WANDA SYKES RESPECTS THE ANIMALS

Wanda Sykes gained a healthy respect for the animals she worked with in Evan Almighty.

W.C. Fields once said never work with animals and children. In the film Evan Almighty the actors had to work with both, but the animals proved to be more of a challenge.

Wanda Sykes says she developed a healthy respect for the animals when sharing a scene with them.

“I gave the animals the utmost respect because I understand the animals are just animals. They are not actors. They don’t know they’re in a movie. When you yell ‘cut’ they don’t know what that means. If the elephant is about to crush me and they go ‘cut’ he’s not gonna go, ‘my bad are you alright? Boy that was a good take. Did I block you? Was I in your light? I think my trunk got you right here. Can we do that again?’ No, they don’t understand all that so I kept my distance from the animals.”

Unfortunately the animals were everywhere on the set and she couldn’t go very far to escape them.

“All of the animals smelled. They all smelled. I’m talking even the cast, we all smelled. I mean you couldn’t help it. It was just a funky set. At some point I’m in the shower and I’m like, ‘why bother?’ Why am I even doing this? It means nothing. Ten minutes on that ark and we’re all gonna smell like wet dogs and monkey ass.”