Actor John Leguizamo is bringing a Latin voice to “Walking with Dinosaurs,” providing the voice for “Alex,” one of the Hispanic stars of the animated film.
The film is based on the recent discovery of the fossils of dinosaurs given the name “Alexornis” that inhabited what is today Mexico.
These dinosaurs had the appearance of a “reptile and a bird, very similar to a parrot,” the Colombian-born Leguizamo told Efe.
To emphasize the Hispanic roots of the pre-historic birds, it was necessary to speak with a Mexican accent, the actor said.
“We wanted to honor Mexico and we gave it a Latin voice. I tried many Latin voices and came up with a very educated accent in the end,” Leguizamo said in the voice of his character.
The actor has had roles in other animated films, such as the “Ice Age” series, “Dr. Dolittle” and episodes of “Dora, the Explorer.”
Leguizamo said he was “a fan of animated drawings since childhood” and his idol was Mel Blanc, who provided the voices for characters on “The Flintstones,” “Tom and Jerry” and “Looney Tunes.”
“He was the best voice ever in animation and made a huge number of films. I want to do what he did, but to do it as a Latino. I like it when people don’t hear John Leguizamo and, instead, that voice exists just for that character, that is my goal,” the actor said.
“Walking with Dinosaurs” opens in theaters on Dec. 20.
