Atticus Shaffer voices "Edgar 'E' Gore" in the movie Frankenweenie. His impish, high-pitched tone carries an odd note of innocence that turns the creepy into something endearing. Now that's talent. We interviewed Atticus in L.A. at the Frankenweenie premiere, and he's just as fun to listen to in real life as he is as "E" in the movie, though not in the same way, obviously. Here's a little about Atticus:
You might know him from: The Middle
Favorite Tim Burton Film: Corpse Bride
Pets: Chickens, two dogs, a rabbit and five cats
What is your favorite thing about playing "Edgar 'E' Gore"?
The characters that I normally play are my voice. They are kind of, the very calm eye in the storm characters. And, some are smart, you know. They know how to figure out problems and whatnot. But then this one, he's just so over the top. And, he's a semi villain. He loves everything more big and over the top. And also, being able to do the impression of Peter Lorre for the voice is just awesome for me.
I love doing impressions. I love doing accents, and during the audition process, they said, if possible, do a Peter Lorre impression. And I was like, this is so new for me, it's going to test my acting abilities. I want to do this.
And so my mom and I, like the home-schoolers that we are, rented Maltese Falcon, and we already had Casablanca, and we just sat down and really studied. That alone was just such a thrill for me.
On the original black and white movies that inspired Frankenweenie...
I was just such a big fan of any classic black and white film, because that's where the ideas originate from. There weren't spoofs, or spinoffs, or parodies or anything. They were groundbreaking back then.
On doing voice-over acting...
I love doing voice over. I mean, that's the whole reason I got into the business in the first place, is because I love to play with my voice. I love telling stories, being able to put myself into these new, completely new characters.
What are your goals for the future?
The whole point of me getting into the business was to be a storyteller. As I grew up, my mom and I would read books out loud together. We would do little character voices. Not for any thought of being in the business at all. It was just because it was fun, we love to read.
And that's just the way that we were. And so, being able to kind of carry that and take it into adulthood and be a form of storyteller is phenomenal. And, being in this business in particular, I am the character of the story. And so I can tell the story from that perspective. But my hope is to go to college and learn how to become a director and a writer, and then be able to tell stories from that point of view.
- Frankenweenie Movie Review for Parents
- Frankenweenie - Family Activities
- Frankenweenie Character Gallery
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(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage)