Behind the Scenes With… Jack Whitehall on why his portrayal of ‘a juvenile’ in Clifford The Big Red Dog was a ‘fresh change of pace’ | News about Ant-Man & Art

In the UK, he’s probably best known for comedy, but in Hollywood, Jack Whitehall is establishing himself as a home movie star.

Earlier this year, he brought relief in Disney’s Jungle Cruise as protagonist Emily Blunt’s brother, and now he’s playing a young girl’s immature uncle in Clifford The Big Red Dog.

The film adaptation sees his character getting more than he pays for after being asked to take care of his niece when she adopts a grown-up puppy overnight.

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Whitehall admittedly there are definitely elements to his character that he can relate to.

“I think maybe being an irresponsible man isn’t necessarily the hardest thing for me about a character to play,” he told Sky News’ Backstage podcast.

“And yes, my babysitting skills are rarely mentioned.

“I currently have a niece and I have never been asked to look after her – every other member of my family has and I have not been called up yet.”

With sequels to both Clifford and Jungle Cruise in the works, Whitehall seems to be adapting to the family movie genre.

He said it might be because in the US he doesn’t have the same reputation as in the UK.

“I just think that maybe in the US, they haven’t seen all the stuff I’ve done, so they think I’m a good fit for that sort of thing, whereas in the UK people have heard some jokes that I’m ‘me’. told and watched some of my specials, and they were perhaps a little more reserved when they put me in the family fare.

“I seem to have fallen in love with making those kinds of films, and to be honest, I love making them.

“It’s great to be able to make a movie and take the film out into the world and do something that my friends can bring their kids to see, or my princess kids can go see it, because because until this point, there’s nothing that I’ve ever done that they can see.”

Filming Clifford was a ‘fresh change of pace’

One of the shows that is not suitable for children is Travels With My Father, a movie that Whitehall made with his father, Michael Whitehall.

He joked that after filming that series, making a children’s movie with a CGI dog was a welcome change of pace.

“I did like four weeks on the road with a volatile eighty-year-old alcoholic who could only work five hours a day, and had to stop for an hour’s lunch and drink a bottle of wine and no. really wanted to be there,” he said.

“So to go from there to work on set with a guy holding a tennis ball next to you, I mean, it’s actually a pretty refreshing change of pace for me.

“And so are the kids, they’ve been professional for quite some time; maybe at six o’clock in the morning when you’re in the make-up van and they’re playing a full hour Justin Bieber… I can be a bit experimental – I’m a Believer but at 6 a.m. I think I might be a bit Belatheist.”

While Whitehall says he’s been enjoying the Hollywood experience so far, he also admits he’s not sure how long it will last.

“I’m so grateful that I’m getting the chance to do these things because, you know, I’m British, so I’m still entrenched by a little bit of a sense of imposter syndrome and a feeling that at any moment someone would come and tap me on the shoulder and tell me I needed to get on the plane home and come back and tell 30 people inappropriate pub jokes.”

And although his film career doesn’t have much time to flourish at the moment, the comics don’t rule out a return to the stage in the future.

“There is always a pull to standing up, and the reality of standing up is that you can come and dip into it whenever you want, and there will always be a stage somewhere ready to accommodate,” he said. you,” he said.

“And I’m sure at some point, I might go back to doing a show or trying to write a little bit of new material, but for now I’m very happy to focus on acting and trying to find new projects. next exciting movie project.”

Clifford The Big Red Dog is out now in UK cinemas – you hear our review on the latest episode of Backstage – the TV series and podcast from Sky News.