’My wife doesn’t think I’m funny’

Ray Romano returns as the voice of Manny the woolly mammoth in Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Ray Romano returns as the voice of Manny the woolly mammoth in Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Ray Romano started his career as a stand-up comic. He went on to star in the hit TV series, Everybody Loves Raymond, which earned him several Emmys. Funny and self-deprecating as always, Romano sat down for an interview in Los Angeles.u00a0

Where do we find Manny at the start of Ice Age 3?
Ellie is pregnant. Manny's a little confused but also excited. He had thought that the woolly mammoths were becoming extinct and now he's making another generation.

He is nervous isn't he?
He is but anyone who is about to be a parent can relate to the anticipation of it all and the nerves. I became a father a long time ago. I thought I knew what I was doing but I didn't and luckily there were people around to get me to step in at appropriate moments. You try to participate as much as you can, but basically your goal is to get out of the way.

What about your chemistry with Queen Latifah, the voice of Ellie?u00a0
Queen and I have never recorded together. I think that's what works. (Laughs) I have great chemistry with a woman who never has to see me in person. Manny and Ellie complement each other. He is strong but also clueless. She lets him think that he's in charge, but in reality she is the strong one. That's how it works in my personal life too.

Can you discuss the journey Manny finds himself taking in this movie?
Manny's buddies, Sid and Diego, feel neglected. Sid tries to find a baby of his own. Of course, Diego is too much of a man for that. He keeps his emotions in, as we men tend to do. It takes a while for Manny to realise that he already has an existing family in these characters and that he needs to include them. I'm sure families can relate to that. You have to find ways as a parent to include everybody.

Is that why families can relate to these movies?
I think this relates to families worldwide. What I learned is that a family is the same no matter where you're from.u00a0 The troubles, the issues and the dysfunction are all the same. This is going to sound corny but the love is the same, it's universal. Put that to music (laughs).

What kind of a dad is Manny going to be?
He will probably let his kids get away with everything, like I do. He is going to get yelled at a lot. I have four kids. My wife does all the work and I have all the fun. When she's away I take care of them but I've probably done more damage than good. (Laughs)

Do you identify with Manny?
Yeah, I do. In his relationship with Ellie, the woman is the voice of reason and the one calling the shots. And that is the way it is in my house. I wake up in the morning and I get clean underwear and an apple every day. My wife does everything.u00a0

Does it surprise you when you watch the final film how much rapport you have with the other actors, considering you record the voices separately...
Well it is true. I've never once been in a studio with the other actors. You have 15 recording sessions for each movie and it's always amazing when I see the final film. It appears as if the other actors are standing right next to me. I have to give credit to the director, animators, and mixers. I never believed it would work until I saw it all up on the screen.u00a0 u00a0

How has it been working with director Carlos Saldanha?
He makes you feel very comfortable. He's a good laugher which is a big bonus. Carlos often lets you do your own thing; you do a couple of ad libs and then he comes around and says, 'Now let's get what's on the page', so you get it all, which is great. I need to hear someone like him responding while recording because I'm so insecure. When we're working, he has to be Ellie and he does it pretty good. It's a little disturbing (laughs).

Considering this film includes dinosaurs, how did you create Manny's scared responses?u00a0
I had to think of something that could scare me. It's hard because you've got to picture the dinosaur towering over you. At the same time, you can't really move away from the microphone. It took a couple of takes before I got used to emoting, running and being scared, and staying within the frame, so they could hear me clearly. It got easier but it was also odd at times because I haven't had much practice sliding down an ice cave or falling out of a tree onto a dinosaur's nose.

Did you ever think that there'd be an Ice Age 3?
No, after my first recording, I thought I was going to get fired because I didn't think it was working. But when I saw the acting, animation and success of the first one, I knew we were not going to stop. I'm hoping for Ice Age 4 because my daughter has just started college. She takes after her mother. She spends a lot of money!u00a0 But that's not the reason I'd do it. I love these films!

What are the challenges of creating a strong animated character?
I don't want to sound to 'actory' because I am playing a mammoth after all, but I do try to find a voice for him. People may think I'm just being myself but I try to become Manny.

How passionate are you about your work?
Well my TV show ended four years ago and people said, 'how's retirement treating you?' and I
said, "It's unemployment' For a while, it was fun to be away.
Then I realised that this is what I do for a living and it makes me happy. Now I have this film and some other projects. I'm very lucky that I am able to do something I love.

Are you funny at home?u00a0
If you ask my wife, the answer is no. My twins think I am funny and my 18-year-old daughteru00a0 u2014u00a0 not so much. My son is 11 and he just plays videogames, so I haven't really talked to him in a while. I don't know what he thinks.

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