Disclaimer- We received a copy of Penguins of Madagascar as part of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders Blogger Program but all opinions are 100% our own.

July 23, 2014 – Source: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America)

My girls and I were so excited to have the opportunity last week to be a part of a phone interview with actor, Tom McGrath who plays the penguin character, Skipper, on all of the Madagascar movies including the newest, Penguins of Madagascar.  It was a fun interview which started with Tim speaking as himself.  Each blogger or their child asked Tim a question.  Here’s a bit of what we found out:
Tom was not supposed to do the voice of Skipper.  He originally pitched the characters of the penguins to the studio and he did the voice temporarily until they could get other actors to play the actual characters.  Everyone got so used to Tom doing the voice of Skipper that it just kind of stuck and he became Skipper.  He based the voice on Robert Stacks and Charleston Heston and pulled from several 50’s tough guy style actors.  Tom’s favorite part about being Skipper is being able to get behind a microphone and be a goofball.  It’s all pretend and make-believe without a camera being on him so it’s lots of fun.  Playing Skipper was a great alter-ego for Tom because he used to be soft spoken but playing Skipper helped him open up his voice.  It also helped him be a better director by being on the other side of the microphone this time as the actor instead of the director and learning what it’s like on the other side.  His favorite Madagascar movie is the 3rd one because it was a lot of fun and had a great villain.  He liked that in the 3rd movie the penguins owned a circus and had a lot of money.  The goal with all the Madagascar movies is for both adults and children to enjoy the movies together and everyone would enjoy them.  

Once Time was finished asking questions, Skipper came on the phone and answered our questions.  My girls were all smiles during the whole conversation.  Skipper said being the leader means taking care of his team.  The leader needs to keep the group together.  He was asked how he maintain his cover with all the media publicity surrounding the Madagascar movies and he said he didn’t want to blow his cover to us or anyone else so he refused to answer that question.  LOL  He said there is a snow leopard uprising in Tibet so the penguins would be on it saving the world from some type of debacle!  He hopes to have a reunion with Alex, Melman, and the rest of the Madagascar crew.  

LOS ANGELES, CA – They’re cute…they’re cuddly…they’re back!  From the creators of MADAGASCAR comes the hilarious new movie that proves global espionage is for the birds!  In DreamWorks’ PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, your favorite super-spies—Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private—join forces with the elite North Wind team to save the world.  It’s a side-splitting, globe-trotting adventure the whole family will love!  Introduce the Penguin family to your family on March 17 when Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment releases DreamWorks’ PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR on Blu-ray™ and DVD.

And for a limited time, get 2 hopping Penguin toys only with the DreamWorks’ PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR Easter DVD and Blu-ray™ pack on March 17 making it the perfect gift for Easter baskets.

PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR is “a fun, smartly conceived film that will appeal to all movie-goers,” proclaims Bill Bregoli of CBS Radio. A hit with audiences and critics alike, the film received an outstanding audience reaction with a coveted “A-” CinemaScore® and certified fresh on RottenTomatoes.com.

Directed by Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smith, PENGUINS OF MADAGASCARfeatures the voice talents of John Malkovich (“Crossbones” Red 2), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), and Ken Jeong (The Hangover), joiningTom McGrath, Chris Miller and Christopher Knights, who are reprising their roles as the Penguins from the beloved Madagascar franchise.

The Blu-ray™ and DVD feature hours of bonus materials that uncover the covert operations of the PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR including several exclusive featurettes, a deleted scene, a music video by Pitbull, a dance tutorial by tWitch, and more.