Caffeinated Clint
Nick Palatas and I were supposed to catch up last week for a chat about his role [as ‘Shaggy’] in “Scooby Doo : The Mystery Begins”. It didn’t happen – and the guy had the best excuse in the world…. check this out! I know, ouch!, right!? And we won’t be standing for any ‘Scooby Snack’ jokes here either! The trooper he is, Palatas took a couple of days to miss his thumb-bits, pop down some aspirin, and then dust off his Skype-set again. Here’s my chat with the small screen’s latest ‘Shaggy’.
How did you hear about the auditions for “Scooby Doo : The Mystery Begins”?
I actually got the audition from my agent at the time. I remember hearing about it and freaking out. I was beyond ecstatic about the prospect of playing such a childhood icon. Although, oddly enough, I was incredibly pessimistic about my chances. I remember going to Cynthia Bain for coaching, and voicing my doubts specifically. Still, after a lot of practice and even more prayers, I ultimately booked the project, obviously.
Were you a fan of the original series? And was Shaggy a fave?
To be honest, I can’t imagine a childhood without Scooby-Doo. The gang ranked right up there with the Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles, Animaniacs, Doug, Hey Arnold … I could go on forever. But yes, Scooby always held a special place in my heart, and yes, Shaggy was my favorite. He’s the perfect comedic relief! He is lackadaisical and aloof, yet enthusiastic and loyal. I’ve always tried to be sanguine myself, and to say that Shaggy was optimistic would be an understatement. I suppose that’s what drew me to him the most.
Did you base your character more off the series’ or the films?
I thought that Matthew Lillard adapted a cartoon to live-action exceptionally when he first burst on screen with his rendition of Shaggy, yet it is somewhat of a faux-pas to try to emulate a second generation. So although I did study Matthew Lillard’s version quite a bit, I also made sure to learn from the original. I get mixed reviews from people as to which version I most resembled, so I’d say that’s great feedback for what I did.
Could you always do the Shaggy ‘voice’? or was it a matter of practicing in front of a mirror and Dictaphone?
Well I didn’t always have the voice down, so I mostly relied on my friends and family for their input. I watched the live-action and the cartoon versions to do my best adapting my normal voice to Shaggy’s. I didn’t have my first callback until around 3 weeks after I originally auditioned for it, and every callback after that followed suit, so I had a lot of time to practice. I would say it took every second of that time to really get comfortable with the voice.
How did you find working with Scooby… the tennis ball on a stick?
I loved it. Granted, it took some adjustments, especially since I don’t even remember having the luxury of a tennis ball on a stick. There is (or at least was) a video online about our filming process. We did a reference pass with a full-scale stuffed Scooby, then our real takes without anything there, and finally they took plate shots and light reference pictures. The hardest time was when Scooby was either licking my face incessantly, or during the montage when I had to grab hands…paws…with him and spin in a circle.
Do you have a favourite villain from the world of Scooby Doo?
Wow, that’s a difficult one. Am I allowed to say Red Herring from Pup? If I had to choose, I would say the Witch Doctor from A Tiki Scare Is No Fair. He was crazy.
What have you heard about a sequel? Robbie seems to think it’s a go!
All I can say is that the potential for a sequel is all there. Basically, whether a sequel happens or not depends on the fan reaction to the film, and how well it performs on Cartoon Network and in DVD sales. If the numbers come through for us, the fans could be seeing more of the gang in the near’ish future.
Has the role of Shaggy opened up doors for you?
This project was such a blessing. Not only did I get to work with such great people like Brian Levant and Brian Gilbert, for instance, who were, respectively, an incredible director and almost father figure on set, and an amazing producer and great friend to me, but I was able to experience the full joy of filmmaking. Being an actor is not only my passion, it’s absolute fun for me. And on this set, in particular, I had more fun than I could have imagined. I look forward to any and all projects that I’m attached to in the future.
I want to give a special shout out to all the fans that have encouraged and supported us and our movie. Without you guys, we wouldn’t go anywhere
SCOOBY DOO : THE MYSTERY BEGINS is now on DVD
– CLINT MORRIS
