Luenell Plays Shrunken Head in Hotel Transylvania

 

Luenell is so cool she, like several other celebrities, can go by only her first name.

The comedienne, best known for her raunchy standup routines, is also a bonafide actress who has credits that include: Borat, Katt Williams American Hustle, I Hate You Dad with Adam Sandler, Think Like A Man, The Middle, Always Sunny In Philadelphia and more.

On Sept. 28, the hilarious comedienne’s voice can be heard in the 3D animated comedy, Hotel Transylvania, starring Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, CeeLo Green and Selena Gomez.  In the movie, she plays a shrunken head. Yeah, that’s right, a shrunken head. The movie is rated PG.

This movie is targeted to anyone gearing up for Halloween.  Here’s the story: The storyline is that Dracula owns a lavish resort where monsters go to relax without human interference, on one special weekend, he invites some of his best friends (Frankenstein & his wife, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Werewolf family and more) to come celebrate his daughter Mavis's 118th birthday. But the fly in the ointment is when a human guy wanders into Hotel Transylvania and has a crush on Mavis, which is not something that Dracula favors. 

LUENELL

I caught up Luenell to talk about the film and her career.

DD:   Given your comedy which is not PG, how did you come to do the voice of a shrunken head for a children’s film?

L: Because I don’t have Tourette’s syndrome and I’m not crazy. That doesn’t mean I can’t do the job that is set before me. People are so short-sighted and they pigeonhole you and stereotype you and think that’s all that you can do. That’s not all I can do. I’m glad that Adam Sandler has given me a chance to showcase that.

DD: Tell us about your character – the shrunken head.

L: I don’t want to give up too much of the storyline. I’m just one of many fantastic characters in this film. I know people say it abou their films all the time, but this film is truly amazing. It took eight years to draw it.  It’s also in 3D. How fantastic is that?  It’s a romantic comedy in animated 3D. It’s all for the family. There is something for everyone.

 Characters from Hotel Transylvania

DD: Have you seen the final product yet?

L: Actually, I have not. There have been screenings, but I’ve been on the road doing my standup. But, I’ll see it with my boyfriend this upcoming week.  I gotta pay to go see my own movie. They didn’t have a premiere for the movie, they had a screening, but I was on the road.

DD: You voice a shrunken head. How many voices did you go through before you found the right one to use.

L: Well, you know the director is there and he knows what he wants to hear and what he wants. It’s good to be able to take direction. I can take direction. You know he can just tell me what he wants. I give them what they want.

DD:  Did you change your voice at all?

L: I had to alter my voice a bit. But, even when I do that my fans know it’s my voice. I got an ok on it so I guess I must have done OK.

DD: When are you going to do a set in LA?

L: I have a show coming up in LA at the Hollywood Park Casino with Denise LaSalle. I’m hosting. It’s part of the Hollywood Park Jazz Series. It’s on October 6.

DD: Anything else?

L: I have a project out next month on Oct. 5. It’s the sequel to the Liam Neeson movie, Taken II. They’ve done a sequel and I’m blessed to be a part of it. Taken was a big action film.  I’m also doing a movie directed and written by my good friend Nick Cannon. It’s called School Dance. It’s going to be a blockbuster. It has Kevin Hart, Katt Williams and Mike Epps. It’s so funny!

Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4RK3jY7AVk