KZ: Hi Eric! Do you remember the first time you tried to perform the voice of an existing character as a kid?

E: When I was a kid, like any kid sitting in front of the TV watching their favourite cartoons (mine was Looney Tunes, you always have this inkling to imitate your favourite cartoon characters or characters in general. Whether or not you sound exactly like them, when you're eight or nine years old, is up for debate, but I just kept sticking to it. Eventually, through Hollywood magic, I became the characters, after the great Mel Blanc, of course. Looney Tunes not only inspired my sense of humour, but it also inspired me as an artist. Before becoming a voiceover actor, I was behind the pencil, drawing for various studios - and I loved the colouring books as a kid. I remember buying a How To Draw Bugs Bunny and Friends book. Never in a million years did I think I would be sitting here chatting with you about being the characters in a feature film.

KZ: What is your favourite line you said as Daffy in this movie, and as Porky Pig?

E: You know, it's so funny, when you make a TV show with these characters in comparison to a feature film. You know, the turnaround in TV so much faster. And with a movie, you spend so much more time with it - anywhere between two to four years. I think in this instance, we had started in 2019, so sometimes you kind of forget what you've said, and how you say it when you watch it back. I remember seeing the trailers, there's a lot of fun Daffy stuff. I feel like when you pair Daffy and Porky together, Daffy always gets the wild and crazy lines, and Porky is a bit of the straight man in the comic duo. My favourite catchphrase of Porky's to say will always be 'Th-th-that's all, folks.' 

KZ: In the film, Daffy tries really hard to stop people chewing the gum, but they just can’t resist. What is one food you couldn’t resist eating, even if Daffy Duck warned you about it?

E: I mean, any candy. You're talking to the kid-side of me, I am a bit of a gum-chewer too in real life, so it's hard to resist a good piece of chewing gum, or anything from the candy store for that matter. Maybe a pepperoni pizza. They do eat pizza in the movie too, that's for sure.

KZ: Petunia Pig is also trying to invent the best bubblegum flavour, and creates some unusual flavours. Would you rather try dandelion squid ink tea (one of her ideas), or Vegemite bubblegum?

E: Candi Milo performed Petunia in this film, and she's one of my heroes – one of the reasons why I became a voiceover artist. I watched her work in the 90s, in the original Tiny Toons. I remember growing up my favourite bubble gum was Bubblicious Fruit Punch. For whatever reason, all of the fruits combined were my favourite. We'll leave the fictional flavours on the big screen. I would go with the Vegemite. I've heard so much about it. Is it an acquired taste that you want to chew for a second and then swallow down the hatch, or do you want to savour that flavour like a gum?

KZ: Have you ever been awestruck meeting the voice of a character from your childhood?

E: I would have to say the late, great Russi Taylor. I was in The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown Bedrock Smackdown, and I got to spend an entire session in the same room as Russi Taylor as she performed Pebbles, and I performed Bamm-Bamm, which was adorable. Outside Warner Brothers, Russi is most famously known for performing the voice of Minnie Mouse for Disney for many years, as well as Huey, Dewey, and Louie from the original DuckTales series. Getting to meet her and work on the Flintstones with her was the dream come true. I got to fan out a little and take a photo of us in the booth together. There's so many other moments too, like Frank Welker – the king of Hanna Barbera and Warner Brothers, who is Fred Jones from Scooby Doo.

KZ: Is there a Looney Tunes-esque cartoon move that you wish you could do in real life?

E: If I could adapt a Looney Tunes cartoon physicality, it would be the ability to bug my eyes out when I see pizza. Bending your eyes around a corner would be great if you were a spy. If James Bond had that ability, his movies would be done in a second, because he wouldn't have to do any work. If I could spin my legs like Roadrunner to go faster, I would probably go to the gym more often if I could do that. Looney Tunes for me have always been famous for their 'takes' when something shocking happens. In the movie, there's a few moments where Porky grabs his cheeks and pulls his face down and his eyes get bigger. Daffy is the king of slapstick comedy, whether he is fumbling through a scene trying to battle alien gum zombies, or laying an egg. Aside from the laughs, because it is a bit of a sci fi adventure, you get those thrills with the aliens and the takeover.

KZ: What is the strangest or most unique request you received from the director while recording?

E: Even in a zany movie like this, with talking pigs and ducks and aliens and gum wads and whatever you see, there are stakes. A lot of the time, we will do an over-the-top zany take, but then usually I'll get pulled back in by Pete Browngardt (who directed the film), as well as Alex Kerwan (one of the creative producers). Oddly enough, some of the weirder direction was to do less stuttering as Porky. When he's a little bit more anxious or flustered, 'Th-th-that side of him comes out', but when he's a little bit more assertive with Daffy, there's no stuttering - he's very clear in what he needs from his friend. Of course, ‘When he's a-a-around Petunia, he can't help himself.'

KZ: Why do you think these characters are still loved by fans around the world after almost 90 years?

E: Looney Tunes’ sense of humour is different from so many other franchises and brands out there. They're a bit grittier, and have always broken the fourth wall – inviting you into their world, and almost spoofing ours. Modern cartoons do takes on celebrities and Hollywood and the meta sense of humour, and Looney Tunes were kind of the pioneers of that. Looney Tunes still feels a bit nostalgic, and more retro than most cartoons, even if they're placed in a more modern world. That's always been the gold standard with the way Warner Brothers treats Looney Tunes – whoever they get to direct or tell these stories, the characters always stay the same. The integrity of Looney Tunes is always there. If the world around them changes, it's really not that big a deal – they adapt.

Did you know Porky Pig first appeared on screens in 1935 - that's 90 years ago! Daffy Duck first appeared 88 years ago, in 1937! Wow!

Watch Eric reveal his favourite lines from Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up!

Watch Eric choose a Looney Tunes action he wishes he could do in real life!