Sonic the Hedgehog 2 star James Marsden has opened up about filming the movie opposite a CGI character, admitting he felt "a bit naked" at times.
The actor returns as Tom Wachowski for the new sequel, appearing once again opposite Ben Schwartz's incarnation of Sonic.
Opening up exclusively to Digital Spy, Marsden admitted that performing in such circumstances requires "a different skill set completely".
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"You're there and Ben's not opposite me on the day, but it's a tennis ball, it's a piece of tape, sometimes it's a beanbag if they need to sell the weight of you holding him," he said.
"I love the process. You have somebody reading Ben's lines opposite so you can get the rhythm of the scene going. This whole process now, I have the utmost faith in Jeff [Fowler], the director, and Ben as a talent, everybody involved feels like such high quality human beings first, but then the talents are crazy too."
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He continued: "You do feel like you have a great safety net going in, because you can feel a bit naked going into these scenes. 'Is this working? I have no idea. Does it look like I'm looking at him?' I like that technical challenge of doing it, and it's really starting to work now."
However, Marsden admitted he finds "joy" in seeing everything come together, noting: "Live action and animation is tricky, blending those two together. I saw the film for the first time a couple of days ago and it's like, 'Man, how do you do this?'
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"It really does feel like a fully realised animated film, but it also feels like a fully realised live-action film as well. They blend seamlessly, so all the credit in the world to Jeff Fowler, the director, and everybody on board. It's a great family.
"If you can get to be a part of something that feels special, that everybody can enjoy and that you also have the formula that works, that's so rare in this business."
Schwartz went on to praise his co-star, saying: "For James's credit, what he does, he's an incredible actor. There's a scene where he's in a rowboat with Sonic, having a truly heartwarming scene and he's doing it to a piece of tape.
"It just takes a very special actor to be able to pull off those performances to nobody. Half of acting is just reacting to what's happening to you, and he's able to do it without."
Ahead of its release this week, you can read Digital Spy's verdict on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 here.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is out in UK cinemas on April 1 and US cinemas on April 8.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
