With the upcoming release of “Gnomeo & Juliet” on Bli-ray and DVD on May 24th, J!-ENT will be featuring Q&A interviews with a few of the talent who lent their voices to the animated film.
We kick off with Ashley Jensen, an actress who won the hearts of Europe and Hollywood for her breakout performance as the loveable loser Maggie Jacobs on the BBC/HBO series “Extras,†in which she stars opposite Ricky Gervais. For her work in “Extras,†she has received two British Comedy Awards (Best Actress, Best Newcomer), the Golden Rose of Montreaux award, Best Actress at the Monte Carlo International Television Festival, Glamour Magazine’s Comedy Woman of the Year award and she was nominated for a BAFTA and Emmy® Award.
Other notable television work includes ABC hit drama “Ugly Betty†and the new CBS comedy series “Accidentally On Purpose.†Jensen’s film credits include “Topsy Turvy†and “Cock and Bull Story.†Jensen appears in the upcoming television drama “The Reckoning†and will star opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal in the feature film “Hysteria.†In “Gnomeo & Juliet,†Jensen lends her voice to Juliet’s best-friend, the romance-obsessed frog, Nanette.
ASHLEY JENSEN won the hearts of Europe and Hollywood for her breakout performance as the loveable loser Maggie Jacobs on the BBC/HBO series “Extras,†in which she stars opposite Ricky Gervais. For her work in “Extras,†she has received two British Comedy Awards (Best Actress, Best Newcomer), the Golden Rose of Montreaux award, Best Actress at the Monte Carlo International Television Festival, Glamour Magazine’s Comedy Woman of the Year award and she was nominated for a BAFTA and Emmy® Award. Other notable television work includes ABC hit drama “Ugly Betty†and the new CBS comedy series “Accidentally On Purpose.†Jensen’s film credits include “Topsy Turvy†and “Cock and Bull Story.†Jensen appears in the upcoming television drama “The Reckoning†and will star opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal in the feature film “Hysteria.†In “Gnomeo & Juliet,†Jensen lends her voice to Juliet’s best-friend, the romance-obsessed frog, Nanette.
What attracted you to taking part in “Gnomeo & Juliet�
Well, the fact that it’s an animated film was a huge appeal. This was the first animated film that I’ve done and I thought it was such a clever and charming idea. And I think it’s always good to bring things like Shakespeare to children, and what a fun way to do it. The animation is beautiful, it’s so colorful and it’s so accessible and funny.
Do you see yourself in your character Nanette?
The first image that I saw of myself I thought, “That’s amazing. That’s great.†But then the next time I went in, they said, “We’ve kind of gone this way with it.†They had made me more feminine with lovely long lashes and voluptuous lips and they had definitely made my mouth bigger because—well because I have quite a big mouth.
Did you find the process of doing an animated film challenging?
It was a whole new way of working, which is great and very exciting because you can really let go. I got very carried away with my frog acting. The special thing about doing voice work for animation films is that you become uninhibited the way you were as a child in your own room playing. It’s those parts of the imagination you are calling upon. After a three-hour session you are pretty exhausted, because it is incredibly physical, but it is also quite freeing being in this little recording booth on your own in the middle of nowhere and you can just let your imagination go wild. So it was good fun. I really enjoyed it.
GNOMEO & JULIET on Blu-rayâ„¢, Blu-ray 3Dâ„¢ and DVD May 24, 2011
The greatest love story ever told, starring…garden gnomes? In the upcoming “Gnomeo & Juliet,†Shakespeare’s revered tale gets a comical, off-the-wall makeover. Directed by Kelly Asbury (“Shrek 2â€) and showcasing both classic and original songs by Elton John, the film features the voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as Gnomeo and Juliet, who have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. But with plastic pink flamingos and thrilling lawnmower races in the mix, can this young couple find lasting happiness?