Director Frederik Du Chau admits casting the actors who had to work around a wide variety of animals was a difficult task. Not only did they need to interact with a zebra, pelican, rooster, horses, and other assorted creatures, they also had to be able to tell their story through scenes in which the animals talk. Commenting on the casting of Bruce Greenwood, director Du Chau said, "To have an actor of his caliber in this movie is a true blessing because if the audience doesn't believe in our human story, then our talking animals don't seem real either."
INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE GREENWOOD ('Nolan Walsh'):
Had you worked with animals prior to this movie?
No, I’ve never done that before. I worked with horses where you just jump on them and ride them around.
What was it like on the set with all these different animals? Was it crazy?
Well, you get nibbled, you get bitten. You get snapped and kicked. I was taken to the ground by a 100 pound baby zebra and kicked mercilessly.
How did that happen?
I was showing it too much love. I held it a little bit too tight. They don’t like to be held tightly. You have to hold them very, very gently. It’s the scene where I bring it back into the barn and I’m just trying to dry it off. And it kind of got tense and I got tense. I held it a little tighter and it got a little more tense, and I held it a little tighter. It went bam! and threw me on the ground and kicked me repeatedly.
And that was a baby zebra?
Yeah. Much smaller than [the zebras at the premiere]. Like big dog size (laughing).
So, how do you make friends with a zebra?
Warm milk. We fed them for a long time for a couple of days before hand every few hours, out of a bottle. And just being close to them and getting them used to your smell and your voice.
Did you give them lots of treats?
Yeah, little handfuls of what look like kibble.
And working with Hayden Panettiere who plays your daughter...
Kind of the same thing. Little bits of kibble now and then, gentle voice, warm milk occasionally.
Did you do anything special to develop the father-daughter bond?
We had a really cool thing going right from the very beginning. We got really lucky that way. It was like [snaps his fingers] instantly. There was no kind of warm-up period.
Would you work with animals again?
Yeah, but they’re tricky.
Your director said he’s written a sequel. Would you consider doing another "Racing Stripes?"
Oh yeah, I’d come back. Sure.
You've also got "Capote" coming out this year. Who do you play in that film?
I play Jack Duffy who was Truman Capote’s long-time companion.
And there’s also another Capote movie in the works?
I know. I don’t know anything about that one. I just know our script is really, really strong.
Why does Hollywood always seem to do two or three of the same thing at the same time?
It’s bizarre.
ADDITIONAL “RACING STRIPES” INTERVIEWS:
Hayden Panettiere / Frankie Muniz / Frederik Du Chau / M Emmet Walsh / Jeff Foxworthy / Jeff Gordon
