Hercules - About The Voices

Hercules: About The Voices

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TATE DONOVAN (Hercules) flexes his mighty vocal talents as the awesome Greek demi-god whose daring deeds and innate goodness help him to save Mount Olympus and win the heart of the beautiful Meg.

Filled with excitement and energy for the role, Donovan recalls getting the news that he was selected for the part of Hercules. "It was like a dream come true," recalls the actor. "I wanted the part so bad and I just kept working and working at it. When my agent called, I started jumping up and down and laughing and crying. I realized that I was going to be part of something that I could really be proud of. And that's an amazing feeling.

"Hercules is an incredibly eager young guy," Donovan continues. "I remembered what I was like when I was his age and just starting out and it was easy to get into that frame of mind. Initially, Herc wants to be a hero for the glamour of it all and has a shallow sense of ambition. But when he falls in love with Meg, he discovers what it means to sacrifice and put others ahead of himself.

"To do an animated voice," Donovan notes, "you have to really use your imagination and let your voice do all the work. As an actor, I use my hands, my body and my face to create a performance. In front of a microphone that's completely meaningless. It was a real challenge to get my voice to be really high and low because when you're doing an animated voice it has to be expressive and huge. It takes a lot of energy."

Currently starring opposite Wesley Snipes in "Murder at 1600," Donovan's film credits also include "Memphis Belle," "Ethan Frome," "Love Potion #9" and "Inside Monkey Zetterland."

On television, he starred in the acclaimed Fox series "Partners," "The Long Black Song" for HBO, "Vietnam War Stories" for which he was nominated for a CableAce Award as Best Actor in a Dramatic Series, and the miniseries "Nutcracker." Additionally, he's appeared in stage productions of "Picnic," "The American Plan" and "The Thrill."

JOSHUA KEATON (Young Hercules, speaking) perfectly captures the spirit and struggles of an adolescent Hercules trying to find his place in the world.

"Working on 'Hercules' has been my big break," admits Keaton. "I had only been in small independent productions so this was a great experience to work on a big film for three years with such a talented group of filmmakers.

"I see many things about myself in Hercules," says the actor. "I don't have a personal trainer, but I do have a personal animator, which is really cool. Watching the character, I see this weird facial contortion that I also do. Even the smile, the look of confusion and the expressions in the eyes are a lot like mine. I can relate to Hercules in a lot of ways. For example, being confused and not knowing really what you're supposed to be doing or not feeling accepted by people in certain situations. I think everyone has had those feelings at some point in their life."

At the ripe age of 18, Keaton's decision to become an actor was natural given the fact that he has always enjoyed being the center of attention and making people laugh. He is currently working on the independent feature "Illusion Infinity." His other film credits include Disney's "Newsies," "All I Want For Christmas" and the films "Showdown on Rio Road," "Just Write" and "Souler Opposites." For television, he has appeared in "Chicago Hope," "Step By Step," "Baywatch" and "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman." His stage credits include "Lost in Yonkers" and "The Diary of Anne Frank."

Also a singer, he and his R&B band recently signed with Sony Records, with a single due out this summer. He plays piano, saxophone and clarinet.

Keaton is a native of Los Angeles, where he is currently studying the fine art of cinema as a student at USC.

ROGER BART (Young Hercules, singing) delivers a fine tuned performance as the youthful and idealistic singing voice of an adolescent and outcast Hercules, who is determined to find his place in the world.

As a huge animation fan, being cast in "Hercules" is a life-long dream fulfilled. Bart is currently in the Broadway production of Alan Menken & Tim Rice's "King David" Before that he had the role of Bud Frump in the national touring company of "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" starring Ralph Macchio and directed by Des MacAnuff. Prior to that, he appeared in Fox TV's "The George Carlin Show" as George's son. He has also had the part of Cousin Kevin in "The Who's Tommy (U.S., Germany and London tours). Other credits include the role of Dickon in "The Secret Garden" and Tom Sawyer in "Big River" (Broadway and tour). Off-Broadway he has appeared in Todd Rundgren's musical "Up Against It." He graduated from Mason Gross School of Arts at Rutgers University with a degree in acting, which he has been doing since early childhood.

DANNY DEVITO (Phil) gives a gold medal performance as a surly satyr and trainer of heroes who, after a string of disappointments, is down to one last hope. A tough taskmaster, Phil trains Herc for the challenges that lie ahead but is unable to prepare him for the labor of love.

For the veteran actor, doing a voice for a Disney animated film was a great new experience. "I'm a big Disney fan," he says. "I was really glad that they asked me to do the part of Phil. It's exciting and the animation is so beautiful. The music is also great and I get to sing a song in the film, which is really cool. I've never done any singing, so it was really a gas to do it with an orchestra and the whole megillah. I've recorded a lot of music for the movies that I've directed, but this was the first time I ever got to actually sing with a 90 piece orchestra.

"Phil is a neat looking character," observes DeVito. "He's half-goat and half-man and he's also very bawdy. The animators pick up little characteristics of your movement and incorporate them into this goat-man character and it's wonderful to see. They're great artists. When you're doing the voice in front of the microphone and you're whackin' away at the lines, they get you to do great things. You can fall off cliffs, do spins in the air and other things that you can't normally do. I can't do those things but it's amazing to have my character do them."

As for the film itself, DeVito calls it "empowering and a good lesson for kids. Hercules fights the forces of evil and, like in all good fairy tales, the evil forces represent the tough things we all need to face and overcome in our own lives."

DeVito has been called the most likable person in Hollywood as well as one of the entertainment industry's most successful filmmakers. Having written, directed and produced several short films early in his career, he finally gained recognition in 1987 for directing and starring in "Throw Mama from the Train." Since then, he has directed many successful and critically acclaimed motion pictures including "The War of the Roses," "Jack the Bear," "Hoffa" and "Matilda."

In 1992 he formed Jersey Films with producers Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher. In addition to producing such films as Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," which won the 1994 Palme d'Or and seven Academy Award® nominations, Jersey Films has also launched "Reality Bites," "Get Shorty," "Sunset Park," "Feeling Minnesota" and "Fierce Creatures."

DeVito's recent film credits include "Mars Attacks," "Space Jam" and "Matilda." He also starred in "Junior," "Renaissance Man," "Batman Returns," "Jack the Bear," "Other People's Money," "Twins," "Romancing the Stone," "Jewel of the Nile," "Wise Guys," "Ruthless People," "Tin Men," "Terms of Endearment" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

On television, DeVito achieved prominence as the star of the hit series "Taxi," which earned him Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.

Born in New Jersey, DeVito attended Our Lady of Mt. Carmel grammar school and Oratory Prep School in Summit. After graduation, he pursued several jobs before studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York. He subsequently appeared off-Broadway in productions of "The Man With the Flower in His Mouth" and "The Shrinking Bride," which led to the role of Martini in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." He recreated his role in the film adaptation.

He is married to actress Rhea Perlman.

JAMES WOODS (Hades) serves up a sizzling performance as the quick-scheming, acid-tongued hot head in charge of the Underworld who concocts some rather grand plans to take over Mount Olympus.

"Doing a voice for a Disney animated film makes you feel like you're a kid again," says Woods. "It makes you feel like the first time you were an actor and you were so amazed at what you're able to do and that somebody was actually paying you to do it. This experience has been as fresh and as new as any I've ever had in my career. It's just been fun since day one and I'm really glad that this magic has touched my life.

"I never realized how much the actors get to create their roles," notes the actor. "We get to create and ad-lib and come up with crazy lines. Everybody knows it's working if we're laughing. And if we're not laughing, then we think of something better. When I first came in for the part of Hades, I was feeling kind of silly that day, so I did him like a big Hollywood agent selling some guy on a bus-and-truck tour of some cheesy play. And for some reason, it stuck. And the more we did this kind of insane, loopy 'from-the-hip' stuff, the funnier it became to us. It's a great group effort and the Disney team is a great family to be a part of."

Throughout his numerous recording sessions, Woods got to work closely with Nik Ranieri, the supervising animator responsible for Hades. "It was funny actually creating the character with Nik, who is doing this wonderful, magical part," says Woods. "We had this nice rhythm going together where I would say the lines and he would supply those extra animation gestures that make character so entertaining on screen."

As far as working by himself in a recording booth, Woods jokes, "It's rather difficult because you have to respond to things that aren't happening. On the other hand, it's every actor's dream to have the stage all to himself without the other actors to work with."

A veteran of such acclaimed films as "Casino" and "Nixon" as well as telefilms including "Indictment: The McMartin Trial" and his tour de force performance in HBO's "Citizen Cohn," Woods has had much experience portraying controversial real-life figures -- a penchant which began with the role of a cop killer in "The Onion Field." He most recently received an Academy Award® nomination for his portrayal of a quintessential bigot/murderer in last year's drama "The Ghosts of Mississippi" and strong reviews for his work in "Killer: A Journal of Murder." His upcoming films include the Martin Scorsese-produced comedy "Kicked In The Head" and Robert Zemeckis' sci-fi thriller "Contact."

Woods began his acting career while attending the fine arts college -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As he studied political science on full scholarship, he still managed to appear in over 36 plays at M.I.T., Harvard and the Theatre Company of Boston. He made his Broadway debut in "Borstal Boy" and followed up with "Saved" (for which he won an Obie Award and the Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Actor) off-Broadway. Other New York stage credits include "Finishing Touches," "Green Julia" and "Moonchildren."

In film, he made his debut in Elia Kazan's "The Visitors" followed by a small, but memorable part as Barbra Streisand's college boyfriend in "The Way We Were." His early major starring roles were in "Alex and the Gypsy" and "Night Moves." But Woods' breakthrough role was that as Gregory Powell in "The Onion Field" which earned him a Golden Globe Award. Other film credits include "Eyewitness," "Once Upon a Time in America," "Videodrome," "Diggstown," "Against All Odds," "True Believer" and "The Specialist."

On television he has also appeared in Hallmark Hall of Fame's "All the Way Home," "My Name is Bill W." (won an Emmy Award), the landmark event "Holocaust," "Badge of the Assassin" and "The Boys."

For his work in "Citizen Cohn," one of the most enthusiastically reviewed performances in TV history, he was honored with the first American Television Award for Best Actor and a Peabody Award. His other accolades include an Academy Award® for Best Actor nomination and the Independent Film Project Spirit Award for his work in "Salvador"; the Golden Globe, Golden Apple and Emmy Awards for Best Actor in "Promise" and also a Golden Globe nomination for NBC's "In Love and War."

SUSAN EGAN (Meg) lends her exquisite singing voice and versatile acting talent to the voice of this Grecian beauty with a tough exterior and a heart of gold.

"I've auditioned for every animated feature since 'Beauty and the Beast,'" says Egan, "and getting a role in a Disney film has always been one of my biggest dreams. At first, they weren't even going to let me audition for this role because I was already playing Belle on Broadway and they must have thought I was like Belle. But I finally got a chance to try out and show them that I could do something completely opposite. They described Meg as sort of a sexy Barbara Stanwyck type and I'm a sucker for those old screwball comedies."

Describing her character, Egan says, "Meg is definitely sarcastic and a little jaded. She can just look at a guy who's as innocent as Hercules and push all his buttons. She knows how to make him as uncomfortable as possible and that's very funny. John and Ron are tremendous and really helped me through my first voiceover assignment. They're so articulate with the things they want conveyed in your delivery. They're also very funny and always throwing new jokes at you. They delight in something well done and you feel really good when you've done something that pleases them or makes them laugh."

She originated the role of Belle in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" on Broadway (Tony and Drama Desk nominations) and Los Angeles (Drama-Logue Award). After two-and-a-half years and over 700 performances, she finally hung up her yellow ball gown last March. Following her stint as Belle, she went on to star on Broadway as Margy in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, "State Fair," a role she originated in the play's 1992 production. She has toured the country as Kim MacAfee in the national tour revival of "Bye, Bye Birdie" with Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking. Her regional credits include the leading roles in "The Sound of Music," "Singin' in the Rain," "No, No Nanette," "Baby," "South Pacific," "Sunday in the Park With George," "My One and Only" and "42nd Street." On television, she has appeared on "Party of Five," "Almost Perfect," "Partners," "The Best Years," "All My Children," "Loving" and movies of the week for ABC, CBS and the Disney Channel. She is recording two albums for the Varese-Sarabande label: a collection of "Peter Pan" and the musical "Drat the Cat." In addition to performing, Egan produces off-Broadway theater and tours with her partner Michael Rafael, and has founded Favored Nations, a performance group of Broadway actors dedicated to the nurturing of new theatrical works.

RIP TORN (Zeus) gives heart, humor and strength to the mighty ruler of the gods who controls the universe, yet is powerless to bring his missing son, Hercules, back to Mount Olympus. His fatherly advice sets Herc on the right path for a heavenly homecoming and the two ultimately join forces to save the planet from Hades' hostile takeover bid.

For the veteran actor, this was his first chance to do an animated voice. "I was very honored to be asked to do the voice of Zeus because I've always worshipped the Disney animated films. With six children, I've gotten to see lots of them and I know them all pretty well. As a father, I could also relate to Zeus. You have hopes for your children and you watch them struggle. I've always told my kids to persevere no matter what the problem; keep up the good fight and even if you don't win that particular battle, you're in better shape the next time because you stood the course. I find all those elements that are very human about this story, besides the fact that it is a great adventure story. We tried to make a very human Zeus."

Torn continues, "My dad, Elmore Torn, used to emphasize to me that if you had a well-trained and powerful voice, it would make you seem attractive even if you were funny looking. So I labored for many years to take the pitch in my voice out of my head and bring it down more into resonators and make a sound like a violin does. So that the vibrations are clearer. For the role of Zeus, I pitched the character more towards some of the tragic heroes I've played in Shakespeare with a bit more basso profundo and a lot more fun."

A talented film, stage and television actor, Torn has gained new acclaim and lots of fans in recent years for his acerbic portrayal of Arthur, the talk show producer on Garry Shandling's "The Larry Sanders Show." That popular role has earned him two straight CableAce Awards, the American Comedy Award, three consecutive Emmy nominations and finally an Emmy as Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Currently starring with Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in "Men in Black," his recent film appearances include "How To Make An American Quilt" and "Down Periscope." He has also starred in such films as "Pork Chop Hill," "Sweet Bird of Youth," "King of Kings" and "The Cincinnati Kid."

Additionally, Torn is in the stage production of "Young Man From Atlanta," for which he received a Tony Award nomination. His Broadway repertoire also includes "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Anna Christie," "Strangers In The Land of Canaan" and the off-Broadway stagings of "Chaparral" and "Desire Under the Elms."

In live television, he was a top performer from 1957 to 1960 with such shows as "Omnibus," "Kraft Theatre," "Playhouse 90," "Hallmark Hall of Fame" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."

Born Elmore Rual Torn Jr., in Temple, Texas, the son of Elmore and Thelma (Spacek), Torn always preferred the nickname "Rip," which he acquired from his father.

SAMANTHA EGGAR (Hera) provides the maternal voice of this elegant goddess and protective parent who cautions her infant son about teething on lightning bolts.

She has established a notable career on stage, films and television as well as winning the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, an Oscar® nomination for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, and the New York Critics Award for her role in William Wyler's movie "The Collector" in 1965.

Born and raised in England, the daughter of a Brigadier General, she was educated at a convent and attended art school in London followed by three years of drama school. After a year in repertory, she began her theatre career in a Cecil Beaton play at the Dublin Theatre Festival with subsequent roles in stage productions of "The Lonely Road," "The Seagull," "The Women," "Taming of the Shrew," "Hamlet" and "Mame."

Her film credits include "The Phantom," "The Wild & The Willing," "Return from the Ashes," "Doctor Dolittle" and "The Molly Maguires." For television she has starred in CBS' movie of the week "Everything to Gain" and the NBC miniseries "The Secrets of Lake Success." She has also had guest spots in "L.A. Law," "Burke's Law," "Matlock" and "Magnum, P.I."

LILLIAS WHITE (Calliope) delivers an outstanding performance as leader of the Muses, bringing with her a whole lot of rhythm and song as the bearer of heroic poetry.

White recalls wanting to be an entertainer ever since she was a little girl. In pursuit of that dream, she followed the footsteps of her Aunt Lillias, the first black dancer in the June Taylor troupe which performed on "The Jackie Gleason Show," to the Great White Way to become an acclaimed singer/performer. Currently, she stars in the hit Broadway musical "The Life," nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including a Best Supporting Actor nod for her. Other Broadway credits include "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," "CATS" and "Dreamgirls" (Drama-Logue Award). Her off-Broadway credits include "Waiting for Godot," "The Princess & the Blackeyed Pea" and "Antigone Africanus." On television she has appeared in "Law & Order," "NYPD Blue" and four seasons of "Sesame Street" (Emmy Award).

She lives in New York with her children and cat, Mixie.

CHERYL FREEMAN (Melpomene) is the emotional/over the top Muse of drama. She most recently starred role as Vy in the Old Globe Theatre production of "Play On." Prior to that, she starred on Broadway as the Acid Queen in "The Who's Tommy." Her off-Broadway credits include "Beehive," "The Little Shop of Horrors" and "Abyssinia." In film, she has had roles in "Dead Presidents," "Fresh," "Get a Life" and "Sunset Heat." For television she has appeared in "Prince Street" and "New York Undercover."

She is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music.

LACHANZE (Terpsichore) is the swinging Muse of dance and choral song. She can currently be seen in the Los Angeles production of "Ragtime." Her other stage credits include the Broadway productions of "Company," "Once On This Island" (1991 Tony Award nomination), "Dreamgirls" and "Uptown...It's Hot." Her film credits include "Leap of Faith," "For Love or Money" and "Mo' Better Blues." For television, she has appeared in "New York Undercover," "One Life to Live," "The Cosby Show" and "For Love and Glory." Additionally, she has had roles in the regional theatre productions of "Ragtime," "Comfortable Shoes," "Cry, The Beloved Country" and "Jesus Christ Superstar."

ROZ RYAN (Thalia) takes a truly entertaining turn as the funny Muse of comedy. For more than 20 years she has been a consummate actress, singer, recording artist and night club performer. On Broadway she appeared in "Dreamgirls," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "South Pacific," and "Blues In The Night" which earned her both the Carbonell and Zoni Awards for Best Actress in a Musical as well as a Carbonell Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "Cole Porter Requests the Pleasure." Her recording/singing credits include "Boy Where Have You Been" and "Waiting For My Love" as well as her albums ROZ and High On Mad Mountain. Ryan has also performed with recording artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Billy Paul and The O'Jays. On television, she played the recurring role of Amelia on the sitcom "Amen" and has been a celebrity guest on shows including "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson."

VANEESE THOMAS (Clio) does an excellent job as the bright Muse of history who recounts the heroics of Hercules. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up with a mix of musical influences. R&B, gospel, blues and jazz were standard fare in her household. She has recorded with popular artists such as Freddie Jackson, Eric Clapton and Joe Cocker. On television, she has appeared in the "Late Night with David Letterman," "The Late Show with Conan O'Brien" and "The David Sanborn Show." Thomas also has a lengthy "jingle-ography" and can be heard on numerous television and radio commercials for Coca-Cola, Chevrolet and Domino's Pizza to name a few.

BOBCAT GOLDTHWAIT (Pain) injects the right amount of anguish and hilarity into one of Hades' misguided lackeys who, along with sidekick Panic, fail in their mission to get rid of Baby Hercules.

"I was on this film a year and a half before I realized it wasn't an 'Aladdin' sequel," jokes Goldthwait. "Basically the scene where I turn into a snake was very difficult for myself because I'm a method actor and I had to actually spend time shedding my skin and getting down to my lower epiderma. I was also disappointed because I kept showing up to the recording sessions expecting to meet Xena, but she was never there."

As far as ad-libbing his lines, the comedian says, "Well, my idea of ad-libbing is arson and total destruction so I kinda stuck with the pages and didn't really get myself into trouble because I'm still on probation."

He adds, "I don't like it when people say 'You know, I did this film for the kids.' Who are they kidding? I did this one for me, man. I'm actually in a movie with a plot! Normally all I do is walk in and something falls down and they yell 'Cut!' In 'Hercules,' I'm actually part of a story so I'm very excited about being in this movie. And it's nice to know that I'll be a keychain or a McDonald's toy."

Goldthwait began his stand-up career performing at local clubs while in high school in Syracuse, New York. In 1980, at age 18, he and comedian friend Tom Kenny founded "The Generic Comics." When he was 20 he made his first appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman." After opening for Paula Poundstone he made the move to San Francisco. In Los Angeles his star began to rise once he was booked on a showcase night for Whoopi Goldberg which landed him a starring role in "Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment." He followed up that project with the "Police Academy" sequels as well as "One Crazy Summer," "Scrooged," "Burglar," "Radio Land Murders" and "Shakes the Clown," which he wrote and directed. On cable television, he has appeared in the HBO hit series "The Larry Sanders Show" and "Arli$$." Other television credits include guest appearances on "The John Laroquette Show," "ER" and "Living Single." His unique voice has been featured on MTV's "Beavis and Butthead" and "Unhappily Ever After."

MATT FREWER (Panic) presses all the right buttons as the voice of Hades' distressed and hysterical minion, who along with partner Pain, manage to leave things in worse shape than they found them.

A classically trained stage actor, he has the distinct honor of being the first actor to give voice to the Pink Panther in the syndicated cartoon series. But it was his creation of the computerized video jockey, Max Headroom, that brought him to the attention of American audiences, making it a memorable image in television history.

He was recently cast in a starring role of the new weekly drama, "Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal." Other television credits include Showtime's "American Untitled," HBO's award-winning "The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom," "Apollo 11" for the Family Channel and the ABC miniseries "The Stand."

His film credits include Disney's megahit "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids," "Lawnmower Man," "Speed Zone," "Far From Home," "The Taking of Beverly Hills" and "The Fourth Protocol."

Frewer was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Canada. He is a great fan of hockey and maintains a membership in a celebrity hockey team which raises money for charity.

HAL HOLBROOK (Amphitryon) is the supportive and encouraging father who adopts Hercules and tries to help him through his awkward stage.

In his long career he has often played a seasoned authority figure, capitalizing on his paternal qualities in roles as military officers, lawyers and concerned fathers. Though, he is probably best remembered for his role as Deep Throat, the informant in "All the President's Men" (1976), Holbrook has put together an impressive list of credits over the years. For the stage he wrote and performed his award-winning production of "Mark Twain Tonight!" His other stage credits include "I Never Sang for My Father" and the epic "King Lear." He has also had roles in high-profile historical miniseries such as "George Washington" (1984) and "North and South" (1985) as well as the television productions of "The Glass Menagerie" (1966) and "Our Town" (1977). More recently on series television he played the role of Burt Reynolds' father-in-law in the sitcom "Evening Shade" (1990-94). In film, one of his more important roles was as senior partner of "The Firm" (1993). He is married to actress-singer Dixie Carter.

BARBARA BARRIE (Alcmene) is the sweet voice of Hercules' mother on Earth. A versatile character actress, she made her feature film debut in a bit part in "Giant." Her film credits include "Private Benjamin," "Breaking Away" (which earned her an Academy Award® nomination) and "The Caretakers." She also has numerous stage and television credits. On Broadway she has appeared in "Torch Song Trilogy," "California Suite" and "Company" (Tony Award nomination). She received an Obie and Drama Desk Award for her work in the off-Broadway production of "The Killdeer." Most recently, she returned to series television as Brooke Shields' grandmother in the sitcom "Suddenly Susan."

PAUL SHAFFER (Hermes) adds some zip and cheer as Zeus' merry messenger who is the life of the party even when he has to deliver bad news.

"Working on 'Hercules' has been a terrific, relaxed and wonderful experience for me," says Shaffer. "It was a thrill to be selected for the part and when my four-year-old daughter sees it and recognizes me, it's gonna be an even bigger kick. This is a classic story, and just like classic rock and roll, you can't go wrong with a classic. I grew up watching Disney and Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice is indelibly etched in my brain. Hermes has a lot of energy because he's always zipping in and out real fast. He's a cat who knows the right kind of gift to bring."

He adds, "Seeing the animation come to life has been amazing. In the sound booth, I would say a line that was supposed to be funny and then they animated it with a facial expression that was funny. Which made the line really funny and getting an animated laugh is a great kind of laugh to get."

He has been David Letterman's Musical Director and sidekick for more than 13 years. He began his career playing keyboard with high school and night club bands around his hometown of Thunder Bay in Ontario. As Music Director with the Toronto production of "Godspell," he met Stephen Schwartz who invited him to play piano for Broadway's "The Magic Show." From there he became part of the original "Saturday Night Live" band. He has also established his recording career with two albums, composing the "Late Night" theme song as well as co-writing the hit song "It's Raining Men." His movie credits include "Gilda Live," "This is Spinal Tap," "Scrooged" and "Look Who's Talking Too." Additionally, he served as Music Director of the Closing Ceremonies of the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.

CHARLTON HESTON (Narrator) is the righteous storyteller who sets the majestic but irreverent mood in the beginning of this epic tale.

A legendary actor with more than 50 feature film and theatre credits to his name, Heston's illustrious career includes starring roles in such well-regarded motion pictures as "The Ten Commandments," "The Greatest Story Ever Told" and the Academy Award®-winning "Ben Hur." His stage appearances include "State of the Union," "The Glass Menagerie," "Kiss and Tell" and "Antony and Cleopatra." In 1977, the actor received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award during the Oscar telecast.

Over the years he has acquired numerous television credits, become an author and served as president of the Screen Actors Guild.

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