Brooke speaks up for Mother Nature

MANILA, Philippines - Brooke Shields stars as an even-keeled and supportive wife to Brendan Fraser in the wacky family flick, Furry Vengeance.

Brooke admits she had some trepidations about signing on to a wacky animal picture, but reconsidered when she learned Fraser will be her co-star.

Excerpts from the interview:

What interested you in making this film?

“The fact that Brendan Fraser would be in it, the opportunity to work with him was a huge part for me. Making a kids’ movie was important and you can also entertain the adults with smart humor. When Roger Kumble, the director, talked to me he said there’s not a lot that’s on the page but I want you to trust me. When you’re cast as the wife or mother you usually just sort of service the story, but he gathered some of the best comics around and literally put me in scenes I wasn’t supposed to be in and asked a lot of me and created a real character that wasn’t there. I knew it was going to be fun and I had the best time I’ve ever had on a movie!”

What’s the value of educating children on the importance of the environment?

“I think that it’s imperative; we’ve got a bit crazy about it at times and building it into a movie like this where the message is not condescending or standing over them with a ruler allows them to feel powerful over it. My kids now have gotten to this very empowered stage where they feel great about making a difference. They get mad at me about leaving the water on when they’re brushing their teeth. They have a power to make a difference. With movies like this it’s a good way to do it because its subtle and you’re not condemning them for it they get to be on the side of the animals.”

You have been an incredibly dedicated mom. You put your kids as a priority. As your career has evolved, has being a mom shifted your perception of entertainment? What are your takeaways for balancing being a mom with being an actress?

“It is something that is constantly being negotiated in my mind and in my heart for so much of my life, all of my life. Prior to having children I was an incredibly focused, ambitious performer. Basically it didn’t matter what medium I was in. It dictated my emotions. I was happy doing it and it took precedence over even my personal life.”

As a mom taking your kids to the movies, what do you hope both adults and kids get out of Furry Vengeance entertainment-wise?

“Its shifting – we’re seeing a demand for it. What we are seeing is a big gap between kids’ movies and adult movies. There were not any sort of hybrids, and Hollywood hadn’t figured out what that really was. We need movies we can bring children to that we aren’t bored out of our minds. We need to share these movies and story telling and whether it’s an eco-message or family message, we need to be able to spur conversations among the family.”

Speaking of the comedic aspect, is it different to play a comedic role in a full-length movie vs. TV?

“The format is very different. Sitcom is more of a play, performing in front of an audience, timing and laughter is important, energy is more like adrenaline. Shot out of a cannon every week. Film and recent TV is a little more controlled and it’s a bit harder because the natural flow of really good comedy works when you’re not really thinking about it. It’s less immediate and you have to re-do things.”

What was it like working with Brendan?

“Brendan is one of the most incredible talents I’ve ever worked with. He’s borderline genius. He really is extraordinary and the psychology surrounding him is so fascinating to me. I’ve only known him socially but he’s one of that rare breed of actors that really does take everything very seriously in the sense that he believes in it wholeheartedly and he’s generous with other actors. He’s very quick to highlight someone else’s talent and it’s a huge gift to work with someone like that who’s not afraid if you get a laugh in a scene, and he has no ego which is very rare. He commits 100 percent, no matter if it’s one line, one word, no words, or a full monologue. I learned a lot just by watching him, just because of his level of commitment, and we just saw eye-to-eye in every way in our respect for real comedy.”

 He’s a match with Roger Kumbel the director and Ken Jeong and all these UCB guys and all these guys they found on Funny or Die. Whether he’s a construction worker who had no lines, or a major character he really respected everyone and everyone’s storyline had a place to go. Plus we drank beer together, so we bonded for sure over that. And we’ve been doing all our press together and we’ve found a balance and we’re good cop, bad cop and he’s energy and I’m more balanced.”