I received the following information as a blogger via Walt Disney Publications. While I attended an expense paid trip by Disney to the press events for The Good Dinosaur, Inside Out, and Miles From Tomorrowland, all opinions are 100% my own.
In honor of the upcoming home entertainment release of Disney•Pixar’s INSIDE OUT, hopefully you caught the interview with Director Pete Docter, and Producer Jonas Rivera that I posted earlier this week. Today I have another special treat for you continuing the coverage of the time I spent in San Francisco. Just a reminder that INSIDE OUT is currently available for home entertainment on on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere. The film will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack on November 3rd!
At the INSIDE OUT Press Junket, myself and 24 other bloggers had the opportunity to meet and chat with Phyllis Smith, who voices Sadness, and Richard Kind, who voices Bing Bong, in the film. I have to say… these two are hilarious! They were definitely not only insightful about the film, but had great chemistry, and such hilarious tales to tell!
When they arrived, they definitely brought the energy! I love that Phyllis was taking photos of us as she walked into the room. I even was able to snap a quick selfie with them… sort of! LOL. 
Phyllis wanted to know where we were all from. I loved that even though we were the ones there to ask them questions, they wanted to know and learn about us! So after a bit of chit chat, we jumped right into the questions. The interview overall was very warm and you honestly could not ask for two more likable and sweet people to interview.
Were you surprised at the popularity of your characters?
Phyllis is very glad that people are enjoying her character, Sadness. Richard chimed in that he is not surprised at all how popular Sadness is! He praised Phyllis for her perfect voice performance, and the writers for doing such a good job, because her character is a touchy character that people can identify with. “I am so taken by your performance because although it’s down in the dumps it’s not depressive. It’s simply sad. And I think that that’s an amazing thing that they and you did,” Richard said.
In return, Phyllis praised Richard for his Bing Bong performance, as she feels he has so much heart. You can see the heart of the character everywhere in the film… and Richard agrees! He really loved playing Bing Bong! Richard joked about how Bing Bong was never part of the ad campaign for the film, but once the film came out, the popularity of his character just exploded! Richard joked about he wasn’t sent to the Cannes Film Festival with the rest of the talent. He noted that since his character is popular know, he thinks Pixar owes him a trip to France!
How were you able to stay in character?
PHYLLIS: I’ve been asked before how I got to the different point. I can honestly say I didn’t like sit in the car and think of horrible things or anything before I went in. I really just tried to be truthful with whatever the line or the scene that we were doing. Also Pete Docter is such a wonderful director. If I wasn’t at a point where he wanted me to be, he was able to say, okay, let’s try it this way. He was able to give really clear direction for me.
RICHARD: One thing that Pete especially I think is very good at when he directs is he’ll laugh. He’s charmed. “That’s great. Let’s try it this way.” And “so it’s not okay, no, no, no. I want to do it this way.” Or “Wow, that’s fantastic. Look what you brought to the table.”
While chatting Phyllis noted what a wonderful time she had working with Pixar. She would absolutely love to animation again, and of course work with Pixar. She commented how it is such a different process from live action. Each have their own challenges, but she views just being able to work as a good thing! So how did she get her start? Funny story. (And I love this story! Very inspirational…)
PHYLLIS: By God’s grace! I had been a dancer, and had an injury. So I knew that my career as a dancer was at the end of its life. I needed to work. I needed to pay my bills and my car insurance, my rent, my health insurance and all of that. I ended up taking some classes in commercials and such, and then was a receptionist. A friend of mine called and said they need a “mousey woman” for one of the court shows… and so I actually didn’t get the job because I wasn’t mousey enough. But in the midst of all of that I told her I thought I’d be good in casting. I ended up in casting for 19 years, working for really lovely, good casting directors. Then THE OFFICE came along. I was working for Allison Jones. On second day of pairing the leads up in the casting process, the director Ken Kwapis of the pilot he said “Phyllis, I want you to read the character of Pam.” And I went okay because I had read with thousands of actors over those 19 years… they didn’t tell me they were auditioning me. About two weeks later wardrobe calls and said I understand you’re playing the character of Phyllis. And I go “YES, I am.” I’d been in casting long enough I knew when wardrobe called, you were sent a script that constituted a work call. I suppose I was honing a craft all those years! I think God knew the inner desires of my heart and allowed me to have a new career in my older age.
RICHARD: By the way, my career is the opposite. I slogged and slogged for years…
PHYLLIS: (Jokingly) So you hate me, don’t you?
**SPOILERS**
After the group interview, Phyllis and Richard kindly posed for a group photo with us bloggers. They truly were a delight to chat with!
Don’t forget to connect with the film on Facebook and Twitter.
INSIDE OUT is available for home entertainment NOW on on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere and will hit Blu-ray Combo Pack on November 3rd!
Want to see more of my adventures in San Francisco? Take a look at my Twitter (@AshBG) and Instagram (@ashb4211). Make sure you follow the hashtags #GoodDinoEvent, #InsideOutBloggers, #MilesEvent, and #Waltagram.
[…] caught our INSIDE OUT coverage featuring interviews with Pete Docter and Jonas Riveras, as well as Phyllis Smith and Richard Kind. Don’t forget that INSIDE OUT is available NOW for home entertainment on Digital HD, Disney […]