The Sonic the Hedgehog movie, which is tracking to open with over $40 million during Presidents’ Day weekend, not only boasts a fan-driven redesign but Oscar nominee Jim Carrey as the villainous Dr. Robotnik – a video game baddie who’s been badgering Sonic for almost 30 years!
So how did Carrey go about bringing the very unique-looking Robotnik to life? Well, hair styling, both on the head and face, were paramount. “First of all, we have to give a shout out to Anne Morgan who did my hair,” Carrey told IGN. “She cut a swath through my hair. A nice thick part, so it could be seen from outer space.”
One of Robotnik’s most striking features is – yup – the ‘stache!
“That mustache was the beginning of, you know, the first manifestation of evil.” Carrey said. “An outward manifestation. With the curled up edges and stuff. It goes back to Dudley Do-Right and the old cartoon villains. The old movies and stuff. That little waxed edge of the mustache that just says ‘I’ve just tied some girl to a railroad track. For no apparent reason.'”
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Famously, Robotnik, originally named Dr. Eggman in Japan (but localized to Dr. Robotnik for America), is egg-shaped. A rotund mad scientist with a much different body type than Carrey’s wiry frame. Though when asked if he’d considered gaining weight for the role, Carrey played coy. “Well, we all have our ideas.” he said. “I’ve had many many ideas about where we might go with all that. So it’s an evolution. It’s evolution, baby.”
From the sound of things, we might leave the film with Robotnik in a state of change. “He ended up on the mushroom planet,” Carrey explained, “and you never know what can happen on a mushroom planet.”
“Robotnik has not reached his apotheosis,” Carrey teased.
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Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.
Source: IGN.com Sonic Movie: Jim Carrey on the Evolution of Dr. Robotnik's Look