Marc Maron and Craig Robinson star as Snake and Shark, respectively, in the new animated adventure THE BAD GUYS, in theatres April 22. The duo talked about the fun they had working on the film, favorite scenes, all about the book series, and more.
(from left) Shark (Craig Robinson) and Snake (Marc Maron) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel.
INTERVIEW Marc Maron and Craig Robinson of THE BAD GUYS
Do you have a favorite scene or line that you loved?
Craig Robinson: You know, we went back and forth laughing about, ‘I’m having a baby.’ So, it’s probably—it might be that. Even though I did some French accent stuff that was pretty high up there, but I think, when I would go to those high-pitch numbers, we couldn’t stop laughing. It was fun making those guys laugh in the booth. And then, you know, being silly with it. So, I’mma go ahead and just say, me as a pregnant woman.
(from left) Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Snake (Marc Maron) and Shark (Craig Robinson) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel.
What drew you to want to be a part of this?
Marc Maron: Well, for me, it was the fact that they wanted me to do it. So, that made it pretty easy. To be honest with you, not having children, I did not know the books. But I was given all the books and I looked at the books and I looked at the character and I read the script and I was definitely in. I could relate to that character. I could relate to the snake. And then, I was able to gift the books to somebody with kids. So, it all worked out.
Craig Robinson: I gifted, as well.
Marc Maron: You did?
Craig Robinson: To my nephew, yes.
Marc Maron: There you go.
Craig Robinson: And so, he’s looking forward to the movie coming out now. He had to grow into learning to read the books. They were a little advanced for him at first, and now he’s all through them, so.
Marc Maron: Oh, good.
Craig Robinson: And it’s exciting.
Marc Maron: That’s ‘cause it took years to finish this movie.
Craig Robinson: But now, I’m like Marc, I was, you know, all for the role. They pitched it to me, and they did a whole, beautiful pitch I got to see what the characters look like and, they were telling me the idea for the movie and some of the people involved and it was a no-brainer for me. I was, like, you had me at hello. And we, you know, it was a partnership from the very start.
Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel.
What are you hoping for young audiences to take away from your character, specifically?
Marc Maron: Well, for me, it feels like the thing they should take away is that even if we’re irritable and cranky and mad that, you know, you should always stay, you know, focused on your friendship and that, you know, it will most likely persevere. And sometimes, you know, you may not know what’s really going on, but it’ll still end up okay.
Craig Robinson: For my character, you know, you can have layers. You can be a gentle giant, but you, you know just, don’t mess with me. So, it’s okay to have both sides in your person, but you know, try to lean towards that gentler side. Okay. All right.
Craig Robinson voices Shark in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel.
How much opportunity there was improv for you two?
Marc Maron: They always encouraged it during the reads. I was fortunate enough to actually do a lot of scenes in person, with Sam Rockwell, and they’d let us go for a while and we’d find some stuff. But there’s always a part of certain scenes where they would encourage the improv. I imagine more with Craig.
Craig Robinson: We would get to improv. Funny thing about improving with animation, let’s say you’re doing one line and it, just like, you’re trying to give them a few different versions of the line. And what I would do is, I don’t know, if the line was take the bread outside. You know, you start going, take the bread outside, take the bread outside, take that damn bread outside. And then, you start going—not damn—but, you know, you start improvising around that line and then, it would—then it gets a laugh and then, they’re, “line!” oh, and then say this. So, it would, you know, this one line could turn into this crazy other line that would inform something else. So, yes, we definitely improvised and that was a horrible take the bread outside—was a horrible example, but I think you know what I mean.
Marc Maron: I think I got, but yes, it becomes a collaborative experience. Because they don’t always if know if you know, the script is the script and the story is in the script, but a lot of times, especially with comedic actors in an animation, there’s a lot of room to continue to evolve the script in real time.
If you could have been any other character, who would who have wanted to be and why?
Marc Maron: I think I would like to—I would have been—well, I enjoyed Piranha a lot, but I think, you know, Sam had the good role. The smooth role. You know, the straight guy role. The—you know, he didn’t have to yell or scream. Like, he used his regular voice. That was easy going. And, you know, I would have kind of liked that role, probably.
Craig Robinson: I probably would have gone for Piranha. He was hysterical.
Marc Maron: So funny.
Craig Robinson: He made me crack up. He was in — just, the singing, oh, it was beautiful.
(from left) Shark (Craig Robinson), Wolf (Sam Rockwell) and Snake (Marc Maron) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel.
If you could steal something fun and actually get away with it, what would it be?
Craig Robinson: Wow.
Marc Maron: Well, I kind of—
Craig Robinson: Have done that already?
Marc Maron: I would probably steal a Tesla. I mean, I could buy one, but I don’t seem to be doing it. But maybe if I could just steal one, I would own one now.
Craig Robinson: Mmm, mmm.
Marc Maron: What about you? Piano? Keyboard?
Craig Robinson: To steal—oh yes—I would—I guess—guess I would steal a keyboard. A nice, one of these high-end—
Marc Maron: Yes.
Craig Robinson: —I don’t know. And get away with it. That’s a great question. I don’t want to lose my stealing opportunity.
Marc Maron: I like free—I like free stuff.
Craig Robinson: A house.
Marc Maron: We kinda get free stuff. Like, if either of us really put any effort into it, we could probably get free stuff. That’s kinda like stealing.
Craig Robinson: I would steal Bitcoin if I could get away. Just give me, like 100 Bitcoin.
Marc Maron: Only if I knew what they were. I have no idea what they are.
Craig Robinson: I don’t know, either, but I know it’s worth Heaven.
Marc Maron: Yes. I don’t think—
(from left) Shark (Craig Robinson), Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Tarantula (Awkwafina), and Snake (Marc Maron) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel.
Do you believe that people can change their behavior?
Marc Maron: Yes. I would hope so. I would like to think I’ve changed. Or at least I’ve been able to stifle the worst part of me. I do think people can change, even if it’s, you know, to tell themselves not to do things. I totally believe that people can change. If you act differently enough, it’ll stick.
Craig Robinson: It takes 22 days—21 days to break a habit. What is it? Twenty-two days to make something a habit, and then 21 days after that to—I forget. But, yes, the answer is yes.
Marc Maron: That’s a short time. I have habits I haven’t been able to shake for 55 years.
Craig Robinson: But have you attempted?
Marc Maron: No, ‘cause they’re fun. I like them.
Craig Robinson: Well, there you go.
Tarantula (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel.
In your words, what is the message of the movie?
Marc Maron: From my point of view, the message is a lot about, you know, judgment, you know, not judging people on one thing, or one behavior, or whatever you’re projecting on to them. But also, I think it has a lot to do with friendship and loyalty and some of the other stuff. You know, people changing and whatnot.
Craig Robinson: I agree. Friendship is a strong current in this one. And, even when it looks like, well I don’t want to give away much, but yes, friendship.
From left: Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel.
Did you guys record together a lot, since it’s kind of, like an ensemble and you’re playing off of one another? Or did you do most of it by yourselves?
Marc Maron: I was able to record with Sam quite a bit. You know, the scenes that Craig and I had, I don’t think we recorded those together. But they’re pretty funny—around the push pop stuff. But Rockwell and I did a lot of work around the more delicate, friendship stuff, you know, in the bunk bed scene and some of the stuff where I didn’t know if I could trust him anymore. They seemed to really want that to be grounded in something. And we kind of knew it—each other, and I think it was a good idea. But we met in person a couple of times during COVID and also we did work on Zoom together around those scenes mostly.
Craig Robinson: I was solo, in the booth. I was working with Pierre and one of the producers and then we would, you know, throw jokes back and forth like I was saying, and so, I didn’t work with any of the cast until we did a table read on Zoom.
(from left) Tiffany Fluffit (Lilly Singh) and Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel.
Speaking of the push pop, is there something you have, like, you could never share, or you have the hardest time sharing with a friend?
Marc Maron: Yes. Most everything. I’ve gotten better at sharing. I’m almost 60. So, it’s taken a while. But, you know, I generally, like, I don’t love to share, but there’s something—it’s usually is around food. You know, I don’t want to share my food until I’m full.
Craig Robinson: I actually had a sharing moment this weekend. I was in San Diego. I was performing comedy. I was backstage. And, like a couple of items had come and they were trying to give them to me, and I was like, no, give them to the other comics first. Let them be taken care of.
Marc Maron: What was it, food?
Craig Robinson: It was. It was food and some tea.
Marc Maron: See, you let —
Craig Robinson: I needed all of it, but I was, like, you know what, here. There’s more.
Marc Maron: Yes.
Craig Robinson: Boom. Go ahead. You all go ahead first. Marc Maron: What a guy. What a heart. Go ahead and have some tea.
Craig Robinson: But as far as something I would not share? Mmm, mmm, mmm, yes, probably my ideas.
Marc Maron: Mmm. I share a lot of stuff. He shares a lot of stuff. We’re, you know, we’re not monsters.
About The Bad Guys
Nobody has ever failed so hard at trying to be good as The Bad Guys.
After a lifetime of legendary heists, notorious criminals Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark, and Ms. Tarantula are finally caught. To avoid a prison sentence, the animal outlaws must pull off their most challenging con yet—becoming model citizens. Under the tutelage of their mentor, Professor Marmalade, the dubious gang sets out to fool the world that they’re turning good.
Universal Studios’ THE BAD GUYS races into theatres on April 22nd.
- Finding Calm in the City That Never Sleeps - September 24, 2025
- Different Reasons to Consider Using a Therapist in New York - March 12, 2025
- Is a Micro Wedding the Dream You Didn’t Know You Had? - February 14, 2025
Leave a Reply