So what was your reaction when you were first cast as Kristoff?
Jonathan Groff: When I auditioned for it, I felt like the odds were so small. It’s really about the sound of your voice, and you have to record something with a million other people. So when it finally happened, it felt completely surreal. Even seeing it was surreal.
My parents knew how much Disney meant to me growing up. When Disney rereleased Snow White in theaters, after it was over, I cried as my mom was pulling me out of the aisle. I was like, “I want to go back in! I want to see it again!”
She’s going to hate that I’m telling this story, but I asked her every day to see it again. She said it was expensive, so we would wait until it comes out on video. Then Disney vaulted Snow White for about 10 years, right during that prime time. She tried to show me Sleeping Beauty, and I was like, “This is not Snow White! This is not what I remember seeing.” (laughs) It’s actually one of my earliest childhood memories.
So how does Frozen stack up to that classic movie?
Jonathan Groff: It’s not even a dream come true; it’s more than that. It didn’t seem like being a voice in a Disney movie would ever happen. But even behind that, when I saw the film, I felt so lucky to be a part of this one. It has all the elements of the classic Disney movies, but it is also so progressive in what it’s saying to all the young people, as well as the older people who have grown up with the classic Disney movies. The lesson that little kids are going to get from watching this movie is so important. It’s such a major shift from what we’re used to seeing in the traditional Disney movies. So I feel so lucky to be a part of this one.
The movie shows that even though you might hit it off with someone right away, and it seems right on paper, it’s not necessarily the right relationship for you. I feel like that’s a lesson I’m still learning. It’s such a great thing to be passing onto the next generation. Since Disney has such a wide audience, it can inform morals for a lot of kids. So I feel more excited to be sending out those messages in this way, than I do about being a voice of a Disney character, and I’m really excited about that.
In the scene where you were singing with your guitar, how did you come up with the reindeer voice?
Jonathan Groff: That was in the script. The very first day I got there, they said, “With this song, we’re thinking of having you do this crazy voice.” We work shopped a lot of different sounds.
But one of my favorite things about this guy is that he’s not typical, in the way that Anna’s the typical leading lady. She has a quirkier sensibility, and he’s the same way. Hans is more of the skinny jeans, classic prince. Meanwhile, Kristoff’s a thicker guy who lives alone, and talks to himself in a reindeer voice, as a grown man. But I love that about him, and I thought that was really endearing. I loved doing that crazy voice, and we laughed a lot when we were recording it. It’s surreal to have conversations with yourself, but it was fun.
How comforting was it that half the cast has been in musicals?
Jonathan Groff: All of them do have musical backgrounds; even Kristen has a theater background. It’s really cool, and I feel really proud to be a part of this group in this movie that has a serious theater background. I feel like this animated work lends itself well to the people who come from the theater, as there’s a lot of improv.
Developing a movie like this is a lot like developing a Broadway musical. There are a lot of rewriters, and you have to think on your feet. You have to make big choices to see if they work or not, and not be afraid of doing something that’s completely wrong. So I think it was smart of Disney to get a theater troop in there. I feel like that suits our skills.
Is it easier to do a voice-over, as opposed to a live-action film?
Jonathan Groff: I think they each have their own sense of challenges. This one’s challenge for the actors is to tell the entire story through your voice. There’s so much action in the movie that you have to move around to get your voice to sound the way it would if you were in a blizzard. It’s like you’re five-years-old again, yelling in your room.
The great continuity for the actors was the co-writers and directors, Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. They showed us stills, and talked us through everything. They would emotionally keep you invested in what was happening now. So we relied on, and completely trusted in, them to keep it all together.
You’re friends with Lea Michele, one of your co-stars from Glee. What was her reaction when she found out you would be appearing in Frozen?
Jonathan Groff: She was really excited. I’m actually filming a television show in San Francisco right now. We had our screening for the film a few weeks ago in L.A., so I flew down. They were going to put me up in a hotel, but I stayed with Lea instead. They gave me the Kristoff doll when I was there, so I brought that home and showed her. She was so excited.
Have you told Lea any spoilers about the film?
Jonathan Groff: No, I haven’t told her any spoilers; I wanted to keep it a surprise for her. She knows Idina as well (from Glee), and she also knows Kristen from the whole entertainment world. I went with her to see Josh Gad in The Book of Mormon. So she’s pumped to see it.
What’s the television show that you’re working on?
Jonathan Groff: It’s called Looking, and it’s going to be on HBO. It starts airing on January 19, after Girls. It’s about a group of gay guys living in San Francisco. We shot the whole thing on location, and we just wrapped season one. There’s going to be eight episodes.
That concludes our interview, but we’d like to thank Jonathan Groff for taking the time to speak with us. Make sure to catch Frozen when it hits theaters on November 27.