Not many kids seem to share Jim Carrey's first name these days.
"It’s not a popular name," Carrey said. "That’s why I call myself Zames."
From Ace Ventura to Andy Kaufman, Jim Carrey has brilliantly brought a wide range of characters to life for more than 30 years. "Zames” has a special talent for playing troubled antagonists with depth and humor.
"This is kind of a theme for me," he said. "Like, with 'Bruce Almighty' and things like that, it’s like a lot of power with really kind of a crippled ego."
That's a perfect description for his latest turn as Sonic the Hedgehog’s nemesis, the delightfully dark Dr. Robotnic.
"I want to be a dancer with this thing," Carrey said. "I want to be completely embodied in flamboyant evil."
"Sonic the Hedgehog 2" opens with a car chase beneath Seattle's Space Needle, but then cuts to streets that Vancouver residents will recognize as home.
"I know, isn’t that crazy?" Carrey said, referencing the industry's tendency to use the Canadian city as a stand-in for Seattle.
"Certain deals were struck with certain people. It’s graft, no doubt," he joked.
“Sonic 2” continues a journey that began back in the early ’90s, when the little blue action hero made his debut in a very popular video game.
"We were both kind of born to people’s consciousness and awareness in 1993. You know, it’s kind of when we both became stars," Carrey said.
That’s why longtime fans of Carrey, and Sonic, feel like family.
"You see a real visceral excitement because it’s something that’s part of their DNA," he said.
One lifelong fan happens to be Carrey’s co-star, and henchman in the film, Lee Majdoub.
"He’s so committed," Majdoub said of Carrey. "But between takes, and even during, we would cut on a scene and it’s laughter and it’s hugs and he’s so supportive. He’s a big hero of mine, and working with him couldn’t be any better."
Whether your hero is human or hedgehog, you can meet them at the top of their game in “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.”
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