What Wallace and Gromit actor really looks like and 'trigger' word that gets him into character

Even though British actor Ben Whitehead has been the voice of Wallace for over a decade, he was very nervous about staring as the titular protagonist in the new : Vengeance Most Fowl film.

After British actor Peter Sallis’ retirement, who was the voice of Wallace in the Academy Award-winning Wallace & Gromit films, followed by his death in 2017 aged 96, Whitehead, 47, took over the role having filled in for him in Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures, a series of One adverts which aired in 2008, and later performed as Wallace in Wallace & Gromit’s Musical Marvels at The BBC Proms and Jubilee Bunt-a-thon.

"The most exciting thing is when you see your first bit of animation, where they have started filming and put your voice to it. I was very nervous about doing this job. I was really nervous and excited because it was a big undertaking,” says Whitehead when speaking to PA.

"It was a feature film, and you’re thinking, ‘God, am I doing it right?’ And you don’t have a cast of actors there with you to help you calm down when you’re feeling hysterical. It was a daunting prospect. So nothing specifically stands out. The whole thing was just really, really exciting.

"When you see that first animation, you realise it’s got nothing to do with me. Well, that’s not quite true, but usually it’s not. Why was I so worried? I’m not the genius here. The animators putting this together are. Everyone working on this film is doing much more than I am, working millisecond by millisecond, and just creating this amazing thing. That’s the most exciting, fun part when you start to see the fruits."

In a separate interview with Digital Spy, Whitehead reveals the apt 'trigger' word that helps him get into character as Wallace. "In terms of trying to capture Peter's voice from before, I obviously do listen back to those and see what has gone on before, which I've been doing since I was a young boy watching A Grand Day Out," Whitehead explained to the publication.

"Now, the journey to work is good for me as I can sit on a train and watch the Wallace & Gromit films and have a real laugh and get into character. For me, 'cheese' is definitely the trigger word to help me get into character. I was also coached by Andrea Hazel Lewis who took the time to look at Peter's voice and the character of Wallace. For example, Wallace sometimes protrudes his tongue a little bit, so you can do a similar thing when voicing him."

Whitehead was a fan as a kid, and used to do the odd voices, accents and impressions. So he was glad to get a call from a friend in Bristol who was working with Aardman Animations at the time and needed reading actors to cast for the new film. "I had to get down there in two hours. I don’t think I’ve hung up the phone that quickly before, and luckily I was in the West Country. It was a good example of why it’s important to stay in contact with your good friends and be in the right place at the right time. Your friends and contacts are so important to you as an actor," says Whitehead.

"I did a read, and it just so happened that I could do the voice. I never auditioned to do the voice of Wallace. They kept me on as a reading actor and then eventually, I sort of understudied Peter Sallis. It’s certainly developed over the years, and they’ve given me the time to do that, which I’m extremely grateful for."

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, is a brand new feature-length film that will premiere on BBC One and BBC this Christmas. It was directed by BAFTA Award-winning English filmmaker and animator Nick Park, 65, who created Wallace & Gromit, Shaun The Sheep, Chicken Run, Early Man, and Creature Comforts, and BAFTA Award-winning director and animator Merlin Crossingham, who in 2009 took on the role of creative director for Wallace & Gromit.

As the eccentric, cheese-loving inventor Wallace becomes over-dependent on his inventions, his best friend and loyal pooch, Gromit, develops growing concerns that prove to be justified when Wallace invents a ‘smart gnome’ that seems to develop an evil mind of its own. But who or what could be the cause? As events begin to spiral out of control, it’s up to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces, or Wallace may never be able to invent again.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Christmas Day

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