Oswald, the loveable big blue octopus, is brought to life by the voice of Fred Savage, well known for his role as Kevin Arnold on the television series The Wonder Years as well as films such as The Princess Bride and Vice Versa.
We spoke with Savage about his latest role.
How do you get into the Oswald character?
Oswald, if nothing else, is just a great friend to the people around him. What I like about Oswald is that he's caring, he's kind, he's selfless, he's sensitive to what might upset others, and always willing to put his own needs and desires aside to help out his friends. The thing I try to add to his character is a sense of humor and cleverness that fits the show.
Did you try different voices for him?
I didn't try a lot of different voices. It's pretty much my voice, just a little more youthful and excited, but not cartoony. I think Oswald and the world around him isn't a real extreme kind of cartoony world. Before I even started talking to Dan Yaccarino (Oswald's creator) and the people around here about a voice, I read the scripts and thought the series was just an honest and truthful portrayal of how people interact with one another.
As an actor, what do you like about portraying an animated character?
It's a new experience for me doing a cartoon like this. I really enjoy getting in the studio and working with all the cast. We gesticulate like crazy in the booth--but no one will ever see that. So you really have to tell the whole story just using your voice. It's a real challenge but it's a lot of fun. I enjoy it a lot
How is it different from live action?
In terms of performing, it's very similar. The acting is the same, only it's just your voice. You have a character that you want to portray in an honest way. I think when you're acting, you're acting, whether it's on television, or stage, or movies, or a recording booth. The biggest difference for me is the audience the show is geared towards. It's very young kids and so you have to be cognizant of that when in the studio in terms of not making it too scary, too angry, too frustrating. When you're going along in the script and there's a word that might not be familiar to the audience, you have to beware to take more time so they better understand it.
You've done movies, sitcoms, and now a cartoon - do you have a preference?
I think it's all performing and entertaining. While the medium changes, you're still performing and trying to entertain and be truthful to a character and a set of circumstances that surround that show. I just enjoy performing and acting, so while the medium changes that's all it does.
How much interaction do you have with the other actors?
The more interaction the better. My favorite recording sessions are when there are seven or eight or nine people all in the recording booth at once. The atmosphere is lot more fun because you just have more to play off of. You can really develop a great rhythm for a scene when everyone's in the room as opposed to just piecing together this guy's line with this guy's line.
As a child, what were your favorite books?
When I was very young my favorite books were Goodnight Moon, Runaway Bunny, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I still have them!
Most adults have positive feelings about you because of your work on The Wonder Years. What was it like working on that series?
It was a terrific experience and it makes me feel really good to know that people still enjoy it. If nothing else, I'll always look back and feel that, just for a short time, I was part of something special that meant a lot to a lot of people.
What made you want to be part of the Oswald series?
I never had aspirations of being a blue singing octopus. So how did I come to be associated with the show? There are several reasons. One is that I wanted to be part of the world Dan created. It was also really exciting to be part of the Nick Jr. family. But most importantly, it was the opportunity to work on something for really young kids and, perhaps, be a fundamental part of a child's development. Like in 15 years from now, if guys in their college dorm say, "Hey, you remember that Oswald song?" and they all start singing it. I think it would be really gratifying for me if kids grew up with the principles they learned from Oswald.
