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On top of that, he also wants to build an army of intelligent-robot kids.
Writing it out like that makesSpy Kidssound totally unhinged and … well, it is.
Sure, why not!
The beauty ofSpy Kidsis that it knows no bounds.
It weighs a ton, by the way, just so you know when you see it.
Where were you in your life and career when this role came about?
I had done a series in the 90s,Wings.
I think this had to have been before I startedMonk, which probably came right after this.
Thats where I was in the continuum.
How was Alexander Minion first described to you?
I think, at that point, they may have even had some of the sets built.
He originally described Minion as a nerdy scientist who turns out to be quite diabolical.
But then, in the sequels, hes actually reformed and helps the Cortez family.
I liked the idea that anyone can have a shot at redemption.
I liked that too.
I mean, I certainly didnt know that was coming.
So certainly that was in the narrative.
Change is not only possible but inevitable.
I liked the message that was being put out there for my own kids, too.
Im curious to know what Robert Rodriguez was like as a director.
He said that he wanted the film to feel like it was written and directed by a child.
Do you think that childlike energy was also reflected on set?
Hes much more than a director.
He has so retained that kind of childlike quality of wonder, creativity, and fearlessness.
Kids just go into things full bore, without really contemplating the consequences, and he does that.
I did see him as this very larger-than-life talented kid all through the production.
It was quite a personal film for Robert as well.
He incorporated elements of his life and dreams into the story.
Did he ever talk to you about that?
A lot of the work he had done prior to that was more geared toward adults.
The concepts in this film are so wild and eccentric, like the thumb henchmen and the Fooglies.
No, I didnt question it for a minute.
Were reading to them when theyre little, were playing with them were kind of in that world anyway.
I didnt question that at all.
I embraced it fully.
What did your kids think of the film?
They were crazy for it.
She had decided that thats what she was going to do with her life.
AfterSpy Kids, there was a whole wave of adventure movies geared toward children.
It was groundbreaking in a lot of ways, because the family was from the Latino community.
I dont think there was anything ever like this before.
So it had that whole component going for it, too.
It was a little creepy in places.
I think it had a bit of a darker side.
It just checked a lot of boxes.
Its good to know that it was not just a job but that its had some life.
Is Minion one of the roles you get recognized most for?
I dont know that I would get recognized most for it.
It just depends on the age of the person, mostly.
But Im really very proud to have been a part of theSpy Kidsmovies.
Jumping back to the movie, Minion falls victim to his mutating machine and grows extra heads and limbs.
Was that effect all practical?
They built this gel mold of my face contorted.
[Robert] did all of that, by the way that was all his work.
He designed that whole thing.
In fact, I can send you a picture of it.
Ive kept it all this time.
I wore this enormous thing on my head.
It was lightweight, but it was big.
Was it difficult to wear?
It was not heavy, but it was somewhat precarious.
I cant remember exactly how they [did it]; maybe they stapled it to my skull.
But no, it was not terrible.
Ive had many worse things Ive had to put on my face and my head.
I really loved the dynamic between you and Alan Cumming.
What do you remember about working with him?
Oh my God, it was thrilling.
Alan and I both came up in the theater.
Hes just a massive talent: singer, dancer, a jack-of-all-trades.
I had never worked with him before or really any of those people.
The whole thing was just full of great people.
How do you seeSpy Kidswithin your career?
But all of these elements came together at the right time, at the right moment.
