Photo Credit: Erica Chao
Once I saw Big Hero 6 I was in love, so getting to interview the actors from the film was super exciting for me! Daniel Henny voices Tadashi and Ryan Potter voices Hiro. Though they had only met at the first screening of the film, they definitely seem to have a brotherhood. They are very playful and respectful with each other.
It’s always interesting to learn how the actors are similar to the characters they are playing. Ryan said that he loves to create things. He like to build, use his hands and “free the things stuck in [his] mind” and so he could really relate to Hiro. He said that he WAS that kid 4 years ago and so it was natural for him.
For Daniel, he said that Tadashi made him a better person.
It was a beautiful opportunity for me to go and play this guy who is such a role model for a man at such a young age- so smart, beautiful, intelligent, caring, genuine, the ultimate big brother, and he’s very selfless.
Both Daniel and Ryan felt like their roles allowed them to feel feelings from their past and resolve some things and that they would come out of sessions feeling like they had just been to therapy. They felt so happy when they were done and that it really helped both of them.
One of the big firsts in this film is that Tadashi and Hiro are Disney first multi-cultural characters! Ryan said:
It was a huge honor being able to be the first the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic Disney characters, ever. Like, we would’ve paid them tocast us.
HA! That was such a cute response!
Daniel’s response was equally meaningful:
It’s every kid’s kinda dream come true to be able to be a part of a film like this and this one is really special because of how diverse it is, and it breaks the mold. And we keep repeating it over and over, but the diversity is what makes it stand up and I didn’t even realize that we were the first multi-ethnic Disney characters until the film had come out and somebody came up to me and said, well, how does it feel? It’s absolutely awesome.
Both Ryan and Daniel are so excited to now be “Marvel Characters” especially Ryan being a “superhero”. Daniel told a funny story of how he likes to get the action figures of his characters (he has one for a Wolverine movie he was in)
Tadashi’s not a huge part of it, but he did get a figure. I was at an airport up in the lounge, and these two kids were playing with Big Hero 6 characters,and they had Tadashi. They were like six year olds, and I got to walk up as the weird older dude, and I was like, hey, where did you get that, kid? That’s so surreal to have that moment. But yeah it’s very satisfying and fun.
Daniel and Ryan are so humble and so grateful for the roles they got to play in this amazing film. I’m so honored that I got to meet them.
Big Hero 6 is an Academy Award winning film (WOOT) and comes to Blu-ray combo on February 24.
Read more of my other LA adventures for the #McFarlandUSAEvent.
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