A conversation with Kate Hudson about her first animated voice role as Mei Mei in Kung Fu Panda 3

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Last November, a few select bloggers and I interviewed Kate Hudson at an intimate roundtable discussion at at DreamWorks Animation in Burbank after a lovely lunch. The event was hosted by 20th Century Fox & DreamWorks Animation to promote the movie KUNG FU PANDA 3.

In KUNG FU PANDA 3, Po’s long-lost panda father suddenly reappears. The reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters, including Mei Mei, voiced by Kate Hudson. Mei Mei’s character is bold, funny and creative. She is a panda who is crazy, confident and a singularly focused ribbon dancer. With the help of Po and Tigress, she takes her inner girl power to the next level.

Here are some highlights from the interview with Kate Hudson:

What Kate Hudson Loves About KUNG FU PANDA 3

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“What I love about this one is that it just feels like it’s definitely heightened, grander experience.  The animation is amazing.  It’s beautiful.  And it’s really funny. And it’s nice that Po gets to see who he is and where he comes from–and the other pandas.  And it’s really fun being a panda, especially Mei Mei.”

Kate Hudson on Her First Experience Voicing an Animated Character

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“This is the first time I had really done anything animated.  So, you kind of wonder how far you’re supposed to push things because it’s really vocally what you’re pushing. We just had to be so big and so huge.  And it was so much fun to do in a booth where you just got to like go there, and you go so far that you end up cracking yourself up.  And so, we all had a lot of good laughs with this one. It was really fun. You’re definitely pushing more.  You don’t have to worry about how far you take something.  Sometimes you take it further for the voice-over stuff. And then, you get to play with things, which is really fun.”

I’m very excited about my nunchuck sounds.  My Ninja sounds were really fun.

Are there similarities between Kate Hudson and Mei Mei the Panda?

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“It depends on who I’m hanging out with.  If it’s my girlfriends, they might see a lot of Mei Mei.  But, no, I would say she is so fun.  I like to put on a show, that’s for sure. I like to be big, although I learned how to reel that back in my life.”

Watch Kate Hudson channel her “inner Mei Mei” on Instagram!

What Kate Hudson thinks is special about KUNG FU PANDA 3

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“We’re finally getting to see more pandas. I think the one thing that’s going to be great is we’re going to see Po learn about who he really is. I think there’s going to be a lot of children out there who are going to relate to that–if not, be able to empathize with what that must feel like. It’s a real coming-of-age story…Po’s really coming into himself and connecting to his true nature.  I love that about this one.  And the adventure is really great, and the villain is really hilarious.”

Group photo from the event

KFP3-KateHudson-Group_smBloggers and Influencers from the roundtable discussion with Kate Hudson at DreamWorks Animation (Image source: DreamWorks Animation)

FREE KUNG FU PANDA 3 Coloring and Activity Pages

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Click here for CONNECT THE DOTS
Click here for COLORING PAGES
Click here for MAZES

KUNG FU PANDA 3 in theaters January 29, 2016

By DreamWorks Animation

Visit the Official Site
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Directed By: Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni
Produced By: Melissa Cobb
Starring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Randall Duk Kim, Bryan Cranston, J. K. Simmons, Kate Hudson

Disclosure: I attended a media event for this film and did not receive monetary compensation for this post. Images from this post are provided by and used with permission from DreamWorks Animation. All opinions are my own.

Enter Real Mom of SFV‘s DVD Giveaway of Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2! Click here: http://www.realmomofsfv.com/2016/01/18/pandainsiders-dvd-contest-to-win-kung-fu-panda-1-and-2/

westsidemommy

I am a new mom to a baby girl. I live in West Los Angeles. This blog is about my experiences as a new mom and navigating my way through kid-friendly L.A.

3 thoughts on “A conversation with Kate Hudson about her first animated voice role as Mei Mei in Kung Fu Panda 3

  1. What a fun experience!! You are quite the VIP, Miss Ruby! 😉 I must admit I’ve never seen the first two KFP movies but I think C would really enjoy them, too! He’s been getting a kick out the panda billboards around town!

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