The live-action Lilo & Stitch remake is a nostalgia trip for many viewers, but for Courtney B. Vance and his family, it’s more like a shot at redemption. Vance has two children born in 2006, but in an interview with ComicBook, he revealed that they never watched Lilo & Stitch because they were frightened of the animated aliens. When Vance was offered the role of Agent Cobra Bubbles nearly two decades later, he says his family implored him to take it — in part as a chance to face their fears and overcome them. That means Vance came into the movie blind, unlike many other fans who have a personal history with this story. That gives him an interesting perspective on the whole tale.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“I was told by my family I had to do it, because our twins were little when the movie first came out, and they were afraid of Stitch,” the actor explained. “The Stitch characters scared them, so we didn’t watch it. These animated films — when you have little ones, you watch them six, seven times — this one we didn’t watch. If it was Cars or any of the other movies like that at the time, I’d have been all in it! But I came into this as a newbie, and was brought into the Stitch world, and the Hawaii shooting of the movie world, and was embraced by everyone. It was a pleasure.”
Vance takes on a fan-favorite role previously voiced by Ving Rhames, though the character has changed a bit between these two versions. In the original, Bubbles was the social worker assigned to assess Nani’s guardianship over Lilo and determine if the household was a safe place for her. In this remake, Bubbles is a federal agent sent to track down Stitch, while the social worker role has been filled by Mrs. Kekoa. Kekoa is played by Tia Carrere, the actress who voiced Nani in the original.
[RELATED: First Lilo & Stitch Reactions Tout Heart & Humor: “One of the Best Live-Action Disney Remakes”]
Lilo & Stitch was released in 2002, so it was already a certified hit when Vance’s twins were born in 2006. At the time, Lilo & Stitch: The Series was just wrapping up its run on TV, and the direct-to-video sequel had just been released the previous year. The movie would have been practically unavoidable for kids growing up at the time, yet it sounds like Vance’s kids managed to dodge the terror for almost two decades.
Vance married actress Angela Bassett in 1997, and their twins are the only children the two of them have. Vance brought their daughter, Bronwyn, along to the premiere with him last week, though the whole family often steps out for red carpet events together. We’ll have to follow-up to find out how the twins felt when they finally saw Stitch’s adventure in a new format.
Lilo & Stitch hits theaters everywhere on Friday, May 23rd. The original movie is streaming now on Disney+.
Most Viewed
-
20th Television Animation -
Image courtesy of HBO Max
