After a warm reception in Australia earlier this year, The Pout-Pout Fish splashes down in theaters in the U.S. this weekend and is set to warm the hearts of audiences of all ages.
The animated film, based on the New York Times Bestseller book of the same name, tells the hilarious and heartwarming story of an unlikely duo: Mr. Fish (Nick Offerman) a pouty introvert and Pip (Nina Oyama) an energetic sea dragon, who embark on a daunting quest to find a legendary fish (Jordin Sparks) to grant their wish to save their homes.
Ahead of the film's release, we sat down with singer/actress and former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks to talk about her key role as Shimmer in the film and how she was able to relate to the part after spending most of her adult life in the spotlight. Plus, she talks to me about what went behind crafting her new original song for the film, stepping into the booth for a voice role, and a whole lot more!
Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington helmed the animated adaptation, with a voice cast featuring Nick Offerman, Nina Oyama, Miranda Otto, Remy Hii, with Jordin Sparks, and Amy Sedaris.
The Pout-Pout Fish is now playing in theaters!
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ROHAN: Your character, Shimmer, is really at the center of the story. She’s who everyone is looking for. When first reading the script, was there anything about her that really resonated with you?
JORDIN: Yes, everything resonated with me, actually, I feel, especially for people who are in the public eye, and for myself, I've been known and in the public eye since I was really, really young. And everybody has this assumption of who you are, or you have to live up to a certain thing that's in their own mind, but there's so much more depth to my person and the being that I am. And. so reading about Shimmer, I was like, wow, I understand what she feels, but I also understand the other side of her that's really kind and really wants to help other people work through whatever it is that they need to work through. I feel the same way. My mom read me a quote when I was younger, and I think it's by Audrey Hepburn, but she says, you have two hands, one to help yourself and one to help others. So, I've always lived my life that way, and I feel like Shimmer’s like that too, except hers would be a fin.
ROHAN: When you’re recording a role like this, where you’re in the booth by yourself, do you find it somewhat liberating as a performer? Especially since you don’t have to act opposite anyone nor are you on camera?
JORDIN: I mean, for this particular character, it wasn't super challenging, but it was really cool, because we worked, this is across the sea that we worked on, so there were people that were on Zoom with me, but all the way in Australia. So, it was like, I was over here. I can't remember what time of the day it was, but it was like 4 AM for them, and they were on and they helped read some of the lines for me. And it was really lovely, because they knew exactly how the character was going to go and the intentions behind the character that was talking opposite of me. So, it made it pretty simple to be able to do it, which I really, really appreciated. But I also love being in a booth, you know, give me a microphone, and I'm going to make that work. So, it was really nice to be able to be in a space that I was like, oh, okay, I've been in here. I know the booth, the sound, all that. And, then I got to record the song for the end credits, which I'm really excited about as well.
ROHAN: When you’re making a song for a movie, what is that process like? And, how did you want to give this song, "Coming Back To Me," your own personal touch?
JORDIN: Well, it is a kids movie, but it is family. I hope a lot of people go and see this, because I feel like kids and adults alike can really see pieces of themselves in these characters. But, for me, I've always been a really, like, sunshiny, encouraging person. And I also know that I have a lot of young fans and fans my age and older alike that really love One Step at a Time, and that song is very happy. It's very uplifting and encouraging. And that's what I wanted to bring to the song for this film. I want people to walk away when they hear the song and they hear my voice, a voice that's saying, like, Hey, you can do this. It's a beautiful day. We're going to have a great day. All of those little affirmations that you want to carry with you. So, I hope they carry that with them when they leave the theater.
ROHAN: In the book, your character doesn’t speak, so when you step into this role, you do really get to make it your own with how she sounds. Was there anything specific that you tried to add to Shimmer?
JORDIN: I think when I was recording the lines, it was really cool, because the director gave me freedom to kind of try a whole bunch of different things. And then he would be like, okay, try one like this, or try one here, and I think the collaborative effort was really great, because sometimes you can assume something about a character, but then what the writers and the director have in mind could be a little bit different. The cool thing about it was we agreed on who shimmer was and the love that she had and how kind she was and how helpful that she was. And so, that really kind of helped me lean into the voice that I used. The other thing that really helped was being a mom, you know, kind of putting on that mom voice and that encouraging voice, and I think that definitely helped round out the character.
Based on the New York Times Bestseller book, The Pout Pout Fish will be released in theaters nationwide on March 20. Featuring a star-studded voice cast including Nick Offerman, Nina Oyama, Miranda Otto, Remy Hii, with Jordin Sparks, and Amy Sedaris. The film dives into a fun-filled adventure that explores friendship, courage, and the joy of spreading happiness. The Pout Pout Fish is set to make a splash with audiences of all ages.
Synopsis: The Pout Pout Fish is the hilarious and heartwarming story of an unlikely duo: Mr. Fish (Offerman) a pouty introvert and Pip (Oyama) an energetic sea dragon, who embark on a daunting quest to find a legendary fish to grant their wish to save their homes.
The Pout Pout Fish is directed by Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington and written by Elise Allen, Elie Choufany, and Dominic Morris.