Danny DeVito could relate to his dog alter ego in ‘The One and Only Ivan’ because he is "fancy-free".
The 75-year-old actor voices Bob the stray dog in the new Disney+ film and admits it was easy to connect with the spirit of the canine character.
In an interview with Screen Rant, Danny said: "The thing that I relate to with Bob is that Bob is a footloose, fancy-free character. He can come and go as he pleases.
"He has no boundaries; he’s free. He can eat a piece of pizza off the ground, he doesn’t care; chunk a hotdog, maybe find some popcorn."
In the story, Bob forms a friendship with Ivan – a gorilla in a circus who dreams of a better life – and Danny admits that it helped him see his own life in the character.
The ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ star explained: "So, I related to the character in that way. I felt like I see that in my life. I know that one of the most important things in life is that you gotta be yourself, but it’s really cool to have friends."
DeVito revealed that director Thea Sharrock introduced a recording set-up that allowed the movie’s cast – which includes Dame Helen Mirren, Angelina Jolie and Sam Rockwell – to see each other when performing their voice acting.
He recalled: "The best thing about it was that Thea Sharrock, who directed it, had us up in a room where we could actually see each other.
"So, we were semi-isolated in the sound booth, but we could actually see through either Plexiglass or glass or over the top or around the side. We could see the other actors, so it was good for the give and take; the improvisation.
"We worked with Angelina that way and with Chaka Khan and with Brooklynn Prince and with Sam, Helen – everybody did the same thing. We had that freedom, and it was a really good way to work. Usually, you’re in a booth and you’re alone. So, this was a good thing."