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11/25/2004
Raymond discusses his role as Manfred the wooly mammoth in "Ice Age" with Time For Kids
You've seen him as the star of the hit TV comedy Everybody Loves Raymond. Now you can hear him in a new role that speaks for itself. In Ice Age, Romano is the voice of Manfred, a moody woolly mammoth. Manfred joins Sid, a silly sloth, and Diego, a saber-toothed tiger, on a prehistoric quest to bring a lost baby back to his family. Read on to find out how Romano turned his latest role, and his career, into a mammoth success.
They're the strangest herd you've ever heard of! Diego the saber-toothed tiger, voiced by actor Denis Leary; Sid the sloth, voiced by John Leguizamo; and Manfred the woolly mammoth, voiced by Ray Romano.
TFK: Did you ever think you would play a woolly mammoth?
Ray: It was my goal from the beginning! No, I wasn't looking to do an animated film. The script was good. I knew it would be a cool project.
TFK: In what way are you most like Manny?
Ray: Smell! [No,] I'm a lighter version of him. I'm not antisocial but I'm not very outgoing either, so in that sense we're the same. I don't mind just hanging alone. Manny's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder that way. He's a good person. I'm much more passive than he is. He says what's on his mind, he doesn't care. In that way we're very different.
TFK: What do your kids think of Ice Age?
Ray: They're obsessed with it. They want all the Ice Age toys that are coming out. They're amazed by the animation. They believe it's real. Their eyes light up when they see it. Then there's their father's voice in it. It's pleasantly mind-boggling.
TFK: In Ice Age, your character goes on an exciting journey with friends. What's the best trip you've ever taken in real life?
Ray: I went to Hawaii with my family. We had a really good time. [Also,] when I was younger my father owned a little bit of land in Canada and he was looking for gold on it. We had to drive and the last 100 miles was a dirt road. We stayed at an Indian Reservation. That was an interesting trip.
TFK: If you could, would you go back to the Ice Age?
Ray: No, I'm not a cold weather guy. [I'd visit] caveman times. It would be cool to show them sneakers--and how I can make fire.
TFK: What were your favorite movies when you were a kid?
Ray: Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, a lot of Disney movies, Planet of the Apes 1,2,3, and 4.
TFK: What's your favorite food?
Ray: When I'm out here [in California] it's sushi, when I'm on the East Coast it's pizza. Sushi is the pizza of the West Coast. It's on every block.
TFK: Do you have any pets? Are they anything like the characters in Ice Age?
Ray: We have a dog, Polly, and a rabbit, Sparky. Polly is very hyper like Sid. Sparky is a mini-Manny. He just kind of blubbers around.
TFK: Have you always wanted to be a comedian? What made you become such a star?
Ray: I liked comedy when I was a kid. I didn't get the bug to be a standup [comedian] till I was 22. When I was a teenager my friends and I put on variety shows at the community house. I tried to perform as much as possible. I would do standup on amateur night. I just kept trying. I had my mind set on being a standup. It was hard work in the beginning, a long road. There was a lot of disappointment. They weren't the best places to go, it wasn't the best crowd, but no matter how horrible the experience was you got something from it, and you got better. Everything pays off in the end. It's not all for nothing. It's a good way for people to see you and take notice. Just Do It, like the Nike commercial [says.] If you want it bad enough, there's always a way to get it.
For images and complete article, go to:
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/story/0,6079,217226,00.html
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