Paulina Chats With Actor & Comedian Craig Robinson

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We are here one of three five Kiss FM. It's
Paulina and I'm here with the one and only Craig Robinson.
How you doing.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'm great. How are you good?

Speaker 1 (00:08):
I'm so happy that you're here. Welcome to Chicago. You're home?

Speaker 3 (00:11):
Yes, thank you, I'm home girl, so nice to be back.
Just getting a jass soon as we are playing crosses
into Chicago air.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
So where you're saying right now? Or are you filming
somewhere else? Or do you don't live here anymore?

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Most I don't anymore. I live in Los Angeles Seles.
But yeah, I'm just here for a couple of days
for press and say hello.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yes, I love it, and we're talking in your dreams.
So I have a two year old. Okay, so I'm
a new mom and I watched Thank You.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
I watched her movies Great Health.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Thank you so much. I can't wait to show my
daughter the movie Sing. Yeah. I did last night.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yes, how adorable is?

Speaker 1 (00:46):
It? Was so good? So cute. We're getting into movies now.
She's kind of getting the concept of sitting down and
watching it.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Fine.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
So I'm like, we're perfect, perfect timing. So in your dreams,
I kind of want you to describe the movie to us,
but also what promise does it kind of make to
families like mine? Press play what promise? What promise can
you make us?

Speaker 3 (01:03):
I think you it's the cutest movie I've ever been
a part of.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Number one.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
It's got funny jokes, is adorable, the animation is phenomenal,
and then it's got some adult things that make you go, okay,
really in the cartoon all right, here we go? So yeah,
what a what an adventure?

Speaker 2 (01:21):
You know? Do it just for you know, to make
your soul happy? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Absolutely? And you play Bologney Tony. So that's the I'm
gonna call it a snarky giraffe.

Speaker 3 (01:31):
I'm taking that snarky, Okay, I'm a snarky giraffe. Plush
plush toy.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Yes, plush toy. I love it. And what would you
consider his job in Steven Elliott's Dream World.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
Uh, he's he's to His job is to support Elliott.
He and Elliott are best friends and in Steve mortal
enemies pretty much. But his job is to, you know,
just be there for the crew. And he doesn't always
do the best at that. How so he's a little scary. Yeah,
and they come across from scary situations.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
They certainly do. And with that being said, though, I mean,
were there any scenes that kind of would sneak up
on us in terms of like emotionally, because you know,
there are some moments.

Speaker 3 (02:15):
There are definitely some moments. You know, we Alex Wio
worked on this for like nine and a half years,
you know, so this was a whole I think that
from beginning to completion.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
So he made sure he hit all the marks.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
You're gonna laugh, you're gonna tear up a little bit,
and you're gonna be excited, you know as adventure is fantastic.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Absolutely, And what was one of your favorite parts about
being a part of the movie.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
Probably the chokes you know, just can to improvise and
U there's a couple of things we came up with
that was just like, yeah, I was about to ask
just to see see yourself as a cartoon, you know,
and just like with my sense of humor is I
got tickled quite.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
A bit at the premiere.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
Yeah, it was. There are a lot of improv involved
on your own because you are comedian, like you're funny.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Oh there was something yeah for sure, Yeah, sure, I
like that.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
A lot and what do you want parents such as
myself right to say to each other after watching this?
Right besides the you know, do we just cry at
this actual giraft joke? Like, what would you like us
parents to take away to or to think because we're
one's watching it with it with the kids.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
You know they are, and you know it's sparking some discussions.
It's making some kids see things in a different light.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
It's really cool. So I think that you know, uh,
you just be like.

Speaker 3 (03:32):
Hey, that was kind of a I don't want to
say perfect, but you know that was adorable those do
I feel good after that? Let's get some ice cream? Oh?

Speaker 1 (03:41):
That makes me so happy? And I agree I can
second that. So you're a Chicago I'm Chicago kids, kyo.

Speaker 3 (03:46):
Guy.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
I would say a Chicago kid because it's just who
I am by nature. Former CPS teacher. So do you
kind of take any of those classroom etiquette like styles right?
Your teaching style? Do you bring it to the screen
when you do any kind of TV or movie?

Speaker 3 (03:59):
No, not to my knowledge, but like you're I was
a teacher, and when I was a teacher, I was
learning how to be a comedian. So I would sometimes
used to not do stand up but use the class
as an audience, like okay, this is how you stand
in front of people. But uh uh no, I don't.
I don't recall saying ihntmembers. I was a teacher, so

(04:21):
this this is w you go like this?

Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah, I'm just curious if you could like memory things
quicker than like me. You know, probably is it quick?

Speaker 3 (04:28):
Well you get used to you know, memorization. There's little
tricks and stuff you can do, you know. And I'm
a musician, so I have you know, I used rhythm
with it, and I'll even do the script. I learned
it backwards and forwards literally, so that uh you know,
So I just have it because any actors out there
and nail, nail those lines make it sound like you know,

(04:50):
it's it's it's like you wrote it, like it's coming
straight from you.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
You know. You don't want to be tripping off yourself.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
No, no, of course. So I do have a question
if you don't mind a little bit of a controversial
told we're gonna take your little turn, okay, And I
am curious. So I was informed that you have a
big role in my good friend Leonne Rodgers' career, his trajectory.
He told me that because of you, a lot of
things were a little different for him. So would you
like to address the controversy.

Speaker 3 (05:17):
Sure, he's being silly, he just said it. He's sick
because I want a contest. Yes, a comedy contest in
Ville Junior Draft in ninety six, and he he was
six months in the comedy but he still made the finals.
So he was he was natural, you know, as you
can attest. I'm sure. So that's he teases me about that.

Speaker 1 (05:41):
But yeah, he told me, he's like, you gotta mess
with him. I'm like, I'm gonna try.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
I pass.

Speaker 1 (05:44):
I'm like, listen, we're gonna address this controversy right here,
right now. I love it real quick before you go,
can I do a quick this or that Chicago edition
with you if you don't mind. I'm just curious. I
have to know your answers. Okay, here we go. First
things first, we're doing Cubs day game at Wrigley or
Socks night game at thirty fifth Socks night game. You're
SERI socks guy for sure? Me too.

Speaker 3 (06:03):
Okay, I know it's sacrilegious, but I do a lot
of cups too.

Speaker 2 (06:08):
But I would rather be somewhere at night.

Speaker 1 (06:10):
Yeah, I married into a Cups family, right, is what
it is. I've accepted it.

Speaker 3 (06:16):
All right?

Speaker 1 (06:16):
Are we doing a Chicago dog or Maxwell.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
Street Polish Chicago Dog?

Speaker 1 (06:20):
Chicago? Really? Now do you do the whole catchup thing?
I do everything, but stop it? Okay, all right, we
got this is what I think. I kind of know.
I think nineties Bulls nostalgia or twenty ten black Hawks
dynasty nineties Bulls. I know I know the answer.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
Everybody knows that.

Speaker 1 (06:39):
I mean, you had to be there. I was like five.

Speaker 2 (06:41):
It was a special, special time.

Speaker 3 (06:44):
There was nowhere, every bar, wherever you went, it was
it was electric, you know. And I remember when they
would win in the championship. We drove around and you know,
the people were pulling off the fire high just everybody
was was shouting and they were jumping on cars. We're
just driving and shouting with them. It was awesome.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
I love it. Oh, I love it. Craig. Thanks for
being here with us today. We appreciate you and your
dreams coming to Netflix. When does a drop.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
November fourteenth this Friday on Netflix? Uh set your Netflix
reminders or what have you. But it is the cutest
movie I've been a part of, and I do want
to say thank you Chicago for lifting me up, keeping
me afloat all this time. You know I get my
everything from you, so thank you. And I'll see us,
so thank you.

Speaker 1 (07:27):
Craig, Appreciate you.