Terry Crews is a pretty big guy. Okay, technically, the dude’s huge. But he’s also got a big, friendly personality that makes you feel really welcome during an interview. He clearly wants to be here, talking about his new role in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 at Comic-Con 2013. He’s thrilled to be working in animation, pleased to reminisce about his role as President Camacho in Mike Judge’s Idiocracy, and happy to talk about The Expendables 3 but way more excited to talk about producing an original action movie that actually feels original. His pitch for a bad-ass nerd movie with Michael Jai White, which I playfully titled Good-Ass, really needs to get made, and soon.
So join me for one of the most friendly interviews I have ever conducted, with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 star Terry Crews, and then maybe check out my similarly jovial conversation with the film’s directors, Kris Pearn & Cody Cameron. The film hits theaters on Septmeber 27, 2013.
CraveOnline: I was bummed. We were hoping to get this on camera. I was going to ask you if you would do it in character as President Camacho.
Terry Crews: [Laughs] I’m gonna have to come and just do Comic-Con as Camacho.
That would be great! That would go over really well.
A Camacho party. You know what I mean? That’s what it would have to be.
I’d sign up.
At the Hard Rock. Yeah!
There should be a prequel that’s just about Camacho, how he got elected.
Well, you know we did some shorts. Mike Judge and I did some stuff for Funny or Die, trying to bring it back but I tell everybody, it’s funny because… It’s weird, you think, “Man, black people, we get dogged out,” but I’m like, “Wait a minute. Mike Judge gets dogged out.” [Laugh] Okay, black people and Mike Judge, always get dogged out. It’s the whole Black race and Mike Judge, standing right there in the middle. It’s crazy, man! It’s like, as genius as he is, why doesn’t he get everything he wants? He should be like J.J. Abrams. I’m not gonna lie to you, man. Mike Judge is that good but he’s always marginalized. He’s gotta fight for everything and he’s proven hits, he’s proven he’s got the talent and he comes with hit after hit. He’s got “King of the Hill,” Office Space…
Well, sometimes, it’s based on opening weekend because Office Space really became a huge success on DVD but by that point, it was kind of like a box office, “Meh.” And so, people got this idea in their head and they couldn’t get it out but yeah, he’s…
Idiocracy got dogged.
Idiocracy got completely dropped and now, everyone loves it.
Now, they play it every week on Comedy Central.
As well they should.
And that’s just one of those things. I am Mike Judge’s biggest advocate. That’s my brother from another mother, man. For real.
You produce now, don’t you? Produce his films!
Yeah, we got some things we’re planning on. I’m hustling, man. I’m doing everything.
You are doing everything. You’re doing Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.
That’s right.
That’s a good segue. Now, you weren’t in the first one. I’m not crazy, right?
No. It was Mr. T’s role. Mr. T played Earl in the first one and he decided not to come back. Sony was like, “Hmmm. Who has that same kind of thing? Ah! Terry Crews!” And I was honored but you didn’t even say I could get near Mr. T’s kind of juice.
That’s a very good way of describing what Mr. T has going for him on camera. He’s got energy.
Juice.
You have great energy as as well. That’s actually really good replacement casting. The question I think most people always ask, when someone takes over a role for someone whether it’s Spider-Man or Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is, “Did you talk to him? Did you ask his permission?” And I find, that’s not really necessary but I’m curious if you thought of that, at all. Did you think of it?
I did. I actually got the blessing.
Oh, you got the official blessing!
Mr. T came to me and was like, “Hey, man. You are all good. Dude, if they had to choose anybody, I’m glad it’s you.” I was like, “Aw, thank you!” But again, it’s like Batman. It’s one of those things where you switch it, you keep going but there was no way I was going to be T, because it’s Earl. It’s another character but I had to bring what I brought. It’s the same thing. George Clooney brought what he brought to Batman, just like Christian Bale brought what he brought. It’s that kind of same thing and I was never asked to be Mr. T but I did know that I gave everything I had. I’m such a fan of the first one. My kids and I went to the premiere. We got the lunch boxes, we got everything. I this is the thing. I have, over the last 7 years, I got most of my entertainment from animation. Most of my entertainment has come from animated movies. The Incredibles. When I saw that in the theaters, that was the best film I saw that year. Okay?
No, no. That’s one of the best films of the last decade.
By far. The Iron Giant, still one of the best films of all time. All time. I put that on my Top 10. So, I’m just saying, I’m getting thorough entertainment from my animated movies. It got to the point where I went to my agent, I was like, “Look, I gotta do some animation, man. For real, whatever you can get me in.” I’ve been doing the voice of Blade, in “Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man.”
Oh, I haven’t seen those episodes! That’s cool.
For Disney XD, yeah. So, I’ve just been doing stuff on “American Dad,” the comedy stuff and all that so I said, “Man, just get me in. I just gotta show people that I’m down, that I want to do this.”
