PAMELA ADLON on
'TINKER BELL AND THE GREAT FAIRY RESCUE'

Interview by Michael J. Lee, Executive Editor for RadioFree.com
August 28, 2010

In the CG animated adventure Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, Disney's iconic sprite and her friends venture out from Pixie Hollow to the mainland to work their magic on nature. But when Tinker Bell's irrepressible curiosity gets the best of her, she inadvertently reveals herself to the human world and subsequently befriends a lonely little girl with a vivid imagination named Lizzy. Trapped in Lizzy's room due to a sudden rainstorm that prevents her from flying, Tinker Bell teaches her new companion all there is to know about fairies. Meanwhile, Tink's friends, believing she is in imminent danger, band together to mount a daring rescue mission, using their skills and ingenuity to evade all manner of pitfalls along the way.

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is the third feature film in the Disney Fairies line. Mae Whitman returns as the voice of the titular fairy, while Kristin Chenoweth, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symone, Pamela Adlon, Jeff Bennett, Rob Paulsen, and Jesse McCartney reprise their roles as Tink's friends. Michael Sheen joins the cast as Lizzy's logical, science-minded father who, despite being initially critical of his daughter's fanciful daydreams, learns to appreciate her unique outlook on life.

While covering the outdoor world premiere of Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, we had the opportunity to speak to Pamela Adlon, who supplies the voice of Vidia, Tink's snooty, speedy frenemy who is compelled to lead the rescue mission out of a sense of remorse. In this exclusive interview, Pamela talks a little about her general process for voiceovers, a job at which she's become a seasoned veteran. Fans can instantly spot her talents as the voice of Spinelli on Disney's Recess, Milo on The Oblongs, and Bobby Hill on King of the Hill--arguably her signature role to date. She also works on the live action side of television, with projects ranging from The Facts of Life and Down the Shore to Boston Legal and Californication.

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue makes its Disney Blu-ray/DVD debut on September 21!

RadioFree.com: You've had extensive experience with both voiceover roles and live action roles. As an actor, do you find one more fulfilling than the other?

PAMELA: No, I really love both. I mean, sometimes it just feels really good to not have to worry about getting dressed and make-up and all of that stuff, and other times, you really just want to get into something and really start working. So honestly, I just loving working.

I would imagine that given the course of your career, you've gotten to create a lot of special connections with fans who grew up watching your shows...

Yeah. It's funny, because they have resurgences, and there's things that people freak out about. Like Recess came back, and then people geek out when they find out that I was Dolores in Grease 2 or I was in Facts of Life or something like that. And then, of course, Bobby Hill, and Oblongs, and then all my other stuff.



Typically, what's your process for coming up with a different voice? Are you usually asked for something specific, or do you just throw out a bunch of ideas to see what sticks?

You know, I've been involved in so many different kinds of sessions where I'm with top-of-the-line voice people, and they're throwing out like one, two, three, four, multiple, like 18 different voices--like Jeff Bennett, Frank Welker...You know, all these guys, top of their game. And we just play. And we work with people who know what they're doing, and we work with people who don't know what they're doing. And so there's no set kind of program for it.

When you're in a recording booth, are you the type of performer who really gets into putting a lot of physical gestures behind the voice?

Yes! I'm very physical. I can't even talk into [your recorder] without moving my hands like a maniac! I feel like it helps a lot. Like if you're out of breath or whatever...I mean, if you physicalize it, the performance is going to be even better.

Thanks for your time, and congratulations on being such a beloved part of the childhoods of so many fans...

You're sweet, thank you so much.