In the Disney Pixar movie Coco, Alanna Ubach does the voice for Mama Imelda, and Anthony Gonzalez does the voice for her great grand son, Miguel. This heartwarming story of Coco follows Miguel through the Land of the Dead to learn about his ancestors. Today on Theresa’s Reviews, you can read interviews with both actors! They were an incredibly energetic duo as they walked in the doors of the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the Coco blogger press event.
Disney Pixar Coco Anthony Gonzalez (voice of Miguel) Interview
Anthony Gonzalez is Disney’s newest teen star! His breakout role in Coco has led to many new opportunities for him, including singing gigs. In Coco, not only does he play the main character Miguel, but he also has a song “Un Poco Loco” on the soundtrack.
On Becoming An Actor
Everyone is wondering how Anthony Gonzalez got to be so lucky to become the new star of Disney Pixar’s movie Coco. It’s not just luck that got him there. It actually took a lot of support and hard work.
Regarding advice for children who want to become actors, Anthony Gonzalez says, “Thankfully, I had the support of all of my parents and my siblings. It was very easy to me to do what I love. What I really did is just never give up, and really do my best, and do what I love, and no one can stop me. ”
Check out the impromptu singing performance Anthony Gonzalez gave all of the bloggers at the press conference!
On Celebrating The Day Of The Dead
Anthony Gonzalez celebrates the Day of Dead, just like Miguel in Coco! He began celebrating when his grandfather passed away and he was only six years old.
He says, “I would love to celebrate the Day of the Dead because it was a day where I could be with him and connect with him once again. That’s why I loved this joyful celebration. I can’t believe I’m part of a movie that shows this wonderful celebration.”
On Balancing School, Life And Work
Rising to stardom can be tough, but Disney’s newest teen actor is handling it well!
Anthony Gonzalez says, “One of my big dreams was to be home schooled, and I finally got to be home schooled.”
He started to laugh, and so did all of the bloggers in the audience! He’s finally living the dream he wanted, of being homeschooled?
He continues, “I love it because I get to act more, and I get to sing more, and that’s why I wanted to be home schooled, because I’d get to pursue my dream more.”
Who knew home schooling was a kid’s biggest dream? That’s totally awesome though! I’m sure my kids would not mind home schooling too if they could follow their passions the way he did!
Being Like Miguel
Anthony Gonzalez has more in common with Miguel. As a newcomer to major motion pictures, he is chasing his dream, just like Miguel did in Coco.
He says, “I feel like Miguel and I just both want to pursue our dreams. Miguel looks at his idol, like he wants to be just like him. That’s the quote he says — “I want to be just like him.” I have a lot of singing idols and acting idols. I want to be just like them, too. I’m very similar to Miguel because we both just love the music.”
What The Audience Can Gain From Watching Coco
Anthony Gonzalez had an inspiring message about what he hoped the audience would gain from watching Coco.
He says, “What I hope that the audience gets from watching this wonderful movie is if they have a secret passion that they have, to share it with the world. To do what they want to do in life, and do what they love. To really, really know about the wonderful Mexican culture, and the wonderful celebration of the Day of the Dead. Maybe they will start celebrating because it’s a universal celebration.”
4 Fun Facts About Anthony Gonzalez
- If Anthony Gonzalez could have been any other character, he would have been Dante the dog.
- He loves singing and doing gritos (the shout of excitement you hear in the music of Coco).
- Since age four, he had an acting agent, but he never really thought he would be an actor.
- He owns all the Coco toys, including Dante!
Disney Pixar Coco Alanna Ubach (voice of Mama Imelda) Interview
Alanna Ubach (also known as Serena in the 2001 movie Legally Blonde) had an incredibly warm entrance into the room. Energetically, she danced with a plush Miguel doll. Then, she began to tell us stories of her new life as a mother as well as her role as Mama Imelda in Coco.
The Importance Of Coco
Alanna Ubach had a valuable message about why Coco matters.
She says, “It was so important for Pixar to make this movie because to me, it really does respect the one important quality that Latin and Latin Americans have, and that is the importance of family. That it can never be broken. No borders or presidents or politics can ever break the bond of familia, and I think that’s something that people will walk away with very well.”
Why Coco Is Important For Parents
Many parents wonder if Coco is good for their children. Using the movie to discuss what happens in the afterlife can be a very valuable experience.
Alanna Ubach says, “I think it just paints such an exquisite picture of the afterlife, and when my son is old enough to see this film, he’ll be able to say, “Mama, if this is what the afterlife is like, I’m not afraid of death.” It’s just as beautiful as birth.”
How Alanna Ubach Would Like Her Child To Remember Her
Since Coco is about how we are remembered in the afterlife, we asked Alanna Ubach how she would like her child to remember her.
She says, “How would I like him to remember me? That I sang him funny, silly little songs, and that I loved him with my very soul. He breaks my heart every single day. He gets a hammer to my heart and pounds on it, and then hands it back to me, and then it takes me 23 hours to put it back together all over again, and then the following day he does the same thing. He’s my life. He really is my life. And I hope he remembers that he was my life.”
You can check out the song she sings to her son (and that her parents sang to her) below on the Theresa’s Review Youtube Channel!
Regarding the lullaby, she says, “It’s about trying to coax a burrito, a little donkey, to get up the hill. It’s like, “Come on little donkey, get up the hill, so you can have your corn.” That’s what it’s about. It’s ridiculous.”
4 Fun Facts About Alanna Ubach
- Alanna Ubach’s mother is from Sinaloa in Mexico and her father is from Puerto Rico.
- She is learning to balance motherhood and work life. Before the press event, she woke up at 5 am to help her 3-month-old baby feel better after coming down with a cold.
- When she came to to Coco premiere, she brought her mother and her husband. Her mother used to tell her the story of llorona, which is fitting because Alanna sang the song “La Llorona” for the Coco soundtrack.
- She based her character Mama Imelda on her Tia (Aunt) Flora, who she called passionate and ornate, and who always wore heels and makeup.
Alanna Ubach and Anthony Gonzalez gave a captivating, sentimental, and thoughtful interview. They were very fun to watch and listen to, and they did a wonderful job with their impromptu singing for us.
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Pixar Coco Trailer & About The Movie
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Héctor (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
Directed by Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”), co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist “Monsters University”) and produced by Darla K. Anderson (“Toy Story 3”), Disney•Pixar’s “Coco” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22, 2017. For more information, check out http://movies.disney.com/coco, Hashtag: #PixarCoco, Pixar Coco Facebook, Pixar Coco Twitter and Pixar Coco Instagram.
Disclosure: I received a free trip to Los Angeles to cover the #PixarCocoEvent, but it in no way influenced my opinion.
