BLAYNE WEAVER tackles his first-ever voiceover role as Peter Pan in "Return to Never Land."
Weaver's notable acting experience includes guest roles on several hit television series, including "ER" and "Chicago Hope," as well as co-writing and starring opposite Don Cheadle and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in "Manic," which drew significant notice at the Sundance, Toronto and London Film Festivals.
Weaver initially auditioned for one of The Lost Boys roles, and took the initiative at that session to plead his case for the featured role of Peter Pan. "I gave them a Peter Pan in a version of Wally Cleaver, and they must've liked it, because here I am," he says.
The 25-year-old believes he was destined for the role anyway — it was Peter Pan that launched his acting career. As a youth in Shreveport, Louisiana, Weaver auditioned and won the role of Michael with The Peter Pan Players for a children's theatre production of the Sir James M. Barrie play.
"I got to fly on stage — they had me hooked into a harness and I flew around clutching my little teddy bear," Weaver recalls. "I thought that was the greatest thing, but it's even better being grown up and getting to do Peter Pan again."
Weaver found the nuances of the voice — and focusing all of his acting skills through his larynx — to be difficult at times. But a quick refresher course, and a little method acting, got him through the marathon number of recording sessions.
"Traveling through Los Angeles traffic doesn't exactly put you into the mood to be Peter Pan," he says. " But I'd get to the studio, run through a few lines from the original movie, maybe sing a little of 'You Can Fly,' and I'd find myself in the pixie dust again."
"You've got to give it your all in the recording booth, and I like to act things out as I'm saying them. It helps to really get into the character. So when I'm fighting, I'll throw punches; if Peter's hands are tied, I'll hold my hands behind me; and when there's swordplay, I'll jump about sword-fighting. It's just like being in your room when you're a kid, playing around, pretending, and living in your imagination. It's fun — there couldn't be a greater job."
The production team appreciated Weaver's enthusiasm for the role, and found great entertainment sitting through his energetic, active voice sessions.
"Blayne was great for this role because he's got that kind of "just a guy" thing — he understands how to capture the classic boy," says Cook. "He was always excited to hear how a scene would unfurl, and his role in bringing that scene to life. The funniest part was watching him sing, because Blayne is not a classically trained singer — but he gave it 110 percent. Blayne had a blast doing the role, and that comes through in the performance."
Movie Database
In Theaters
(4 votes)
(12 votes)