'Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa' star Jada Pinkett Smith's animal magnetism
BY. J.R. GRIFFIN
Saturday, November 1st 2008, 4:00 AM
At last weekend's AIDS Foundation Dream Halloween Benefit in Santa Monica, Calif., Jada Pinkett Smith dressed as Supergirl.
The costume was the perfect fit for the ultimate Hollywood multihyphenate. The 37-year-old mother of three (Willow, 8, and Jaden, 10, with her husband, Will Smith, and stepmom to Trey, 15, from Will's previous marriage) was most recently seen in "The Women" and "Reign Over Me"; has directed her first film, "The Human Contract"; is executive producing a TV series pilot for TNT ("Time Heals"); records and tours with her rock band, Wicked Wisdom, and has one of the strongest marriages in Tinseltown.
"I like doing it all, juggling all of that right now," she says the morning after screening "The Human Contract" at the Chicago Film Festival. "But I can see in the future directing being my main focus."
This Friday, she'll co-star in "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" as the voice of hefty hippo Gloria, who embarks on another adventure with her on-the-lam zoo pals (voiced by Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and David Schwimmer). So what better time to unleash a bunch of animal questions her way? She took them on like the queen of the jungle.
What's the weirdest thing you learned about hippos working on the "Madagascar" movies?
I learned that hippos are the most dangerous animals on safari. They create the most fatalities because people think they're slow and when they're in water, people try to get close. They tend to crush people with their jaws very quickly.
They're bad-ass.
They are. I was like, "Whoa, okay!"
Do you have any hippo traits?
I don't think so. But I do like long baths.
What was your favorite pet as a kid? Or now?
I love pets. I had dogs and hamsters as a kid. We have quite a few pets now: three cats, two dogs and a red-tail boa constrictor named Beauty.
How do people react to her when they come over?
People are pretty fascinated. She's gorgeous and we just love her.
Can you feel a connection with a snake, like a dog or cat?
Yes, she's very calm. She likes to sit on your neck and give you massages. And she just really likes to chill out. She'll sit on my lap while I'm watching TV.
How does one get a snake massage exactly and know you're about to get strangled?
She kind of rolls her body across your neck. And she'll just move her muscles in her body. It's her way to show affection. They have a lot of affinity. She only goes to a few people right away. She really loves Rosario Dawson. She's the only other person that she went straight to.
I'm assuming you watched a lot of animal movies growing up or with the kids now. Any favorites that stand out?
You know what, I don't watch animal movies because they end up being so sad. That's one of the things I love about "Madagascar" - it's an animal movie, nobody dies. It's a good time. But "Bambi," "Dumbo," "White Fang," ugh, they're depressing.
Central Park Zoo or Bronx Zoo?
Um, Central Park, just because it's close to where we stay. I don't really like zoos. I was so glad in "Madagascar" when they escaped and got away from the zoo. Even in my own house, I think I'll never get an animal like a snake again where I have to keep her in an aquarium. We have this whole thing for Beauty outside for her to be in a natural habitat. But at the end of the day, she knows she's caged into her aquarium. We can't set her into the wild now, but I told Willow we won't do this again and won't have any animals that need to stay like that.
We're not going to see you on the news freeing animals any time soon, are we?
Maybe when I get older, that'll become one of my activist endeavors.
What animal is Will most like?
A lion. He's quite the leader and right now, he's the king of the jungle.
Same question - but in bed?
In bed? Still a lion!
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/m...r_jada_pin.html
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lol @ the lion. I was wondering what Willow named her snake. They're missing like five dogs though, all the Rotties?
Edited by MissAshley, 02 November 2008 - 10:30 AM.
citing source
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