SEATTLE — The highly-anticipated animated film “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” has two big western Washington connections.
Based on the decades-old Nintendo character, the film draws from every iteration of games featuring Mario (and later, his brother Luigi.)
Lake Stevens actor Chris Pratt stars as the title character, who was named after Seattle-based real estate developer Mario Segale. When Nintendo was first creating the Mario character (as part of Donkey Kong,) the company was working out of a Tukwila building Segale owned.
Charlie Day also stars Luigi and Keegan-Michael Key is their friend in the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad.
Entertainment reporter Kim Holcomb talked to all three actors about the movie, and the unique Seattle tie-ins.
HOLCOMB: "How much time did you spend in Tukwila preparing for the role?”
DAY: (laughing) "It's destiny, this was meant to happen. It had to be a Seattle guy.”
PRATT: “Listen, I played a lot of Mario growing up and spent a lot of time in Tukwila so I didn't even realize the preparation I'd been doing. So, it's like you said, it's destiny."
HOLCOMB: "When I hear the theme song, it takes me right back to Lisa Parks' house up the street and her overstuffed couch. Where does it take you guys when you hear the song?”
PRATT: “Hmm. Lisa's.”
DAY: “It does take me back to my house, or my friend’s houses.”
PRATT: "We had this little duplex and I played it there. And also, across the street was the laundry mat that had the arcade version of the game. I hear the coins and I jump on the flag and I hear the music. It's wild. It was really the soundtrack of a good four or five chunk of my life, from like 9 to 13 or something like that. Brings me right back."
HOLCOMB: "Your voice is basically unrecognizable as Toad. In advance of actually going into the booth, are you practicing at home? Are you using it in a drive-thru?”
KEY: (laughing) “I haven't done that yet, Kim, but I'm going to give that a try next time. I like that a lot, that's a great idea."
HOLCOMB: "You really can do any sound. Years ago when I interviewed you for ‘The Predator,’ you could make its clicking sound. Can you do Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong?”
KEEGAN: (laughing like Rogen) I'm trying to do the Seth — I just like doing his laugh.”
HOLCOMB: "Which scene or level from this film do you wish you could experience in a live action version?”
DAY: “The rainbow road. If you could get on a real rainbow road, it would be chaos.”
PRATT: “It would be scary actually, I don't know.”
DAY: “It would be scary, but it would be fun. I just want to get on that rainbow road and fly, man. Go as fast as I can. And throw shells at people.”
PRATT: “I would just want to walk through Brooklyn.” (laughter)
HOLCOMB: “The brothers are very affectionate in this film. Is that how you guys interacted in the vocal booth? Were you just hugging and grabbing each other's hands?”
PRATT: “Yes, non-stop.”
DAY: “Piggy back rides.”
PRATT: “We would just look at each other and say, 'As long as we're together, nothing can hurt us.'”
DAY: “And until we felt that bond, we wouldn't let them roll."
HOLCOMB: "Given your experience on this film, what is the greater cautionary tale: a turtle or a banana peel?”
KEY: “It's always the banana peel. Because I feel like you can see the turtle coming. The banana peel can come down flat and you've got to keep your eyes open. Got to keep your eyes, if I may — peeled. Kim, I said it. I said it. I'm not taking it back.”
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is nominated for 3 Golden Globes and 1 Critics Choice Award.
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