Writing about the new Minions movie without showing the footage from it can be challenging, but my job is to give you an idea of what’s going on in this new animated film based off the Despicable Me franchise. Alan Arkin gives voice to Wild Knuckles, the former leader of The Vicious 6, in Minions: The Rise of Gru. Alan Arkin is the Villainous Wild Knuckles in Minions: The Rise of Gru
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Wild Knuckles (aka Gru’s father)
When you see an actor like Alan Arkin cast as a villain, you don’t know what to expect. Is he going to chew on scenery like an over-the-top ham? Or will he hit a villainous note as straight and as strong as his Argo character? Luckily for us, it’s option number two—and it’s exactly what we needed for Minions. This movie about Kevin, Stuart and Bob before they met Gru gives us flashbacks into their lives before they became henchmen.
New Pictures
Enjoy these new pictures from Universal Pictures’ upcoming film, Minions. Be on the lookout for Gru (Steve Carell) and his adorable, mischievous yellow buddies – Kevin, Stuart and Bob – as they get into all sorts of villainous hijinks. And do stay tuned until you spot Alan Arkin as Wild Knuckles, one of their many adversaries! Look for them to unleash their wacky brand of mayhem on July 10th 2015!
Behind the Scenes
This was not just my first time working with DreamWorks, but it was also my first experience as a voiceover artist. This character Wild Knuckles came about when director Kyle Balda had an idea to make an evil version of Benicio del Toro’s Agnes, who’s featured prominently in Despicable Me 2 and is voiced by Sandra Bullock. During our two recording sessions Alan became very enthralled with all his lines and embraced not only doing several takes on each line but infusing tons of depth into every aspect. When you hear him say Plucking earwax, spitting out diamonds! You can definitely sense that he is loving it as much as I am. Enjoy! -Jamie
Early work and stardom
After working on a number of television shows in supporting roles, including Adam-12, Lassie and Gunsmoke, Alan had his first real Hollywood break when he was cast as Wild Bill Kelso in Robert Altman’s 1992 film The Player. He worked with Robert Altman again in 1993’s Short Cuts (playing a car thief), followed by 1994’s Prêt-à-Porter (as a reporter). In 1995 he co-starred alongside Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes on Murder at 1600. During that same year he made an appearance alongside Samuel L. Jackson as well as Patrick Stewart and James Earl Jones for Spike Lee’s remake of Othello.
Established actor
Alan Arkin has some serious acting chops, having appeared in everything from ‘Argo’ to ‘Little Miss Sunshine.’ He’s now taking on a new role – he’s been cast as Wild Knuckles, a bad guy who used to be a good guy.
He was once leader of an organization called The Vicious 6, but after his son fell off a building and accidentally perished, Knuckles lost faith and turned bad. Arkin will voice both characters (Wild Knuckles and his son) for ‘Minions.’
Escape from Sobior
A young Gru was inspired by his mother’s tales to become a villain, when he’d rather have been an astronaut. In 1991, he and other aspiring evildoers attend villain school under weapons teacher Miss Hattie (Martha MacIsaac). Years later, as he tells a gathering of young girls about his nemesis Vector (Jason Segel), he’s interrupted by Vermin Supreme (Neil Patrick Harris) who attempts to kidnap him with a group of minions that resemble Elmo and Cookie Monster. While escaping, Gru learns about Vector’s plan to steal a shrink ray from Tony D’Amico (Sylvester Stallone). Later at his home with Dru and Agnes, they watch TV coverage regarding Tony being fired due to his recent safety violations.
Supporting roles
When you watch a movie or read a book, there are always characters who play supporting roles. Sometimes, these supporting roles can be just as important as those played by lead actors. A good supporting character will add to a story rather than detract from it; he’ll strengthen what’s already there, but not steal attention away from it. Take, for example, Alan Arkin’s role in Minions. He plays Wild Knuckles, one of Gru’s old nemeses and former villain boss. When we meet him in Minions, he has retired and lives as an island hermit; he also happens to be one of Gru’s childhood friends and early minion recruits.
Little Miss Sunshine
Well, that was a bit unexpected. In Universal’s latest entry into their Despicable Me franchise (namely, last year’s original), a noticeably different tone emerges from previous installments. This film finds Gru (Steve Carell) and his children from all former engagements — Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Nev Scharrel) — on summer vacation with Margo’s boyfriend, Brad (Trey Parker). But then a secret message comes that Gru’s long-lost twin brother, Dru (also voiced by Steve Carell), who was locked away at an orphanage as a baby after an incident with an exploding baboon doll, needs help.
