Thats what it felt like with Parker.
Parker is the 2-year-old golden retriever who plays Enzo, his costar inRacing in the Rain.
Voiced byKevin Costner, the canine is the best pal of Ventimiglias character, Denny.
Credit: Doane Gregory/Fox
How good was the chemistry?
(And dont underestimate the power of a tennis ball with a piece of chicken in it.)
Ventimiglia needed no bribes: I made a new friend.
If Parker didnt have a home, Id [have brought] him home with me.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: The famous quip is to never act opposite dogs or children.
Here, you do both.
Were pushing our boundaries.
It had magic without it feeling like it was trying to push the magic.
Can you tell me more about the dogs playing Enzo and what working with them was like?
It wasnt as challenging as people imagine it to be.
[Dogs are] reading and picking up off of our emotions and emotional state because theyre instinctual animals.
It was just communicating with trainers and making sure we were always aligned.
Thats pretty much what we did.
I spent a lot of time with the dogs before we started filming.
They both had different personalities.
Parker is a 2-year-old, [and] hes the most zen soul Ive ever seen in my life.
So calm, so sweet, so relaxed.
Is there one in particular you bonded with more than others?Parker.
There were moments where he would pick up on what I was feeling.
If Parker didnt have a home, I wouldve brought him home with me.
Your character is obsessed with two things: dogs and cars.
So I know what my life is, and having room for a dog is tough.
Should we be worried Enzo might inspire similar devotion in this character?
Which is really beautiful.
Theres a lot that the audience is going to learn from Enzos point of view.
But he still has to intellectualize everything for himself.
Hes not having conversations with Enzo, but Enzo is directly talking to the audience.
Its companionship and its love and its understanding, but at the end, its Enzo who saves Denny.
Our dog onThis Is Usruns in and out of the room.
There wasnt a whole lot of interaction that I had with that pooch.
Parker and Butler settled right into it, and they just knew.
He had to hang limp in my arms when I pick him up and carry him.
I always needed a scene partner.
If I were a dog, and I want to pick someone to voice my dogs thoughts?
Thats easy, me.
Its definitely going to move some people to tears.
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