As I parked my car and headed into the venue where the Hoppers junket in Los Angeles was being held, I passed by a wrecked red convertible with two beavers, a lizard, and a smiling shark all positioned on and inside of it.
Though I didn’t realize it at that point, it was an apt way to start off the day, because it set the entire tone for what would be, perhaps, the most fun set of interviews I’ve had in recent memory; possibly my entire career as an entertainment journalist. The first of these was with the incredible, sweet, and hilarious stars of Hoppers, Piper Curda and Bobby Moynihan. And much like the movie itself, it was the most hilarious, chaotic, wonderful five minutes and thirty seconds any correspondent could ever hope for!
I should probably add that I decided, in the spirit of the film, to dress like a beaver that day. Much like the film demonstrates, it’s impossible to get into the mind of a beaver, much less two, without hopping into the body of one. So, I adorned a pair of homemade beaver ears, a beaver snout and teeth, and a tail for good measure, to engage the animated beaver duo to discuss the secrets of Hoppers. Frankly, it could not have gone better.
Watch the full interview with Piper Curda and Bobby Moynihan below:
GoC: Mike Manalo, professional journalist, here.
Curda: [laughs]
Moynihan (on the beaver costume): Not going to lie. It is shockingly good!
GoC: Thank you! It’s in honor of George sir…a tip of the crown to the best Disney king to ever live.
Moynihan: Thank you. Maybe Mufasa. I was looking up Disney kings last night.
GoC: OH! Sorry! Second best Disney king ever then!
Moynihan: Yes! Second best. You gotta give respect where respect is due.
GoC: Very true. I love this movie, you guys. I love these characters. I love Mabel so much. I love King George so much. And you guys are phenomenal in this!
Curda: I love you!
Moynihan: I want to hold you!
Curda: I know! Can we take care of you?
GoC: We can cuddle afterwards.
Moynihan (joking): The last question will be in my arms, if you’re okay with that!
GOC: Bobby if I could start with you…
Moynihan: Yes.
Curda (joking): No!
GoC: I love this interview so much already! My favorite interview ever! This is going to be amazing! So I’m actually starting at The Groundlings soon. And you’re UCB alumni…As someone who is a professional at improvisation and sketch comedy, with this movie being actually one that was very influenced a lot by sketch comedy and improvisation the way that Daniel works, and with your relationship with Daniel, did you have a chance to kind of get together with them and throw your ideas in for sketches and improv for this movie?
Moynihan: You’re adorable! No, one of the best things about Daniel and working with Daniel is I love to improvise, but I don’t feel like I have to with Daniel. He’s got everything there. I don’t try to improvise with Daniel. I try to improvise so many times. But like, he knows what he wants and he gets it. And I don’t try to improvise with him. I know not to.
I almost feel bad sometimes doing it, but then I’ll add some stuff in. But the best part for me as an improviser is when Daniel goes like, “no, do that.” He very rarely goes like, “yeah, no, you know what? That’s pretty good. Like, throw that in there.” Because he knows what he wants so well. So when he does do that, it feels like you just, you gave Dad a gift. It’s great…I love that I’m still talking to you seriously.
GoC: Piper for you – I don’t think I’ve ever identified with a character in a Pixar movie as much as I have with Mabel, quite frankly. And that’s hard to do, because, Pixar makes these relatable characters, but there’s this stunningly wonderful scene, and you deliver it so well, where Mabel just breaks down. She’s like, “I’m angry all the time. Yeah, I can’t do anything about this. And I want to do something, but I can’t.” It’s so beautifully done and wonderful.
She’s also inherently Asian, which I loved, and that mattered so much to me. So for you, when you read the character of Mabel, did you see yourself in her a lot? And what parts of the character did you infuse with you as Piper?
Curda: It’s interesting, because I think at the time, when I first heard about the project and when I first started recording, I don’t think I realized the ways that we were so similar. There were some ways. I mean, we kind of looked the same, and that was just exciting for me. But, yeah, I think throughout the process, now that the movie is about to come out and we’re talking about her more, it’s sort of like I’m actually realizing we are very much one in the same. And I think her emotional complexity, like you’re talking about, was a really big hitter for me, because it’s just not something you see a lot, especially in movies for young people.
People who just struggle with emotion and are so flawed, and so complex. And I think that’s just so much of her beauty. And I hope it’s something that people can take away and feel seen by. And I just was really excited that I got to play her at all. And I do feel like I also got to learn from her and her power and her drive. I definitely took a little bit of that away, because it’s kind of hard not to watch her and not. She’s just so inspiring. In such a roundabout way. She doesn’t do what she does to inspire. She just is inspirational. And I think that’s really cool.
GoC: It’s 100% cool, and it’s so relatable. I just love the friendship between you guys, both on and off the screen. You guys are amazing. And I can’t wait for people to see the best original Pixar movie since Soul. Thank you guys so much!
Not enough can be said about how amazing Curda and Moynihan were – both as actors and as individuals. Speaking with them, laughing with them, and sharing this moment was something incredibly special. Which is just so appropriate, given what a special movie Hoppers is.