With each film, I'm trying to find something different. Fortunately, with Stuart Little, I was able to - playing the mother of a mouse is about as different as you can get.
I remember loving the E.B. White book as a child. The story is something any kid can relate to - when we're growing up, we all feel like misfits. That's the theme of both the book and the movie - that everyone deserves to be loved no matter what they look like on the outside. My problem was the opposite of Stuart's - I always thought I was too tall.
It's who you are on the inside that counts, which is the sweetest of messages. Though the movie has been noted for its remarkable computer effects - the creation of Stuart himself - it's that core idea which has made it such a hit.
I guess they picked me because I've done unusual things in the past - Beetlejuice, The Fly - films that contain something a little bit odd. But nothing could really prepare me for this job. The character of Stuart was only added after Hugh Laurie and I had finished our bits.
Sometimes we would just look at each other and say, "What exactly are we doing?" - acting out dramatic scenes with our "child" when there was nothing physically there. If anything, it makes you realise as an actor how dependent you are on your fellow performers. Especially when you're playing to thin air.
I love how cute the movie is now that it's finished, that they could create something so completely life-like. For a while I even thought about getting a mouse of my own. But I shouldn't say that - people will start sending me them in the mail.
