Feature
Holy Cow, Kevin James is a New Dad with a New Movie
By Matt Stringer
“It’s the most exciting thing. We’re looking forward to
having a couple more [children],” says Kevin James, star of King of Queens
and the lead voice in Barnyard. “Right now, she’s about pooping and
eating—same for me. I wish my daughter was a little older so she could enjoy
the movie.”
His daughter, Sienna-Marie, isn’t even a year old, so
she may just have to wait awhile. But, James thinks kids still get a kick
out of seeing cows taking back the farm.
In the movie, James plays Otis, a fun-loving cow that,
when the farmer is away, walks on two legs, drives, watches TV, and, most
importantly, plays practical jokes—like boy-tipping. But the film is also
about father and son.
Ben, Otis’s father, keeps all the animals in line—and
keeps them from being devoured by coyotes. “As long as I’m still kickin’,”
Ben says in the film, “no animal will be harmed inside that fence!”
But soon Ben can no longer lead, thrusting Otis into a
role he doesn’t want and might not be able to manage.
“It has some heart-felt moments. It’s funny. It’s got
everything,” James said. “It’s a nice message. It’s a nice place to express
how you learn love of your father.”
The film is directed and written by Steve Oedekerk who
also wrote Bruce Almighty and produced Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.
The voice for Pip the mouse in Barnyard is none other
than Jeffrey Garcia, the voice of the hyperactive, UltraLord-loving Sheen in
Jimmy Neutron. Pip is one of James’s favorite characters since he made James
bellow out with laughter, which is quite a feat for Pip, considering James’s
role as one of the country’s leading stand-up comics.
The hardest part for James in the film was preparation.
He really wanted to take a cue from Robert De Niro and utterly immerse
himself in the life of a cow.
“I did a lot of research, just like De Niro—I would
stand in a field with a bunch of cows,” James said.
All jokes aside, though, James adjusted well from being
a TV personality to being voice talent in an animated children’s film—and he
had some fun, too.
“You’re able to get goofy and stupid. It’s always odd
when you’re acting in front of a microphone. You act in a vacuum. It’s
mainly me thinking like a cow,” James said.
Cows, however, are female, but James said that’s not a
problem because children aren’t going to go into the theater and
over-analyze character roles.
“It is a tad weird, but I either look female or very
male. I don’t think kids will care,” he said. “From what I’ve seen, the
special effects are unbelievable.”
Barnyard is James’s first voice role in a film, but he
did lend his talent to a small part, Officer Landers, in the animated movie
Monster House.
James loves to work. People tell him to take a
vacation. But, he’s used to the hours, and he is at no loss for energy. “I
recharge my batteries in a day,” he said.
TV, movies, and his stand-up comedy shows haven’t even
put a strain on his family relations because he oftentimes brings his family
with him on set. He married his wife, Steffiana De La Cruz, in June 2004 and
they’re now enjoying all that family life has to offer—even if James isn’t
able to be a complete equal in some areas.
“I love it. They say girls are easier. I’m thinking so.
She gets up during the night here and there,” James said. “Fortunately, even
though I have the size in the breast area, they’re not working.”
Matt Stringer is the editor of Curious Parents.
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