Entertainment / Geraldine Viswanathan Leads An All-Star Cast In The Animated Feature “Rumble”

Geraldine Viswanathan Leads An All-Star Cast In The Animated Feature “Rumble”

Entertainment Dec 23, 2021

by Marriska Fernandes

Geraldine Viswanathan (The Broken Hearts Gallery) plays Winnie in a star-studded animation feature Rumbleout on Paramount+. In an exclusive chat with us, she shares her excitement about her first animated role co-starring with Will Arnett, Stephen A. Smith and Terry Crews, thrilled that Winnie is representing “little brown girls” everywhere and her mantra in her playbook.

Geraldine Viswanathan Leads An All-Star Cast In The Animated Feature Rumble — **Geraldine Viswanathan Leads An All-Star Cast In The Animated Feature *Rumble*.** Photo Credit: www.instagram.com

Rumble, out now on Paramout+ (a co-production with World Wrestling Entertainment) takes place in the wrestling ring where monsters are superstar athletes. Winnie (voiced by Geraldine Viswanathan) decides follow in her father’s footsteps and coaches a loveable underdog Steve (voiced by Will Arnett) with the hopes of becoming a champion.

Marriska Fernandes: When this came your way, with all of the great messages that the story contains, what most excited you about the project that made you want to do it?

Geraldine Viswanathan: I’ve always loved animation and animated movies, and it just felt like such an honour to get to voice a character in an animation movie. I think that’s always just been a dream of mine. So I thought this one was especially sweet. And I love that it had a kind of masculine energy about wrestling and playing a coach. I thought that would be fun. We get to boss people around (laughs). I love Hamish (Grieve), the director, and Will Arnett. I’m a huge fan of his.

MF: How did you go about finding the voice for lead character Winnie?

GV: Hamish and I really worked together to figure that out. But I feel we pushed it a little bit and played with with being bigger and more expressive. I think also she’s sort of the heroine so we kept her pretty grounded and realistic.

MF: At what point did you get to see what Winnie would look like? What was your reaction to seeing her and does that help your performance at all?

GV: I thought she was so cute and she made me want to get purple hair (laughs). I was like, wait, would I suit purple hair? It was such a trip to see this character animated. And then also to see her mum and the whole family. Seeing a brown girl in animation was really sweet.

MF: You use physical comedy as a tool on screen. Without having that visual by being a voice artist, where there any challenges you had to overcome when bringing Winnie to life?

GV: Yeah, I definitely found it challenging at first, because I’m so used to using my face. I think I have a very expressive face and a less expressive voice. I think it was a challenge to dial that up. And then also, I’m doing an American accent. You really get in the zone and and just think about how you sound versus how you look or come across. Yeah, it’s a different muscle, a different kind of style.

MF: How similar are you to Winnie?

GV: I think I can be pretty bossy (laughs). I relate to her sort of like underdog determination. I feel like that’s something that I connected to.

MF: Is there a quality of hers, that you wish you had?

GV: I think discipline. I think she’s good. She’s like, ‘Let’s wake up. Let’s go. Let’s train.’ I think she works hard in a very tangible way. I like to sleep in and kind of chill.

MF: I believe you recorded with Will Arnett on one day – he’s a veteran with this. Did he help give you any tips?

GV: We had one session together, which was so exciting because as I said, I’m a huge fan. And he’s such a veteran in voice acting. He just he has the most incredible voice. So I learned a lot just by just doing scenes with him. He really was in the scene with me, which was really cool. Because when you’re recording on your own, you’re just sort of talking. You’re just saying the lines, you’re not talking to anyone. So it was really nice to get to do a scene with Will Arnett.

MF: What was something that you had to do as a voice performer with Winnie that you didn’t think about until you got in the booth?

GV: In general, it’s range. I think seeing where your voice can go and not be one note because it can just seem flat. So I think just pushing myself and being like, ‘What sounds can I make?’ If you’re trying to be annoyed you can show that on your face. You can roll your eyes or something. But I think finding all the different ways you can do that in your voice. I think that was a cool challenge.

MF: Winnie coaches a lovable underdog monster into a wrestling champion. If you had to coach another young, up-and-coming actor in the business of Hollywood, what would your number one advice be?

GV: I think I would say be nice to everyone. I think good energy is rewarded. And then I think just do it for the love of it. And just enjoy this really cool job that you get to do sometimes. And stick to your guns, I guess, a little bit too.

MF: Winnie has her sports mantras so what’s your motivation mantra in your playbook?

GV: In my playbook? (laughs) I think I got this off Tik Tok, I really like “I am the creator of my own reality”. I like to say that in the mornings, because it means today can be whatever you want it to be. You don’t have to do what’s expected or just trudge through the normal things that we all do. You can make your day or your world whatever you want it to be. So it’s cool to feel like you’re present and kind of have a day in your life.

MF: What do you hope the audience will take away from this film?

GV: I hope people just have a really good time and feel like they can root for these underdogs. It has a sweet message of taking that thing that makes you different, your secret passion, or using what makes you unique to your advantage, and bringing that into the ring.

MF: So, whats next for you?

GV: Next year, it’s going to be pretty fun and busy, which I’m like, ‘Let’s go! I’ve had the chillest this year of my life.’.

Main Image Photo Credit: www.instagram.com/yoyogeraldine/, Paramount+

Marriska Fernandes

Author

Marriska (@marriska.fernandes) is an entertainment expert who has been creating celebrity, movies and pop culture content for digital outlets for over ten years. From reporting headline-grabbing celebrity news to reviewing movies to interviewing Hollywood and Bollywood’s finest actors and industry...

COMMENTS

Check Out These November 2021 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond!

This Is Why The South Asian Film Festival Of Montreal (SAFF Montreal) Should Be On Your List

Holiday Gift Guide 2021: 9 Fab Books By South Asian Authors

Agam Darshi Shows The Beauty Of An Adult Coming-Of-Age In 'Donkeyhead'

Check Out These December 2021 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond!

TIFF 2021: Riz Ahmed Shines In His Latest Psychological Thriller "Encounter"

We Go Behind The Scenes Of The Already Iconic IKEA “Chaiyya Chaiyya” Holiday Commercial

Decoding "The Matrix Resurrections' With Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Our 2021 Roundup: We Tell You Why 'India Sweets & Spices' Needs To Be On Your Watchlist

We Tell You Why CBC’s “Run The Burbs” Will Be The Hottest Show Of 2022

Check Out These January 2022 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond!

TIFF 2021: Tahir Rana and Éric Warin Draw Inspiration From The Darkness In Their New Film "Charlotte"

Check Out These February 2022 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond!

Geraldine Viswanathan Leads An All-Star Cast In The Animated Feature “Rumble”

by Marriska Fernandes

Marriska Fernandes

COMMENTS

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE