of times and were just a giant of a man, a 415 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:04.319 big, big hearted fellow. And I will tell you this, um this 416 00:28:04.680 --> 00:28:08.759 this a little out of school story, so it's perfect for this. I 417 00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:14.480 was recording many many years ago, but also many many tons at times, 418 00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:19.880 in the place called Buzzies down on Melrose in Hollywood, and I went into 419 00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:23.880 the bathroom did my thing. I'm over there washing my hand and I hear 420 00:28:25.559 --> 00:28:33.839 I hear this incredible voice going, this is cn N. This is c 421 00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:42.799 N N No, that's known, right, this is c n N. 422 00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:51.319 Yes. Then he got to read. He was getting to read in his 423 00:28:51.440 --> 00:28:56.839 head. Wow way yeah, I mean it's like wow, okay. So 424 00:28:57.079 --> 00:29:03.640 I was there when he got the this is CNN, this is c NO, 425 00:29:03.079 --> 00:29:08.240 this is cn N. And of course he went in there and recorded 426 00:29:08.640 --> 00:29:15.240 probably two lines, probably two takes and left and grillions of dollars later, 427 00:29:15.400 --> 00:29:21.200 here we are. That is just astonishing. Now I get to tell us 428 00:29:21.400 --> 00:29:26.359 yet another classy story from Jim Gummings. That's in the bathroom. Thank you, 429 00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:32.799 oh man, oh man. But you know, with the way Hondo 430 00:29:32.920 --> 00:29:34.599 right, the way it was selected to play you mentioned Smuggles Run earlier. 431 00:29:34.599 --> 00:29:38.000 Way it was selected to play such a pivotal role in Disneyland's Galaxy's Edge, 432 00:29:38.279 --> 00:29:44.160 it's pretty obvious how important Disney themselves see the character. Tell us about you 433 00:29:44.200 --> 00:29:45.079 know, you touched on it earli about the story was, But tell us 434 00:29:45.079 --> 00:29:48.839 how they first approached you about making that right and like, did you know 435 00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:49.480 it was going to be more than a right at the time when I were 436 00:29:49.480 --> 00:29:52.000 pitching it too, Like because you got the big animatronic and he was out 437 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:56.599 at the ground opening and things like that. He's such a it's almost like 438 00:29:56.680 --> 00:30:00.039 the face of Galaxy's Edge. Oh we are, well, very much so, 439 00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:03.079 only it were mine, but I think we look a little alike. 440 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:07.599 But you know, no, I mean, honestly, it was an incredible 441 00:30:07.640 --> 00:30:14.440 honor I've had over the years. I've had X amount of rides there, 442 00:30:14.880 --> 00:30:18.359 you know, the Winnie the Pooh, the Winnie the Pooh ride right was 443 00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:21.759 on one? Was he not? Yeah? He was for a while. 444 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:26.839 And now I guess they're going to redo Thunder Mountain as Princess Tiana's something. 445 00:30:27.640 --> 00:30:32.680 Um, but Ray was in any number of shows, you know, the 446 00:30:32.799 --> 00:30:37.960 Fantasmic and Winnie the Pooh and Tiger all over the place, and you know 447 00:30:38.119 --> 00:30:45.039 now with the Galaxy's Edge, and it's just I kind of can't believe it 448 00:30:45.160 --> 00:30:51.519 a little bit. And King Louis and I've done any number of shows for 449 00:30:51.799 --> 00:30:56.559 Disneyland, for the Ride and Tokyo Disney. King Louis got this amazing, 450 00:30:57.240 --> 00:31:04.200 unbelievable show that he anchors, and he's just really going around doing this thing 451 00:31:04.440 --> 00:31:07.640 by bah bah bah bah bah ba. I'm buying. Yeah, I'm the 452 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:14.480 King of the Swingers. Whoa the johnle v Appy and and it's like everybody's 453 00:31:14.559 --> 00:31:17.920 dancing, everybody's clapping, and it's cool as hell. That's you see me 454 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:21.119 small because my kids that is their favorite song at the moment. We listen 455 00:31:21.160 --> 00:31:22.839 to it every time you go in the college. Was this thing? You 456 00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:26.839 see? It just makes me small? Oh? And rightly so they're clearly 457 00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:32.720 of young ones of discerning taste. Good job dad, my two year old 458 00:31:32.839 --> 00:31:37.720 joungle book johnle Book. Yeah. And I you know, I work with 459 00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:41.599 Phil uh, you know, the great Phil Harris any number of times. 460 00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:45.440 And that was just I was just threw the roof on that. That was 461 00:31:45.720 --> 00:31:49.000 amazing. That was a bucket list thing. Of course he's no longer with 462 00:31:49.119 --> 00:31:53.559 us. He was a very much older Fellah you're doing they're lead little bridges 463 00:31:55.359 --> 00:32:00.119 and just raciently, do I dare announce this to the world? Um? 464 00:32:00.799 --> 00:32:07.319 No? I Uh. There was a big celebration that they put together Rick 465 00:32:07.400 --> 00:32:12.440 Dempsey and the gang at Disney character voices and they needed and I was on 466 00:32:12.599 --> 00:32:15.920 the phone with him and he was we were talking about it. I don't 467 00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:17.240 even remember. We were talking about it just a couple of months ago. 468 00:32:17.640 --> 00:32:20.559 He said. I said, so what are you guys doing now? He 469 00:32:20.599 --> 00:32:23.160 goes, oh, I'm going nuts trying to find a balloo And I said, 470 00:32:23.400 --> 00:32:28.559 oh, come on there, how are can that be? You know, 471 00:32:28.920 --> 00:32:32.920 you just you gotta use up bare necessities. He goes, oh, 472 00:32:34.200 --> 00:32:37.839 God, now you're gonna be blue. And I said, am I And 473 00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:42.960 he goes, yeah, did I just audition? He goes, no, 474 00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:46.519 you just got a part and I said, oh, look ahead, Yeah, 475 00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:52.720 I ain't meant to do that, you know, and coming to a 476 00:32:52.920 --> 00:32:55.319 theater near yea to be continued. Do you think your ability to just listen 477 00:32:55.359 --> 00:33:00.640 to a voice and then replicate it has anything to do with your musical talents? 478 00:33:00.680 --> 00:33:01.519 No, you just be able to pick up a guitar or anything any 479 00:33:01.559 --> 00:33:05.799 instrument because you were very musical growing up. Do you think that musical element 480 00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:09.319 helps you sort of have the EA for listening and be able to Many musicians 481 00:33:09.319 --> 00:33:12.400 can just pick up a guitar and just hear a song and play it. 482 00:33:12.640 --> 00:33:15.519 Yeah, well that's not me, but I can. I can pick up 483 00:33:15.559 --> 00:33:20.400 a guitar and hand it to someone and then listen. It's I'm really good 484 00:33:20.440 --> 00:33:23.759 at that. But uh but no, I uh, you know, I 485 00:33:23.880 --> 00:33:28.519 was. I was always a singer, you know, like from I don't 486 00:33:28.559 --> 00:33:32.480 know, yeah, sixth grade, seventh grade. And I would I think 487 00:33:32.519 --> 00:33:35.799 I told you this before. What I would do is I would kind of 488 00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:37.920 imitate, because you're never got to do exactly a sound alike, you know, 489 00:33:38.039 --> 00:33:40.039 but I would. I would do a Joe Cocker song and I would 490 00:33:40.039 --> 00:33:43.519 try to sound like him. I'd do a three Dog Night song. I'd 491 00:33:43.559 --> 00:33:46.480 try to hynd like them temptations, you know, and so uh, I 492 00:33:46.599 --> 00:33:52.920 think what happened was along the way, I was um accidentally developing a pretty 493 00:33:52.960 --> 00:33:59.480 good knack for mimicry and and and picking up picking up you know, voices. 494 00:34:00.359 --> 00:34:02.359 You know, I've always said I've had discussions with friends of mine in 495 00:34:02.599 --> 00:34:07.119 the business that a lot of times, you know, there's musicality and everything 496 00:34:07.840 --> 00:34:13.679 and just everyday speech like if I told you, well, I think I'm 497 00:34:13.719 --> 00:34:17.079 gonna go out and hit the road now baby ba ba boo, bad to 498 00:34:17.159 --> 00:34:21.199 a bad to, a bit of boo boom. You know that's that could 499 00:34:21.199 --> 00:34:24.079 have been a Sax solo right there. And you know, and I've just 500 00:34:24.280 --> 00:34:28.880 had that in my head my whole life, and I think it served me 501 00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:32.199 well, you know, it's it's just I don't know, maybe a little 502 00:34:32.239 --> 00:34:38.159 tip for those expiring voice actors, aren't there. Yes, mister Davison, 503 00:34:38.280 --> 00:34:44.159 you have you something to say, something to share with the class. Piqued 504 00:34:44.199 --> 00:34:47.079 me. I'm ever so smart. Getting back to Hondo for a second, 505 00:34:47.159 --> 00:34:52.639 and to Smuggles running Galaxy's Edge. The animatronic there has been described as well 506 00:34:52.679 --> 00:34:53.639 a lot of people have described as one of the best that they ever seen. 507 00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:59.519 I'm wondering how much influence or sway you had in the development of that. 508 00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:02.480 I mean, um, I imagine that I probably weren't as much open 509 00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:06.800 to improvising or was it kind of similar? Was the process similar to when 510 00:35:06.800 --> 00:35:09.599 you were voicing in in other circumstances. Oh, it was very similar. 511 00:35:09.800 --> 00:35:14.840 And I realized because when I go, they're very kind. They provide a 512 00:35:15.039 --> 00:35:17.920 chaperone, if you will, somebody who would certainly sneak, sneak onto the 513 00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:22.239 front of the line, right, no waiting, But unfortunately some hey, 514 00:35:22.440 --> 00:35:27.000 I don't care hear that guy? Yea, yeah, I think you're going 515 00:35:27.079 --> 00:35:32.239 there, mister. But but no, it was fun and and but but 516 00:35:32.400 --> 00:35:37.440 the sad thing what I was going to get at is, unfortunately that takes 517 00:35:37.480 --> 00:35:39.320 you out on the line, and they have things to kind of ameliorate the 518 00:35:40.039 --> 00:35:45.159 agony of waiting for an hour in line. And there's these little vignettes that 519 00:35:45.320 --> 00:35:47.760 pop up on a screen and I remember doing them, and some of them 520 00:35:47.840 --> 00:35:51.840 were really funny, and uh, we didn't get to see them. You 521 00:35:51.920 --> 00:35:52.840 can find a videos of them on YouTube. But you know, I mean, 522 00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:54.880 Jimmy, he's not gonna wait an hour in line for all right, 523 00:35:54.920 --> 00:35:58.840 that's just not gonna happen. But you know, no, it is absolutely 524 00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:00.719 not. You can't find them YouTube and they have very very funny yeah. 525 00:36:00.800 --> 00:36:04.159 Oh okay, oh good. That's what these need to say. Well, 526 00:36:04.280 --> 00:36:06.840 is keeps you enter, It keeps you ento tanged, even when you're supposed 527 00:36:06.840 --> 00:36:10.199 to be bored. Oh yeah, absolutely. Have you ever ridden Smugglers run 528 00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:14.679 yourself? Oh uh yeah yeah. What do you think of the ride? 529 00:36:14.920 --> 00:36:17.000 Oh yeah, yeah, it was great, it was It was really interesting. 530 00:36:17.320 --> 00:36:21.360 I I wrote it before. It was a ride up in Glendale when 531 00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:23.760 they were still developing it, and it was you know, without when you 532 00:36:23.840 --> 00:36:29.079 don't when there's no Millennium Falcon wrapped around it, it looks like this big 533 00:36:29.559 --> 00:36:32.159 sort of like here's the pod where you're sitting in, and here's here's an 534 00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:37.320 arm here, and and you go up and go up there and there's a 535 00:36:37.400 --> 00:36:40.119 screen. You know, have you been on it? I don't know. 536 00:36:40.320 --> 00:36:45.039 I haven't been there. Well, when you get in there and you're in, 537 00:36:45.400 --> 00:36:49.960 you're in the Millennium Falcon. You walk in and uh oh, Chris, 538 00:36:50.039 --> 00:36:52.199 I'll tell you we're gonna and and you know, and you want to 539 00:36:52.239 --> 00:36:54.320 sit out there in the lounch. I want to sit here and play that 540 00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:59.800 hologram chess for a little while, you know. And the problem they had 541 00:37:00.159 --> 00:37:02.960 that was that people were just getting out of line, not even what I 542 00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:07.480 mean, they did the ride, but they were filling up the darn thing. 543 00:37:07.920 --> 00:37:12.079 Because it's like I'm on the Millennium. You know, you're sitting there 544 00:37:12.119 --> 00:37:15.239 like a goober doing you know, love and love and life. Because you're 545 00:37:15.320 --> 00:37:20.840 sitting this in this iconic thing. It's life size. It's boggles your mind. 546 00:37:20.880 --> 00:37:22.519 You know. You turned this corner and you go, oh, wow, 547 00:37:23.039 --> 00:37:29.199 kilk that the real thing. Yeah, that's really good, you know 548 00:37:29.400 --> 00:37:34.920 it doesn't that's very good? Quite Jim Cummings, Yes, that's really good. 549 00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:37.840 And so you know we went up up there and we're playing. And 550 00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:42.559 but like I said, prior to that, I was at the the launching 551 00:37:42.679 --> 00:37:45.239 the developing of it, and they were they said, would you would you 552 00:37:45.320 --> 00:37:47.880 like to go up and give it a look? And I go, try 553 00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:52.480 and stop me. So you climb up this gang plague maybe ten steps and 554 00:37:52.840 --> 00:37:55.320 open it up. Yeah, you know, you shut the door behind it, 555 00:37:55.639 --> 00:38:00.519 and there's a gunner in the there's four people on it or is it 556 00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:04.639 six? No? It's six four people, two in front, one steering 557 00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:07.280 up and down, one's going left and right, the two in the back 558 00:38:07.440 --> 00:38:13.159 are gunners, and the two people in the very back or something. And 559 00:38:13.239 --> 00:38:15.559 I don't remember what it was, but it was boring, so I didn't 560 00:38:15.559 --> 00:38:19.320 want to do it. And I think they were mapping something or tracking the 561 00:38:19.480 --> 00:38:23.480 stars or doing something like that. And I get up there and we're taking 562 00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:29.440 off and and and it's really immersing and you're sitting there and you're going, 563 00:38:29.519 --> 00:38:34.639 oh wow. And then you and you could fear yourself going up and you're 564 00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:39.159 going, whoakay. Then it's all right, everybody, let's goo hondo screaming 565 00:38:39.239 --> 00:38:45.639 that right. So they're talking to myself and off we go, and I 566 00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:50.159 went like this, all of a sudden, we just went yeah, and 567 00:38:50.360 --> 00:38:53.199 you were just and I mean perpendicular to the floor, like you know, 568 00:38:53.320 --> 00:38:57.440 your button, your your head were level with the floor. And then we're 569 00:38:57.440 --> 00:39:01.840 going, okay, this is actual gravity. I'm gonna fall. If I 570 00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:07.599 were not strapped in, i'd be crying right now. I'd be something would 571 00:39:07.639 --> 00:39:10.239 break, and you know, you write it back up again and then you're 572 00:39:10.239 --> 00:39:15.000 going there. And I've I've heard people say that they just do the ride. 573 00:39:15.519 --> 00:39:21.920 Then they get off and they have like they'll rotate friends like throughout the 574 00:39:22.000 --> 00:39:24.599 line, so that Okay, you're like twenty people back, I'm gonna do 575 00:39:24.639 --> 00:39:27.719 the ride. Didn't run around. Then I'm gonna get on it with you, 576 00:39:28.559 --> 00:39:30.440 and then we're gonna run around and get it on the ride with George, 577 00:39:31.280 --> 00:39:35.320 you know, and and it's like it's it's one of those rides. 578 00:39:35.800 --> 00:39:42.679 It's pretty addictive in it. I can't recommend it enough sent you and the 579 00:39:42.760 --> 00:39:45.079 fact that you were the face of it is just incredible. Set Having said 580 00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:49.360 that, I mean, in what is tantamount to a crime against humanity, 581 00:39:49.440 --> 00:39:52.559 you didn't actually attend that. There was a very grand launch party for Galaxy, 582 00:39:52.840 --> 00:39:57.800 which, understandably you will. Absence was felt. I mean, I'm, 583 00:39:57.880 --> 00:40:00.880 oh, yes, is it true that mak him so sort of cold? 584 00:40:00.880 --> 00:40:02.599 And it's like, yeah, wis Jim? Yeah yeah, he's a 585 00:40:02.639 --> 00:40:06.679 good guy. Like I said, I just talked with him the other day 586 00:40:07.079 --> 00:40:08.719 and uh, and he caught me, where are you? I know, 587 00:40:08.960 --> 00:40:14.480 what the heck's going on? And unfortunately at the time, I was involved 588 00:40:14.519 --> 00:40:17.639 in a big to dude down at the card House of all places, and 589 00:40:19.440 --> 00:40:22.760 got that resolved thank you Lord, the good guys one by the way, 590 00:40:22.400 --> 00:40:27.320 and so full speed ahead. But uh, you know that's one party I 591 00:40:27.360 --> 00:40:30.400 would not have minded attending. But you know, it all came out in 592 00:40:30.400 --> 00:40:31.599 the wash. What do you think when you see your phone, it's like 593 00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:37.960 it's Mark again. What does he want this time? It's just amazing to 594 00:40:37.000 --> 00:40:38.960 think that you know, this miss man who you went to see at the 595 00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:43.360 cinema in nineteen seventy seven, Luke Skywalker, and now he's a friend. 596 00:40:43.760 --> 00:40:46.119 Yeah, I thought the same thing. I you know, I've I've had 597 00:40:46.159 --> 00:40:50.480 that a few times in my life. I've been very fortunate to work with 598 00:40:51.280 --> 00:40:54.480 incredible people. I mean, you know, household names, and it's just 599 00:40:55.039 --> 00:41:00.519 one of the perks of you know, I guess because you know, a 600 00:41:00.559 --> 00:41:04.719 lot of a lot of stars like to kind of moonlight and they'll come in 601 00:41:04.840 --> 00:41:07.760 and do something and you know, well it's for the kids. Well you 602 00:41:07.800 --> 00:41:09.760 know, it's for the grandkids, and that's something everything. Yeah, you're 603 00:41:09.880 --> 00:41:15.320 having fun. They're not making a ton of money, but not not like 604 00:41:15.480 --> 00:41:20.360 they used to. But you know, I've I've heard that Bruce Willis did 605 00:41:20.440 --> 00:41:23.519 that, you know, did his little animated film for uh, you know, 606 00:41:23.599 --> 00:41:29.239 for kids and um and I know that Rita Moreno, who told me 607 00:41:29.360 --> 00:41:32.119 not to be a name dropper too late. Anyway, she she just had 608 00:41:32.199 --> 00:41:37.480 the time of her life. You know when we did Bonkers and Ron Perlman, 609 00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:42.639 you know, from the Beast himself. I mean, he's he's an 610 00:41:42.639 --> 00:41:45.199 amazing he's a good buddy. He's a friend of mine, and he kind 611 00:41:45.239 --> 00:41:49.760 of moonlighted for a while and did a few animated characters here and there. 612 00:41:49.800 --> 00:41:53.159 He was on Bonkers and a couple other things. So you know, it's 613 00:41:53.400 --> 00:41:58.639 yeah, I'm skirting. I'm skirting through Hollywood and around the edges of stardom, 614 00:41:58.679 --> 00:42:00.960 I guess you could say, but definitely on the edges. I'm sure 615 00:42:00.960 --> 00:42:04.440 they'll come on this show and have a good chat with you someday. Yeah. 616 00:42:04.679 --> 00:42:07.559 Oh yeah, well we get along now, Disney digs Hondo. The 617 00:42:07.719 --> 00:42:14.519 fans definitely, yes, what's the next move for this guy light action series? 618 00:42:14.559 --> 00:42:16.880 The people demand it's it's surely happening, right, We're not waiting on 619 00:42:17.039 --> 00:42:23.199 me. I can tell you that when Ahsoka Tano popped up in the Mandalorian, 620 00:42:23.239 --> 00:42:27.039 I was thinking, oh wow, there's my old girlfriend. Course she 621 00:42:27.199 --> 00:42:30.159 was everybody's old girlfriend, but that's okay, we don't want to talk about 622 00:42:30.199 --> 00:42:35.920 that. Well, surely they're gonna need Hondo and nothing so far. In 623 00:42:36.039 --> 00:42:38.840 fact, I was hoping you guys could put in a word and see what 624 00:42:39.519 --> 00:42:44.119 you can make happen. Get this cast this pod right up there, and 625 00:42:44.519 --> 00:42:46.639 Bob Baggers, Bob, we know you are listening to this show right now. 626 00:42:47.079 --> 00:42:52.079 Everybody wants a live action Hondo art fooling anyone by. If there's one 627 00:42:52.119 --> 00:42:53.760 show that Bob subscribes to, it is tuned in with Jim Cummings. That 628 00:42:53.880 --> 00:42:59.760 is for damn sure, that's right. We already say you saw you do 629 00:43:00.039 --> 00:43:04.239 Age Harrison forward as Indiana Jones. Frankly, Jim doesn't need it, but 630 00:43:05.800 --> 00:43:07.679 it's the thing. It's funny you bring up Indiana Jones. I feel like 631 00:43:07.760 --> 00:43:12.079 a Hondo series would almost feel like an Indiana Jones kind of series. It'd 632 00:43:12.119 --> 00:43:15.239 be so it'd be had the element of adventurous fun. I think, yeah, 633 00:43:15.480 --> 00:43:17.760 no, I agree. I mean, you know, I've got a 634 00:43:17.960 --> 00:43:23.039 name for it, the Old Knocker Chronicles. Do you like that? Sorted 635 00:43:23.320 --> 00:43:27.559 Disney never have to think of a title. It's ready to go. Lady. 636 00:43:27.920 --> 00:43:32.400 Jim and Chris have already written the scripts you just gotta given and what 637 00:43:32.639 --> 00:43:37.920 hasn't been written the improvise? Yes, yes, they were green light green 638 00:43:37.119 --> 00:43:43.039 light green the early years. That's not bad. We are big on prequels 639 00:43:43.039 --> 00:43:45.239 now, aren't we. Yeah, we are. Would you prefer to do 640 00:43:45.280 --> 00:43:47.599 a prequel series and tap into the element of the character, or do you 641 00:43:47.679 --> 00:43:51.800 think you'd want to expand on what you've already created so going forward into the 642 00:43:51.880 --> 00:43:53.719 future, or do you think you'd like to sort of show how he became 643 00:43:53.800 --> 00:43:57.360 Hondo? What do you think? What would you prefer? Yes to all 644 00:43:57.400 --> 00:44:00.480 of the above? Was about to say the little tark I go, why 645 00:44:00.480 --> 00:44:01.679 don't we have both? Yeah? Well, Hondo as a kid, he 646 00:44:01.800 --> 00:44:08.159 used to deliver pizzas. Did Well that's what Chris wrote, and you have 647 00:44:08.280 --> 00:44:12.519 to change it. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, I don't know what 648 00:44:13.039 --> 00:44:17.079 what would be Hondo's favorite flavor of pizza? Topping m Wookie? No, 649 00:44:17.239 --> 00:44:22.079 I don't, I don't, I don't know, Bogus, Yeah, that's 650 00:44:22.119 --> 00:44:24.599 a good question. I don't know. But you know, when you go 651 00:44:24.679 --> 00:44:29.639 to Galaxy's Edge, they've got you know, there is a cantina there, 652 00:44:30.599 --> 00:44:35.440 and and yes, it's fraught full of all the people that you're used to 653 00:44:35.480 --> 00:44:38.400 seeing in Star Wars cantinas. The CANTEENA was just always so enchanting as a 654 00:44:38.480 --> 00:44:42.079 kid. When when that music hits, it's just takes you to another world, 655 00:44:42.119 --> 00:44:47.719 doesn't it. Yeah. I've got a picture of myself and those guys 656 00:44:49.599 --> 00:44:52.320 uh down to Disney in Disney World. Yeah, I don't know, ten 657 00:44:52.440 --> 00:44:57.880 years ago and it's those guys. They're walking around the band you know what, 658 00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:04.360 the heads whatever, the you know and playing that for Carcter song or 659 00:45:04.719 --> 00:45:08.079 you know and or or you know, from their medley of their greatest hit. 660 00:45:08.719 --> 00:45:10.679 It's funny. I'm not sure if this happens in America, but here 661 00:45:10.679 --> 00:45:14.000 in Australia we have these. I know you obviously got law machines, but 662 00:45:14.039 --> 00:45:17.480 the claw machines for chocolates in Australia using the canteen uses the CANTEENA music. 663 00:45:17.800 --> 00:45:21.280 I'm not sure if they've paid any royalties for that, but you go to 664 00:45:21.400 --> 00:45:22.920 a pub or anything like that and you've got the chocolate claw machine. It's 665 00:45:24.440 --> 00:45:29.119 it's always got the canteen of music. Oh that's cool. Yeah, it 666 00:45:29.239 --> 00:45:31.320 is very cool, very um. It just moves the kids into want to 667 00:45:31.320 --> 00:45:35.519 spend money to get the chocolate of the Klaw Machine. Yeah, yeah, 668 00:45:35.559 --> 00:45:38.800 yeah, well, before all we wrap up today talking about Hondo. Of 669 00:45:38.840 --> 00:45:42.039 course, the final question you to ask you is if you had the chance 670 00:45:42.079 --> 00:45:45.840 to travel two a galaxy far far away and meet Hondo, what would you 671 00:45:45.960 --> 00:45:50.639 say to him? Oh, keep up the good work and try and dig 672 00:45:50.719 --> 00:45:53.719 up a new series for us, you know that might be that might be 673 00:45:54.119 --> 00:45:59.079 cool or anything pretty cool or anything. Yeah, yes, Now before we 674 00:45:59.159 --> 00:46:00.400 let you go, Jim, of course, we're going to promote next week's 675 00:46:00.400 --> 00:46:02.360 show. But before we do that, what are you got coming up in 676 00:46:02.360 --> 00:46:05.599 the next week or so? Like, what's going on a Jim Cummings World. 677 00:46:06.360 --> 00:46:09.599 Well, unfortunately, the Radish strike means that I'm not doing one heck 678 00:46:09.679 --> 00:46:15.239 of a lie, But like I'll be down in Perth and then Sydney, 679 00:46:15.679 --> 00:46:20.119 Yeah, and then I'll do even get at Jim Cummings World dot com to 680 00:46:20.159 --> 00:46:23.119 find up all the future dates for conventions of Jim's appearing like that. You 681 00:46:23.199 --> 00:46:27.760 can also listen to next week's show early and add free on Jim's Pagreon and 682 00:46:27.840 --> 00:46:30.920 finding other exclusive content on there as well, such as behind the scenes videos 683 00:46:30.920 --> 00:46:35.199 of Jim recording some blooper videos which are absolutely hilarious, plus some of Cummings 684 00:46:35.280 --> 00:46:38.440 commentaries where Jim and Guy and Chris myself will sit down and watch something from 685 00:46:38.639 --> 00:46:43.440 Jim's previous catalog on Disney Plus and just chat about it as we're watching it. 686 00:46:43.480 --> 00:46:45.760 A bit of a watch along there. Plus next week we're going to 687 00:46:45.800 --> 00:46:47.320 be doing a bit something a bit different, no topic in particular. It's 688 00:46:47.320 --> 00:46:51.880 going to be asked Jim anything, So we're gonna be asking for your questions. 689 00:46:52.199 --> 00:46:54.159 Oh boy, We'll hand pick some and we will get Jim to answer 690 00:46:54.159 --> 00:46:57.360 them on the show. So make sure you contribute to that. But of 691 00:46:57.440 --> 00:47:00.719 course follow us on social media at Jim Cummings on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, 692 00:47:00.760 --> 00:47:05.280 TikTok, Instagram wherever you find your social media channels, and Patreon dot 693 00:47:05.320 --> 00:47:08.039 com slash Jim Cummings Podcast if you want to get early and ad free access 694 00:47:08.159 --> 00:47:13.840 to this show and all the extra bonus exclusive content available only on the tuned 695 00:47:13.880 --> 00:47:15.760 in with Jim Cummings Patreon channel. But once again, guys, it's been 696 00:47:15.760 --> 00:47:20.440 an absolute joy to sit back here and banter and chatting delve deep into the 697 00:47:20.599 --> 00:47:23.159 Hondo character. Thank you guys for joining me. Thank you Chris, thank 698 00:47:23.199 --> 00:47:27.199 you, and thank you to the one and the only, the reason we're 699 00:47:27.239 --> 00:47:30.440 all here, The legend, the Disney Icon. Jim Cummings. Thanks guys, 700 00:47:30.599 --> 00:47:32.000 God bless see you next time. Stay tuned.