We’ve been waiting since Finding Nemo for Dory’s return, and it’s time! Ellen Degeneres, the voice and personality, behind everyone’s favorite blue tang is back with her very own movie!
Finding Dory is scheduling to view in theaters on June 17th. You and your family will get to follow Dory as she sets out on a journey to find her parents, and discover who she is meant to be.
We recently attended a press junket where Dory and Ellen seemed to the center of attention. While Ellen admits to some memory issues, its certainly not as bad as Dory’s forgetfulness. Ellen says she doesn’t give it much thought, but rather embraces the quirk as “it’s just who I am. I don’t really do anything about it I just live in the moment.”
Here are eight things we learned at the event.
Which of Dory’s traits, would Ellen want?
I would love to have every trait of Dory’s. I try to have as many traits as she has, as far as optimism and perseverance, non-judgment. Not having any resentment or holding on to anger. She doesn’t feel like a victim, and I think that’s why she is such a lovable character. She just thinks everything is possible. She doesn’t think there is anything wrong with anyone else. She just keeps swimming. I’d like to have all of those traits.
Why did she want a sequel to Finding Nemo?
It just seemed obvious. The film is iconic. It won an Academy award. I was a small part of it. I wasn’t campaigning to have a sequel for Dory, I was campaigning for a sequel to a great movie. When it didn’t happen for the first five or six years, I decided to just make a joke of it. It just seemed like it was never going to happen, so I continued to joke about it. Then the joke became a reality, and it became about Dory’s journey.
Did she see Dory as a tragic character? Did she worry about her?
I think when you really think about it – I don’t think of it is tragic. You can think of it that way, but as you see in the film now – what appears to be a disability is her strength. It turns into what would Dory do? Maybe what appears as a disability it’s something everyone can look at actually that’s a different way of thinking. It’s a good way of thinking. I love that message in it that something that appears to be a handicap is something you can use as a strength.
Where did that slogan come from?
‘Just Keep Swimming’ came from Andrew Stanton who wrote it. I think this film is so much more than a cartoon movie. We are all so proud of this. It’s much more complex and layered then any of us thought it would be. It’s much more complex than Nemo, and Nemo was a great movie. But there are so many layers to this.
Dory’s emotion is real.
It’s a very personal story for Dory. It is emotional. It was very easy for me to cry. I couldn’t read the lines, and pretend to sniffle and get emotional. It was emotional. Everything Dory was going through was sad. These are all human feelings. These are feelings we all have. It does show the power of these animators. They make it so beautiful, and realistic. The characters they create are so complex. You do get emotional, and you do cry at a fish. It really is a beautiful story. It was fun and challenging to get that emotional with just a voice. It’s a credit to the writing as well.
Did she study fish in fish tanks for the role?
I didn’t do a whole lot of research. But the honest answer is that I’ve always cared about nature, our planet and the environment. And I think it’s important to protect our oceans and the fishes in the oceans and the coral reefs. It’s a beautiful world which we know very little about. I think there is probably all kinds of answers, cures and things we can learn. I think it’s really important to protect our oceans.
Was young Dory played by Ellen?
No, that was a precious little girl who sat behind me at the movie theater (premiere) who felt had a special connection with me because it was so adorable – I was like you are me!
Does she look like Dory?
Someone said that she looks like me, but I don’t see it personally. As I’m talking they are filming me the entire time to get my facial expressions and what I’m doing, so that’s how they come up with the look of the fish. But I don’t see it.
