Stars' Shrek: To boldly go there again

By Susan Wloszczyna
USA Today

Mike Myers, above, says the Scottish accent he gives Shrek goes over well with actual Scots. DreamWorks Pictures photos

Eddie Murphy gives his Donkey la vida loca with a song. The actors didn't actually work together: Each part was recorded separately.

Cameron Diaz is somewhere ogre the rainbow, belching for the formerly pink and now green Fiona.

The three actors share their insights about the fractured fairy-tale sequel with USA Today's Susan Wloszczyna.

Eddie Murphy

Donkey has a beastly burden. It's bad enough that his buddy Shrek's carefree bachelor days are over. Now, in the sequel, he has to share his sidekick spot with Puss-in-Boots, a cat with a Zorro complex who originally is out to kill Shrek.

Sample Donkey dialogue: "I say we take that sword and neuter him right here — give him the Bob Barker treatment."

Murphy on Donkey's appeal. "Optimism and enthusiasm are two good qualities and he has them in abundance."

How much is Donkey like him? "Very little. He's loaded with my comic persona. But personally, I wouldn't translate into a very good cartoon. I would be one of those dark Japanese cartoons."

Does he enjoy singing in the "Shrek" films? "My arm has to be twisted to do the singing. Jeff (Katzenberg, the DreamWorks honcho) goes, 'It's going to sound great. Don't worry.' I was like, " 'La Vida Loca'? Come on, man. Not 'La Vida Loca.' "

Since the stars record alone, do they ever see each other, beyond press junkets? "Never, never, never. I see them in the movies. And I see Mike whenever a Shrek ride opens. I met Cameron maybe twice."

His favorite fairy-tale character? "I never ever once had a person read a book to me. It was not part of the inner-city ghetto child experience. I did see 'Ali' this morning. Ali is my fairy tale. Muhammad Ali, yeah."

Cameron Diaz

In the sequel, Fiona's father not only rejects her new husband but is horrified to see his lovely daughter has converted to ogre.

Sample Fiona dialogue: "I want what any princess wants. To live happily ever after with the ogre I married."

Was she surprised by how popular the first "Shrek" was? "The funny thing is, I had no expectations. With any project, I do it for the experience. Of course, I want people to enjoy it and I hope the message of the movie got through."

Does the movie do a good job spoofing Beverly Hills values? "Absolutely. Our society is all about consumerism. All these shows, like 'The Fabulous Life' on VH1, they promote the idea that you have to have all these things to be happy. I watched the episode about me, and they said I go to certain places, buy things, pay people to do things. It is not true."

Did she provide Fiona's belch at the family dinner? "Yeah. It comes whenever. If they don't catch it the first time, they'll catch it the third, fourth, fifth. A couple hours in front of the mike and they'll get something. I don't believe it is good to hold it in."

Favorite fairy-tale character? "I was never ever into fairy tales at all. I knew of Cinderella and Show White. But I loved Willie Wonka and 'The Wizard of Oz.' Fantasies by C.S. Lewis. I had a book of riddles. I liked those."

Mike Myers

Shrek has an identity crisis in the sequel: When his in-laws give him the cold shoulder as being not princely enough for their daughter, the ogre searches for a magic solution.

Sample Shrek dialogue: "Donkey! You have the right to remain silent. What you lack is the capacity."

What has being Shrek meant to him? "What has been great about playing this character is that most people feel that they are different and maybe not enough. Shrek feels that way and, by the end of the movie, he comes to love himself."

How do Scottish people react to Shrek's accent? "People make a point of crossing the road, coming over and saying, 'We're on vacation from Scotland. We love your accent.' My mom is an actress from Liverpool, England, and she used to read bedtime stories to me in various accents. When I did the accent as Scottish, it seemed to fit into the storybook world."

Did he like how the film pokes fun at Beverly Hills? "I had no idea that it was a place of materialistic shallowness until I saw this movie."

Was there any doubt he would do the sequel? "No. I've learned a lot from these people who are smart and funny and want it to be great."

Favorite fairy-tale character? Geppetto of "Pinocchio," because he reminds him of DreamWorks: "They care so much about what they make, and they want to bring it to life."