Ming-Na Wen Talks Pencils Vs. Pixels and Her New Animated Character

Ming-Na Wen is known for an array of roles, but many fans knew her first as the voice of Mulan. Wen has gone on to voice the Disney character in multiple projects in addition to various other voice roles. Currently, you can hear her lend her voice to the new film Pencils Vs. Pixels, a documentary about animation’s switch from 2D to 3D. Not only does Wen narrate the film, but there’s also an animated version of her that shows up in the end credits. ComicBook.com recently had the chance to chat with Wen about the project, and she explained how she got involved and revealed what she thinks of her animated self. 

“Well, I’m good friends with one of the creators and producers of it, Tom Bancroft. We go way back to our days of putting Disney’s Mulan together. And he has a twin brother, Tony, who helped to direct it as well, Mulan anyways. And I’m on the board of their studio Pencilish. So I just love 2D and when he asked me if I could help out, I didn’t hesitate,” Wen shared.

“You know what, I did not negotiate for that,” Wen said when asked if she got to keep any art of her animated self. “Yes, I’m going to text him as soon as we’re done with this interview. No, I completely trust his abilities. He’s such an incredible artist. And I just got giddy every time I saw the different versions of her. And I’m like, ‘I wish I had beautiful hair, big, big, big hair.’”

Wen continued, “But what I really loved was the very end, there’s a little tag thing where animated me and Tom, we do a cute little skit and it turned out great. I was so happy that it actually was funny.” 

You can watch our interview with Wen at the top of the page. 

What Is Pencils Vs Pixels About?

You can read the official description of Pencils Vs Pixels here: “Pencils Vs Pixels is a celebration of the unique magic of 2D hand-drawn animation and an exploration of how the Disney Renaissance of the late 1980s and early 1990s led to an animation boom that was quickly upended by the computer animation revolution that followed. Narrated by Ming-Na Wen, Pencils Vs Pixels features many of the legendary artists who brought these now-classic films to life as they guide us through the last few decades of animation and into the future that’s yet to come.” 

Pencils Vs Pixels is now available to rent on various streaming platforms.