JOHN GOODMAN (Pacha), one of the entertainment industry’s most respected and busiest actors, adds warmth and humor to the voice of this humble peasant who gets tangled up with Kuzco.
"Pacha is just a big, virile, good-looking family man," explains Goodman. "He is basically a good citizen, strong, not the quickest-witted fellow in the world, but he’s dependable and loyal. I think he ought to run for office. He doesn’t have a tricky bone in his body and is more than willing to bend over backwards to see the other fellow’s point of view. At the same time, he’s on a mission to save his village and do right by his family. He’s got a big heart and he trusts Kuzco again and again because he wants him to be a better llama-person.
"My character is definitely the straight man," adds Goodman. "He is the Bud Abbott or Larry Fine of the picture feeding all the good lines. He’s the guy you build things on. He’s got big shoulders so you can build those pyramids of comedy for him to carry.
"This is unlike any Disney animated film I’ve ever seen. The hero of the piece is such a jerk and remains a jerk throughout most of the picture. But he’s funny that way. I wouldn’t have him any other way. It’s so different and good and funny. And it takes off like a rocket. I’ve been working on this thing for two years now and it just took me by surprise. It does what good animation is supposed to do. It creates its own world and sucks you into it.
"I had a ball doing this," concludes the actor. "I love doing animation because it’s a different style of acting. All acting is based on truth. The role of Pacha did have some strenuous vocal demands. Climbing the rock was a tough scene and you have to throw your body into it a lot. It required a bit more vocal gymnastics. I was working my little tootsies off in front of the microphone. But everything that you use shows up on the voice track. It’s an honor being part of the Disney heritage. I grew up watching Disney everything and now my daughter watches a lot of it too. They make you feel very special to be a part of it."
Goodman earned a Golden Globe nomination in 1992 for his chilling performance in the Coen Brothers’ "Barton Fink." His breakthrough role was in the Coens’ "Raising Arizona," starred for them a third time in "The Big Lebowski," and recently appeared in a fourth film for the brothers in Touchstone Pictures, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Goodman has been busy lately, appearing in "Coyote Ugly," and the upcoming"One Night at McCool’s," and "What Planet Are You From?"
His resume includes "Bringing Out the Dead," "The Runner," "Fallen," "The Borrowers," "Blues Brothers 2000," "The Flintstones," "Mother Night," "Arachnophobia," "Always," "Pie in the Sky," "Born Yesterday," "Matinee," "The Babe," "King Ralph," "Punchline," "Everybody’s All-American," "Sea of Love," "Stella," "Eddie Macon’s Run," "C.H.U.D.," "Revenge of the Nerds," "Maria’s Lovers," "Sweet Dreams," "True Stories," "The Big Easy," "Burglar" and "The Wrong Guys."
Goodman has also given many highly acclaimed performances on television. He received Emmy nominations for his starring role in TNT’s "Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long" and for his role as Mitch in the CBS production of Tennessee Williams’ "A Streetcar Named Desire." For eight seasons Goodman played Dan Conner in the comedy series "Roseanne," a role that earned him seven Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe. He currently stars in the Fox network’s comedy series, "Normal, Ohio."
A native of St. Louis, Goodman holds a degree in fine arts from Southwest Missouri State University. When a knee injury sidelined a prospective career in football, he began studying drama (along with fellow classmates Kathleen Turner and Tess Harper).
The actor has also performed in numerous dinner theatre and children’s theatre productions, as well as off-Broadway plays. His regional theatre credits include "Henry IV Parts I & II," "Antony and Cleopatra" and "As You Like It." His career began to take off when he joined the production of "The Robber Bridegroom" for nine months. Eventually he starred in two Broadway shows, "Loose Ends" in 1979 and "Big River" in 1985.
Goodman made his screen debut in the HBO production "Mystery of the Moro Castle."
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