Ginnifer Goodwin Talks about Disney’s Zootopia

When I heard that we would be interviewing Ginnifer Goodwin at the #ZootopiaEvent I was beyond excited, to say the least! 🙂 Although she couldn’t be in the same room with us, her sweetness and down-to-earth personality came through via the screen monitor. I have been a huge fan of Ginnifer Goodwin, especially in ABC’s TV series, Once Upon of time. And after screening Disney’s Zootopia, I couldn’t wait to learn more about her role and experiences in the movie.

Ginnifer Goodwin Talks about Disney’s Zootopia

Preparing to Play Judy Hopps

How does a live-action actress prepare for an animated role like the one she plays in Zootopia. Ginnifer Goodwin graciously conveyed that preparing to play Judy Hopps was not the work of her staying for a month at a rabbit farm. She actually relinquished all her control over to the animators.

“Which was new for me because I think control is something for which actors are always fighting and creating and protecting characters, but this is a new world for me, animation. And I really did, I understand that everything physical, everything making up everything that you see, as much as they might have filmed me with cameras in the recording booth, everything was really in the hands of the animators.”

Why Take on this Role?

If you are an actress and your representative calls you with an offer from Disney, would you take the offer on the spot? Of course, you would take it, right? Well, that’s exactly what Ginnifer Goodwin told us: “my representative said, don’t you want to know anything about the character or the script and I said well, of course.  I mean, I want to, but we just accept the job first and then call me back.” Trust me, I would have done the same thing!

Of course, Ginnifer Goodwin not only took the role of Judy Hopps just because it is Disney, she took it because Disney starts from scratch and the end result is something amazing, almost magical. She also took this role because of her children. And what mom doesn’t want to create magic for her children, right? However, you would be surprised to learn that until recently, she decided that her children wouldn’t be allowed to watch Zootopia and the reason behind this decision is because she wants to preserve that childhood magic that all kids have for as long as possible. Her almost-2-year old son still thinks that the Winnie the Pooh on TV is the same exact Winnie the Pooh he met at Disneyland. Like all moms, she wants to protect her children’s imagination for as long as possible. I can totally relate to this because I do that for my kids on a daily basis. Just like Ginnifer, I want my children to keep that innocent magical wonder for as long as possible.

Ginnifer Goodwin on overcoming stereotypes just like her character

In Zootopia, Judy Hopps has to overcome many stereotypes and just like her character in Zootopia, we were surprised to learn that Ginnifer has also overcome stereotypes in her professional life. She has this to say about stereotypes: “I am proud of the fact that I am not some like stereotypical, classic package of a Hollywood actress.  I was certain early on, I would never be a leading lady and I thought that was ridiculous because there are all kinds of ladies and all stories need to be told, so why wouldn’t my kind of lady, lead a film at some point?”

A Few Words of wisdom…

Which takes us to, what does Ginnifer Goodwin want everyone to learn from seeing Zootopia? As Ginnifer stated, there are so many incredible themes in Zootopia, however, the one that she would gravitate to the most is that “anyone can be anything and I absolutely believe that.  You know, defying other peoples’ expectations and in, you know, stereotyping me and how I am received.  I do believe anyone can be anything.  I believe that there are infinite amounts of opportunities for everyone.” Thanks to Ginnifer Goodwin for taking the time to chat with us. Stay tuned for more #ZootopiaEvent adventures coming up this week.

Disney’s Zootopia hits theaters March 4, 2016!

Zootopia Trailer

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), to solve the mystery.

Disclosure: I was be provided with an all-expense paid trip to Orlando Florida to attend the #ZootopiaEvent. No additional compensation was received.