The weekends on All Things Considered series Movies I've Seen A Million Times features filmmakers, actors, writers and directors talking about the movies that they never get tired of watching.
Actor Gillian Anderson's credits include the TV shows The X-Files and The Fall — which premieres on Netflix on May 28. The movie she could watch a million times is the animated film Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.
Interview Highlights
On why she has seen Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa so many times
"As happens when you have youngsters, there are certain films that they watch and they can watch it, you know, a hundred million times. It was Cars for a while and then it was Kung Fu Panda, but I have to say that one of the ones that I always sit down for to watch with them is Madagascar 2."
On why she loves the movie
"To me it is one of the funniest movies ever made — funnier than Woody Allen, funnier than ... I can't believe I just said that. I cannot stop laughing when I see this film and I don't know how many times I've heard some of these jokes but they just bring a smile to my face."
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Transcript
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
JACKI LYDEN, HOST:
On this show, we've been asking actors and filmmakers about the movies they never get tired of watching, including this one from one of the stars of "The X-Files."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I LIKE TO MOVE IT")
ERICK MORILLO: (Singing) I like to move it, move it. You like to move it.
GILLIAN ANDERSON: My name is Gillian Anderson. I am an actress. And the movie that I have chosen - because I have seen it at least 10 million times - is "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and has the voices of Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer and Bernie Mac and Alec Baldwin and many, many more.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I LIKE TO MOVE IT")
MORILLO: (Singing) Physically fit, physically fit, physically, physically, physically fit. Woman. Physically fit.
ANDERSON: As happens when you have youngsters, there are certain films that they watch, and they can watch it, you know, 100 million times and that you - it was "Cars" for a while, and it was "Kung Fu Panda," but I have to say that one of the ones that I always sit down for to watch with them is "Madagascar 2." To me, it is one of the funniest movies ever made, funnier than Woody Allen. Funnier than - I can't believe I just said that.
First of all, Sacha Baron Cohen plays King Julien who is - he's a lemur. He's absolutely hysterical and inappropriate.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA")
SACHA BARON COHEN: (as Julien) In-flight slave.
CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER: (as Maurice) Can I help you, Mr. Mankiewicz?
COHEN: (as Julien) Bring me my nuts on a silver platter.
ANDERSON: So Jada Pinkett-Smith plays Gloria who is a hippo, and Chris Rock plays Marty who is a zebra. David Schwimmer plays Melman who is a very funny, paranoid giraffe who's in love with Gloria.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA")
DAVID SCHWIMMER: (as Melman) Gloria, I just want you to know, back at the zoo, it was never the doctors or the prescriptions that kept me going. It was always you.
ANDERSON: They've ended up somewhere, I guess, in Africa and are trying to escape Africa to get back to New York. But the plane crashes, and they end up, literally, in the middle of the bush...
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA")
BEN STILLER: (as Alex) I know this place. I think it's Africa.
ANDERSON: ...and are seeing the beauty of Africa for the first time and are surrounded by other animals.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA")
STACY FERGUSON: (as Hippo girlfriend) I think Moto Moto likes you.
ANDERSON: Gloria, the hippo, gets approached by Moto Moto who is played by Will.I.Am and has the most disturbing and fantastic song that's being played as he's approaching.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA")
WILL.I.AM: (as Moto Moto) (Singing) I like 'em plumpy. I like 'em round.
ANDERSON: And he's saying things to her like, you are plumping, you are huge, you know, and it's so - it's - there's something so disturbing and fantastic about that song.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA")
WILL.I.AM: (as Moto Moto) Girl, you as quick as you are hefty.
JADA PINKETT-SMITH: (as Gloria) So you're Moto Moto.
WILL.I.AM: (as Moto Moto) The name's so nice when you say it twice.
ANDERSON: I cannot stop laughing when I see this film. And I don't know how many times I've heard some of these jokes, but they just bring a smile to my face.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I LIKE TO MOVE IT")
WILL.I.AM: (Singing) I like to move it, move it, I like to move it, move it, I like to move it, move it, we like to move it.
LYDEN: That's actress Gillian Anderson talking about the movie she could watch a million times, "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa." Anderson's new crime series, "The Fall," premieres on Netflix Tuesday.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I LIKE TO MOVE IT")
WILL.I.AM: (Singing) Just like it's Mardi Gras 'cause that's what life is for, yeah, and we don't party hardly, no, we just party hard, yeah, and not because we bored, no, we party 'cause we born to party.
LYDEN: This is NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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