Walt Disney Pictures’ recent animated film “Planes” follows Dusty Crophopper, voiced by Dane Cook, as he overcomes his fear of heights to win a race. To help him fulfill his dream, Skipper, voiced by veteran actor Stacy Keach, helps Dusty train for the race.
A Golden Globe winner for the 1988 mini-series “Hemingway”, Keach had a recurring role in “Prison Break” and stared in “The Bourne Legacy”, among credits in over 150 other films and TV shows. He said that identifies with his character Skipper, a 1947 Navy Corsair F140 plane, because he guides Dusty in the right direction.
“He’s a father figure and a teacher, and I’m both,” said Keach.
Keach teaches acting via Skype for George Mason University and has two kids. His son Shannon is studying international public relations at New York University, and his daughter is a theater major at Pepperdine University.
An interesting part of Skipper’s backstory, Keach said, is that he talks to Dusty about overcoming his fear of heights, yet, has a guarded secret that kept him on the ground and prevented him from flying again. While Skipper helps Dusty with his fear, Dusty helps him move on from his past.
“Dusty sort of becomes the mentor to Skipper in a way and allows him to get off the ground and help save the day,” he said.
Keach didn’t have the opportunity to work in person with any other cast members, which he said was the one drawback to working on this animated film, but he did get to meet the rest of the cast at the premiere. The best part of filming was not wearing any makeup.
“The way they do it, each individual actor voices his lines, many different ways, many different times, many different tempos, louder, softer, longer, shorter, and then the editors put it all together,” he said.
Keach worked on the voice work for “Planes” sporadically for about two and a half years, only a part of the five years it took to make the film, from inception to release. He has always loved Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and wanted to do a voice with Disney for many years.
He was honored to record the narration for the 2007 documentary “The Pixar Story” about the evolution of Pixar and how it started.
“I think having done that, it put me in a position where I was sort of looked at as being an eligible candidate for a voice character,” he said.
Keach was thrilled to receive a letter from John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, who has executive produced animated films such as “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles” and “WALL-E,” asking him if he’s be interested in the part for Skipper.
He said, “It was like a holiday — like Christmas, because I always wanted to do a Disney film and never had the opportunity until now.”
Keach thinks that “Planes” is great for kids and families, something that everybody can enjoy together. He said the film will inspire and teach people that “in order to be a winner, in order to succeed in life, you have to overcome obstacles, and you have to be willing to spend the time and have the patience and the persistence and the determination to realize and recognize your dreams,” just like Dusty.
Keach is now working on the sequel, “Planes: Fire & Rescue” in which Skipper plays a minor role.
