Ben Schwartz Accidentally Terrified A Kid By Leaving Voice Note As Sonic
Ben Schwartz, star of the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 2, reveals that he once terrified a child by leaving a voice note in character as the titular hedgehog. The first Sonic the Hedgehog movie, released in 2020, proved to be a big hit with fans and earned over $306 million at the box office. Based on the popular video game series of the same name, Sonic the Hedgehog tells the story of a super powered hedgehog who teams up with a small-town cop (James Marsden) to stop evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey).
Sonic the Hedgehog proved popular enough that a sequel was put into production shortly after its release. Initial trailers for the film have revealed plenty of the same action and humor that made the original so memorable, but also the introduction of several fan-favorite characters from the video games, including Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O'Shaugnessey). Sonic the Hedgehog 2 early reviews are generally positive, with many praising the film for how fun it is, its fast pace, and Schwartz's voice performance.
In a new interview on Radio 1's Screen Time podcast, Schwartz explains that one of his "favorite things" about playing the character of Sonic is getting to do the voice for kids in character. While most children seem to enjoy getting voice notes from Sonic, Schwartz explains that he did one that resulted in the kid crying. Check out Schwartz's funny story about the incident below:
For Sonic, I do a lot of voice notes for kids, like my friends who have kids. A ton. The whole idea is that, if you see my face, it's not as exciting for kids as if they hear my voice, because then they're like, 'Oh my God, Sonic is talking to me.' And I've done hundreds of them. Even for people [who] are in hospitals or stuff like that. It's been one of my favorite things about this. But I gave one to a kid, it was his birthday. Some parent asked me for his kid. Then, they went back to me and they go, 'Okay, just so you know, we are so thankful, but our kid will not stop crying.' And I go, 'What's wrong?' He said the kid thought that if Sonic existed, that means Robotnik is real too. And that means Robotnik is somewhere out there. And I was like, 'Oh, no! No, no no! He's great, his name is Jim Carrey, he's a great guy, you don't have to worry about it, he's the funniest guy in the world!'
Schwartz's story reveals just how much younger audiences can get sucked into stories and why Sonic the Hedgehog has proven so popular, especially with the younger demographic. Carrey's Dr. Robotnik is a standout from the first film, with the actor's ability to capture over-the-top characters working perfectly for the sinister but extremely silly antagonist. While entertaining in the movie, it's certainly understandable that the idea of Dr. Robotnik existing in real life would be unsettling to a younger viewer.
Although it sounds like it didn't go well in at least one case, it's admirable that Schwartz takes the time to do the Sonic the Hedgehog voice for younger fans. With the upcoming release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it's likely that he will find himself inundated with more requests for voice notes. The positive reviews for the film and its wide audience appeal hint that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 might perform even better than the original at the box office. Hopefully, when doing more voice notes after the wide release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 this week, Schwartz's good deeds don't result in any more children crying.
Source: Radio 1's Screen Time