Jodie Foster’s early career was launched by the Walt Disney Studios in such ’70s live-action films as Freaky Friday and Candleshoe, but even as a child actor her voice never was used in one of the company’s signature animated films – until now, as she takes on the role of Queen Celeste in Hexed.
Landing the Oscar winner was “a miracle,” revealed Hexed writer and Walt Disney Animated Studios Chief Creative Officer Jared Bush reveled during the film’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders event Saturday at the DGA Theater.
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“I think this is a really important character,” Bush explained. “As you go through the story and when you see the finished film, Queen Celeste is an incredibly nuanced character. It requires an actor of a caliber that is on Jodie’s level, which is the very top.”
He added: “I remember having an early conversation with her — and, by the way, very intimidated by her, right? It’s Jodie Foster! So I’m not just going to be like: ‘Great. Jodie Foster, great. Let’s have that quick conversation.’ But the most down to earth, easy person in the world. … And I think I was about five minutes into the conversation, she’s like: ‘Oh yeah, great. Let’s do it.’ And I was like, ‘What?’ I thought there was going to be a hard sell. But she said: ‘No, this is great. I’ve never done it. This seems like fun. Let’s get in that room.’”
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Bush continued: “And then we got into the booth and yes, she was down to try anything. But the best part is she would deliver a line and then go like: ‘Is that good? Did you like it?’ I’m like: ‘I don’t know, Jodie Foster. Yes, I think I do like that performance, Jodie Foster, that seems great.’”
Bush also revealed that Foster left more than just a vocal stamp on Queen Celeste. “[The animators] put Jodie Foster’s smile on Queen Celeste because it’s so iconic, and you really feel her performance in that. That’s something that’s very unique and it’s this really fun back-and-forth between the actor, the writing and our animators to get those characters right.”
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