SWEET TOOTH WILL ARNETT VOICES

Sweet Tooth is one of the most iconic video game characters in history. What is it about him that makes him so beloved?

He’s got a cool name, first of all. But I find that even people who aren’t heavy-duty gamers know Sweet Tooth. He’s an insane killer clown who drives an ice cream truck, so he kind of sticks with people. He’s crazy, but at the same time, he’s kind of funny! He’s such an iconic character that it took two actors to play him. We’ve seen psychotic characters before, and even psychotic clowns. But, maybe I’ll regret saying this, he’s, like, a fun psycho.

What was it like putting a voice to another actor’s physical performance? Was it difficult? It was really weird. It was a lot more challenging than I thought it was going to be and a lot different from doing an animated film. Usually, I lay down the voice, and the animators animate to that. For Twisted Metal, I got to watch Samoa Joe every day, physically embodying Sweet Tooth, and I tried to capture what he was doing with my voice. It’s like collaborating with another actor in a way I never had before. It was a challenge—getting it right took a minute.

What’s surprising about Sweet Tooth and the show, in general, is that there is actually a layer of humanity underneath all of the ultra-violence and comedy. You think of Sweet Tooth as this killer clown, but you realize that what got him to where he is explains a lot. There are these moments when John and Quiet understand a little bit about where Sweet Tooth is coming from, and they reach an understanding with him. Like a lot of people, he just wants to be heard and appreciated.

There are a lot of shows out there that do a great job of depicting a post-apocalyptic world. Hopefully, what sets us apart is that our show is really fun. You have these moments of insane violence and even humanity, but you also have a lot of big laughs.

As an actor, you must try to find interesting angles when approaching playing a character. What angle did you find with Sweet Tooth? I always look for things about a character that make me laugh. With Sweet Tooth, it’s the fact that he has this sort of psycho ADD. He can be compassionate and gracious one moment and in the next, murdering somebody! There’s an unpredictability to him.