Angelina Jolie & Jack Black talk adoption, kids & ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’

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USA Today has a great interview with Angelina Jolie and Jack Black, who are promoting their work in Kung Fu Panda 2. Since I don’t have kids, I can’t speak with any real knowledge about how much or how little kids liked the first Kung Fu Panda movie, but I’ve seen parts of it on television, and it looked pretty cute. Jack Black’s voice work is stellar, and it’s hilarious to me that Dustin Hoffman was playing “The Master” or whatever. Anyway, Angelina and Jack have an easy chemistry together, and it’s a great read. You can read the whole thing here, at USA Today, and here are some highlights:

Jolie talks about her kids coming to the recording studio when she did her voice work: “They know when Mommy’s funny and when Mommy’s not funny… They’ll sit in a room and say, ‘That’s just not funny’… [it kept me] competitive, even if they think Jack Black is always cooler than Mom.”

Jack Black’s kids don’t know he’s Po the Panda: “The kids just think Kung Fu Panda is an actual bear… But we act out our own scenes, go on our own adventures. The story gets a little disjointed; we usually forget our mission by the time we get in the living room. But we don’t care. I’m learning my kids are funnier than I am.”

Jolie hates her voice: “You know, when you hear your own voice, you can find it quite boring and uninteresting… Suddenly, you get very shy that your voice is not enough, because I’m not musical and I don’t know my voice.”

Jolie on meeting Black 7 years ago for Shark Tale: “I was crazy about him… I had seen him in everything he’d done, but what I really knew him for was music. I don’t have musical talent, so I always thought it was really cool that he could be an actor to a lot of us but equally a rock star.”

Black on meeting Jolie: “When I first met Angie, I was clearly taken aback by her beauty. She has a powerful presence.”

Jolie on showing the kids an early print of KFP 2, which deals with adoption and Po finding his birth father: “I wondered how they’d respond to the themes of the film… [Brad and I were] sensitive to see if there was going to be a big discussion that night about adoption and orphanages.” There wasn’t. “But that’s because we talk about those issues at my house all the time, very openly. We’ve had those discussions so often, they’re such happy, wonderful discussions.”

[From USA Today]

Angelina also tells USA Today that Empress Zahara “loves tigers” so Z is the one most into Jolie’s voice work as Tigress. I think the other kids like Po more – obviously, because Po is much cooler and funnier. There’s also a lot of stuff about how the first KFP was a HUGE international hit, and how they’re trying to do something different with the story this time. I’m sure it will work out – these animated films usually do, especially when there’s a built-in audience of kids who watch the first DVD obsessively.

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Photos from the Cannes Film Festival in 2008, courtesy of WENN.

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27 Responses to “Angelina Jolie & Jack Black talk adoption, kids & ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’”

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  1. mln76 says:

    Cute her and Black have a great chemistry if she ever did a comedy (probably not in this lifetime I know) they’d make a great onscreen duo. They really seem to like eachother.

  2. Praise St. Angie! says:

    KFP was HILARIOUS. Definitely a great movie…funny and sweet. Looking forward to the next one.

    the pic of preggo Jolie and Black doing the kung fu move always cracks me up.

  3. OtherChris says:

    My oldest kid loves Kung Fu Panda. It’s very funny.

  4. Brittney says:

    That green dress is still one of my all-time favorite looks on her. Maybe it was the glow of pregnancy (and the extra weight), but she just looks so regal and beautiful. Jewel tones all the way.

  5. searching4grace says:

    I really like that they have chemistry, too. I have an 8 year old kid and a 30 year old husband who both loved the original Kung Fu Panda. It was awesomeness. LOL We’ll definitely see the second one.

  6. Addie says:

    Love.This.Woman

    Jack Black is ok too 🙂

  7. Hanh says:

    I think Angelina would work great as the “straight man” in a comedy series. I think she works great opposite someone as funny as Black and makes him seem even more funny. Awesome. 🙂 though i will always love her best in kick ass female roles.

  8. heavenasia says:

    Thanks for the Angelina post, love the pix!
    What a breath of fresh air she is in comparison to Aniston.

  9. rerun delaney says:

    love that he’s touching her belly and she’s just busting up about it. yeah, kung fu panda rocks. it’s touching, sweet, very funny, sneaks in good lessons. kids-oh, ok, AND adults, identify with po.

  10. Bodhi says:

    I LOVE this set of photos! She looks AMAZING! I really wanted that dress (or the affordable version) for several wedding I had to go to this spring (comfy, nice preggo clothes can be a bitch to find). I’d never look that amazing in it though!

  11. Maritza says:

    Jack Black is so cool, I think he makes friends very easily. The guy is so funny I imagine how Angelina must crack up with his improvisations. Pregnancy really suits her.

  12. Bored says:

    I love animated films. Kfp isn’t my fave but it’s a good one

  13. Rita says:

    Jack has the ability to take the stuffiness of any elegant or red carpet occasion and infect all in attendance with his good natured clowning.

  14. Praise St. Angie! says:

    to “searching4grace”…there is no charge for awesomeness. 🙂

    edit: Bodhi, agree…she looks amazing here. some of the best pics of her I’ve seen. I think it’s the pregnancy and the color of her dress.

  15. Jollyjolie says:

    I adore Angelina. Jack B is funny.

  16. RHONYC says:

    ‘Tenacious ‘D’ & the Pick of Destiny’ makes me pee my pants each & every time! Jack’s physical comedy is outstanding.

    Angie’s wardrobe when she did the Cannes premiere was absolutely gorgeous. her stylist gets super props.

    i thought she was the most gorgeous i’d ever seen a woman preggers with twins.

    well, her and garcelle beauvais. 😉

  17. Cheyenne says:

    Green is definitely her color.

  18. Eve says:

    She looked amazing in that green dress. There’s a picture of Lucy Liu sort of gazing into Jolie’s eyes at that red carpet. I saw a really funny post on Go Fug Yourself about it, let me try to find it…

    EDIT:

    http://gofugyourself.com/cannes-fug-carpet-well-played-05-2008

  19. lu says:

    The special effects on KFP 2 look amazing, i saw a preview on the theater and I immediately wanted to see it.

  20. Allison says:

    Green is a nice color on her. I love their friendship it seems really genuine.

  21. Leafy says:

    Angie has done a comedy (in response to the first comment) Life or Something Like It, it was pretty good:)

  22. Lisa Turtle says:

    I think Angelina is pregnant again. She’s keeping entirely too low of a photographic profile leading up to Cannes. The last time we got a good look at her she looked bigger in the chest again, the tell tale pregnancy boobs. I haven’t seen any pictures where you can see her figure since then and I’m suspicious.

    Cute story. I wonder if it bothers Angelina that her most recognizable quality, and most praised quality is her beauty?

  23. Camille says:

    She looks glorious in green, gorgeous.

    Love the interview, they seem to really like each other, very cute.

  24. Louise says:

    @Lisa Turtle: When Angelina isn’t filming or promoting a movie, she’s barely photographed. I never understood why people say she, and the kids as well, are constantly photographed. If you compare photographs on websites, some celebrities are seen everyday. Very often weeks if not months go by without new photos of Angelina and the kids. The movie is supposed to come out in a couple of weeks so she will be promoting it a lot in the next week or so.

  25. lisa says:

    @Louise..

    so true. If people really stop and think most of the pictures shown or her are usually RC photos or photocall shots. There are not many pics of her or the kids. Brad either really. As a fan I know we can go months without seeing them. Then when there is a sighting the pictures are carried on every site and in tons of magazines.. Which give the impression that we see them more. The last time we go a look a the kids was in NOLA.. well over a month ago. Before that nothing much.

    So all that talk of them being photographed is silly.

    She looks amazing. I don’t think she is pregnant. I saw pics of her and Jack. she is wearing a white suit. There are some full body shots and she has a flat tummy. Those pics were taken a week ago. She stays out of sight most of the time. Then she does her promotion. We will see pics then nothing. Especially since Brad is going to work at the end of the month. And from what I see Angie does not have an acting role soon. Not counting her Directing her film. She has nothing on the slate until next year or later in this year.. if she does Cleopatra.

    I can’t wait to see them in Cannes..

  26. Bliss says:

    Angelina should really stay pregnant all the time. She looks absolutely gorgeous here!

  27. bananapanda says:

    I remember the first KFP junket Jack Black let slip she was having twins and she just giggled and shook her head to confirm. Didn’t look annoyed for a second either. They’re clearly buddies.