EXCLUSIVE: Chris O'Donnell: "Humanizes" Cats & Dogs

Cute actor Chris O'Donnell, who once went into action as Robin in a big Batman movie, was Kit Kittredge's dad and now hangs with L.L. Cool J in the popular TV series "NCIS: Los Angeles", plays a cop with a "talking" canine partner in the new 3D comic adventure film Cats & Dogs: The revenge of Kitty Galore.

TeenHollywood is kicking back with Chris in Marina del Rey, California to find out how he and his kids feel about the film, how he related to and worked with the cool German Shepherd who plays his partner Diggs (voiced by James Marsden) and how he juggles doing films and working on a hot TV show.

TeenHollywood: Did you do this film for your kids, or did you do it because you’re a pet person?

Chris: Mostly for the kids. We’re seeing everything that comes out, these days. If there’s a kid movie coming out, chances are that myself or my wife is taking the kids to the movie, or both of us. So, I did that Kit Kittredge movie a few years ago and had a great experience. My daughter was so excited, and I just thought, 'Let’s try to find another family film. If it works out, I would love to do one'. It was just a fun little part and it turned out much better than I ever expected. Now, I’m so thrilled for my kids to see it. This was not supposed to be 3-D when we made it and, all of a sudden, it’s a 3-D movie now.

TeenHollywood: Do your kids (he has 5 young ones) help you make your film choices now?

Chris: It’s funny but hey don’t. I’m not making a ton of choices right now because I’m so busy working on the TV show, but during my hiatus, I definitely will have the opportunity to do a film. I remember, when I was single, I would think, 'God, my mom is going to see this movie'. That was in the back of my head. Now it’s, 'My kids are going to see this'. It’s definitely something in the back of your head, for sure.

TeenHollywood: "NCIS: Los Angeles" is good for teens but gets a little rough for little kids doesn’t it?

Chris: Yeah but they’ve watched them all. There was one episode in a strip joint or something, so we skipped that one, but we can’t stop them. We TiVo it and then, as soon as they get home from school on Wednesday, the day after the show is on, they put it on. They love to watch it.

TeenHollywood: Did you do anything to bond with the dog that you worked with on this film?

Chris: No, other than going over and letting the dog smell you and scratch you a little bit. The dog is working. It’s like when you go to the airport and there’s a bomb-sniffing dog, and they say, 'Please don’t touch the dog'. They’re working. And then, they’ll be on a break and tell the dog to go lay down, and the dog lays down. Then, all of a sudden, they say, 'Okay, let’s go' and the dog is up and ready to go. The dog has no interest in you. Unless they say, 'Be interested in this guy', the dog doesn’t care. It wants to know what it’s doing next, for its next reward. It’s amazing.

TeenHollywood: Were there any scenes with the dog that were particularly challenging?

Chris: It was a lot easier than I expected. I thought we were going to be there forever and I was going to be going crazy. I think that I got lucky. A big German Shepard is a really intelligent dog. If you had the pigeons in the room, you might be pulling your hair out, or the cats, but I fortunately didn’t have to deal with those animals. It was in my contract [not really].

TeenHollywood: Were you familiar with officers who have a K-9 partner?

Chris: No. I actually know Jim Belushi, [an actor] who has done a couple of those movies, but I didn’t do any research. I didn’t ride along in a K-9 unit, or anything. It was pretty straightforward.

TeenHollywood: How did you explain a movie about talking animals to your younger kids?

Chris: Well, they’d seen the first one [Cats & Dogs, made in 2001 and out on video] so it was easy. I showed them that that was what we were going to do. But, the ones that are old enough to be interested in how it's done, understand, and the ones that aren’t couldn’t care less. They just want to know if I can give them some gum from my backpack.

TeenHollywood: Your poor director Brad Peyton had to work with animals, puppets, voice actors and CGI. How was working with him?

Chris: He’s great. He’s really good. I was impressed. It’s a big undertaking to do a film like this, for your first film, but he’s a really talented guy and he earned the respect of the crew really fast because he was really prepared, really specific and knew what he wanted to do. He’s very meticulous and patient, in just the way that he could do all these takes and stay focused on telling the story and know the right reaction from a dog.

TeenHollywood: Did he especially help in the scenes with you and the dog playing your partner Diggs?

Chris: Yeah. When I’m talking to him in the kennel and the dog reacts, you’re like, 'Oh, my god, that was actually a really great performance' and that’s attributed to the director, not the dog so much.

TeenHollywood: Are there any big changes coming up on "NCIS: Los Angeles"?

Chris: Yeah, there are some cast changes. I’ve got a good relationship with [creator] Shane [Brennan], and we talk about my character all the time. But, as far as adding people or removing people, I’ve got no say over that. I’m sure, if they wanted my opinion, they’d ask for it. And, to be honest, Shane doesn’t even have total say over that. That’s more of a network thing'.

TeenHollywood: Working on a show that’s so physical, do you ever just want to go on vacation during hiatus, instead of work on a film?

Chris: No. I’ve been around long enough to know that, if opportunity presents itself, you’ve got to take advantage of it. This first go around, I wasn’t so anxious because it takes some adjusting. All of a sudden, you’re working 10 months, which is longer than any film I’ve ever worked on, so I was ready to detox and just relax and hang out with my family. But, having just had an eight-week break, where I did everything I wanted to do, I was exhausted. I think I might be more refreshed, if I had actually gone to work for those eight weeks.

TeenHollywood: What do you hope that teens get out of seeing this film?

Chris: Just enjoyment and a good day at the movies. There’s no great message here. Obviously, the cats and dogs are working together, so you see that you can be friends with people you never thought you could be friends with. But, I think it’s just about having a good time and entertaining people.

TeenHollywood: So the film works for younger kids, teens and even parents?

Chris: It’s one of the few family movies that works for everybody. I know from experience. I see everything that comes out now, as far as kids' movies. With a lot of them, my kids will finish their popcorn and their slushee and they want to go home because even they don’t like the movie, and this was one where I wasn’t sitting there checking my email the whole time. It works on both levels, for the [teens], adults and for the kids.