Finally, one of the great scene-stealing characters in THE INCREDIBLES is the deliciously deadpan and truly diminutive fashion diva, Edna Mode, or “E” for short, who specializes in designing costumes for an elite superhero clientele. After several attempts to cast the voice, Bird gave in to popular demand from his colleagues at Pixar and agreed to take on the role he created himself.
Bird explains, “I wasn’t intending to play Edna, but we had trouble finding any other voice and it just seemed easiest for me to do it. I really like this character because I’ve always been fascinated by the question: who designs superhero costumes? You know, costumes are such a big deal in the superhero world because it gives them their identity and sets them apart from everyone else. Yet nobody ever explained where the costumes came from and who was behind them. The way I saw it, the costumes had to be created by somebody with a scientific and engineering background. So I started thinking of German engineering. And then I got to thinking that the Japanese make all those unbelievable cars and cameras. So I thought about a half German, half Japanese, tiny powerhouse of a character and Edna just emerged.”
“I really like E,” concludes Bird. “She’s not remotely intimidated by superheroes or anyone at all for that matter. She’s incredibly insistent on her own way of seeing things. The word ‘no’ just doesn’t exist in her vocabulary, especially if it’s in opposition to her. She is incredibly confident and sure of herself. Doubt is not in her— and I suppose you could say I have a side to me like that.”
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