5 Memorable Moments from My Interview with “Incredibles 2” Craig T. Nelson + Holly Hunter

What does the Incredibles 2 cast think of the sequel? Did you know Craig Nelson thought they might do a rest-home version of his character? And does Holly Hunter really sound like Elastigirl in real life? I’m sharing all those answers and best moments from my interview with Craig T. Nelson (voice of “Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible”) & Holly Hunter (“Helen Parr / Elastigirl”) down below! Keep reading! 

5 Memorable Moments from My Interview with “Incredibles 2” Craig T. Nelson + Holly Hunter

In “Incredibles 2,” Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) navigates the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell), Dash (voice of Huck Milner) and baby Jack-Jack—whose superpowers are about to be discovered. Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens everything. But the Parrs don’t shy away from a challenge, especially with Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) by their side. That’s what makes this family so Incredible.

During our Incredibles 2 event last week in Los Angeles, myself and 24 bloggers had the opportunity to screen the movie (review coming soon), as well as interview many members of the Incredibles 2 cast. Our first interview of the press junket was with Craig T. Nelson (voice of “Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible”) & Holly Hunter (“Helen Parr / Elastigirl”). 

The interview starts out with Holly Hunter coming in first with her coffee. As she gets settled, Craig walks in, and they both look at each other and greet. It’s 9 a.m., and we’re their first interviews for the day. So while they take a moment to greet each other, we get to see how they naturally just fit. Just like Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible. The questions start rolling in. 

The long-awaited sequel

Both Holly and Craig expressed their eagerness of wanting to do a sequel. I thought Craig’s response was quite funny. We’ve all been waiting 14 years for a sequel to the successful Incredible movie, including the cast. Craig’s initial thoughts were on what Disney Pixar would put in the sequel. He was concerned after finding out Incredibles 2 picks up right where the first movie ended, that he may be replaced since he was a “little” older. 

Craig goes, “So we’re waiting to see when we’re gonna do the sequel… I’ve got that to look forward to. The third year comes along, then the fourth, and you’re going, well h- – -, I’m not gonna pay for the stuff I bought!” The room erupts into laughter. He’s so full of sarcasm, and we all love it and soak it in! 

And then Holly chimed in, “and then the ninth year, and then the ten year anniversary.”

Craig: “And h- – -, you’re too old to do it anymore. Oh, they don’t want me, you know. And if they’re gonna do another one, you hear about the rumors they’re gonna do another one, well, like they’ll gonna probably get a new Bob.

Holly: “Where I was thinking, like, maybe Bob and Helen would be dead by then.” 

Craig: “I was looking forward to kinda doing, the rest home version!” Again, we are rolling by this point. The energy these two are giving off is quite comical. 

But, as Craig puts it, it just goes to show you the impact the first Incredibles movie had on the world. “It’s pretty amazing.”

On Sounding Like Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl

When Holly opened up her mouth to start talking, I thought, “oh my gosh! She sounds JUST like Elastigirl!” Of course, she does, you’re probably thinking. But you know how some actors change their voice when doing a character, but nope, Holly IS Elastigirl. 

When asked do they get recognized by their voices (because it’s a dead giveaway), Holly stated, “If I don’t want to be recognized, I don’t talk. It’s a complete giveaway.” 

 Craig: “You get tired of, like, people saying or asking me, did I go to high school with you?” {He’s hilarious!}

Math is Math

This movie also explores something most parents detest, common core. You’ll find those moments hilarious, as Mr. Incredible tries to help Dash with his homework, but can’t understand it. Craig and Bob Parr both want to know, “why are they trying to change math?”

Craig: “It isn’t just math. I’m confused about a lot of things. When did they change the rules? Who gave them permission to do that?”

Craig: “when I was raised, the beauty of the education that I received was that it was you were classically trained. You had classic literature to refer, and it was given to you and performed for you. So you learned words, you learned communication.”

It’s not just about math, but how kids are being raised today. Both Holly and Craig touched on the fact that no one is talking to each other because we’re all stuck in gadgets. And that’s one theme you don’t see in Incredibles 2. In this movie, no one is on their screens; they are all engaged with each other. Wow, what a thought, right? 

Craig: “We’re not talking to each other. Can I see your eyes for a minute, just would you mind lifting- doesn’t your neck hurt?” 

Female Empowerment

There are quite a few themes in Incredibles 2 that will stand out to movie-goers. One strong theme found in the movie is focused on Elastigirl. While Mr. Incredible stays at home to be the dad and run the household in this role reversal, Elastigirl gets to go and save the world. In today’s society, we have seen this playing out in many homes across the country. 

Here’s what Holly had to say about that:

“It’s fantastic and delightful to see Elastigirl living up to this gift that she has without any apology. She just is going for it and losing herself in it, which is a beautiful thing. I think also for mothers; it’s great for a mother to be able to be fully engaged in something that has nothing to do with parenting. It’s difficult for all of us to give ourselves license to do this.” 

Holly went on to talk about the importance of kids being able to see this point of view, as well as men being shown that they are capable of being nurturing and fantastic parents. I couldn’t agree with her more as I think about my own household. Both Derrick and I have played the stay-at-home role, both equally capable of running it. 

Like Mr. Incredible, Craig’s character was able to get spend time with his kids. Both we both know that Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl are very competitive. And while he encourages her to go out and save the world, he’s there waiting for to her complete the mission so he can go and do it “better.” 

“Do it, so I can do better,”- Mr. Incredible. 

Craig went on to say that each character is given the freedom to explore their potential in their new roles. How will this all work out? Be sure to see Incredibles 2 in theaters THIS Friday, June 15th! 

Working with Brad Bird

We wrapped up our interview, with both actors praising their director Brad Bird. Holly stated, “Brad had in mind the sound of the movie; the sound of the characters together, and in that Brad had a chemistry in mind that was audio because that’s the kind of guy that he is; that’s the kind of artist that he is.”

Did you know Craig and Holly just met about nine months ago? 

Holly went on to say, “That’s the first time that we met each other was- so that chemistry is inherent in us, you know, in Sarah Vowell who plays Violet, and you know, and Sam Jackson who’s Frozone, with Mr. Incredible, but that’s Brad putting it together before, you know, he ever knew us. His imagination was at work putting the chemistry together.” 

After taking a group photo, I had a chance to tell Craig how much I LOVED him as Zeek Braverman in The Parenthood. Having boys on the Autism Spectrum, that show was so relatable to my life, and his character was phenomenal. 

Do you have plans to see Incredibles 2 coming out this week? 

It’s in theaters, starting June 15th! (Many theaters will start showings on Thursday night, June 14th. So check here for tickets. 

Check out more of exclusive Incredibles 2 coverage below:

It’s Going To Be An INCREDIBLE Summer! | Incredibles 2 Movie

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