'The Smurfs 2' Interview: Hank Azaria and Producer Jordan Kerner Talk Naughties

Columbia

The Smurfs 2 introduces the Naughties, Smurf-like creatures that love to get into mischief. They kidnap Smurfette and try to lure her over to the dark side, causing the other Smurfs to go on a mission to rescue her. Behind these little troublemakers are some big-name voices. We spoke with Smurfs 2 producer Jordan Kerner about these new characters and the actors behind them.
Christina Ricci voices a mischievous Naughty named Vexy. "She's fantastic, and very funny," Kerner said. "Christina has such a little wicked sense of humor. She's been wonderful as Vexy."
Curb Your Enthusiasm actor J.B. Smoove is the voice of the wild and unpredictable Hackus. "He’s just an artist with his voice," Kerner said. "What a ball of energy and fun and craziness he is. There are very few actual words but he makes them into symphonies."
While the Naughties are animated, their creator, the evil wizard Gargamel, is played on screen by Hank Azaria. We talked to Azaria as well, and he explained to us his least favorite part of playing the villain. "Where I feel like I earn my pay is in the makeup chair every day. They've got it down to a science; it takes a little less than two hours every day. The hair is the most annoying part," Azaria said.
Despite the lengthy makeup process to get those bushy eyebrows just right, Azaria is really happy to be reprising his role from the first film. "I love this job, except for the makeup. It's really fun," Azaria said. "It's one of those I-can’t-believe-I-get-paid-to-do-this jobs."
The Smurfs 2 opens on July 31.