Brady Noon AS RAPH

What were your experiences with TMNT growing up before you got this role?

BRADY NOON: Growing up, I was a huge fan of Turtles. I watched the 2012 version on Nickelodeon, so that was my jam. Now being able to be a part of it is just a dream come true.

because they just wanted to see more of my personality. When you’re recording your voice, you can kind of get a “character” coming through. I think casting wanted to see who the kid behind the voice would be. But it was also really silly because they asked us to do 30 seconds of dancing. I just remember thinking, when are they ever going to use this? Why do they need to see me dance for a cartoon? But I busted a move, and now here I am as Leonardo. It was the dancing that did it!

Are we going to see Leonardo bust a move in this movie?

NC: Yeah. They’re Turtle boys—they love to dance, they love to celebrate, they’re teenagers…. They’re going to be moving.

What do you think of the way the movie is animated?

NC: The first time I saw anything complete it was like a camera test that they did, and I think it was Donatello, just on a skateboard skating through the city, and it looked incredible. Mutant Mayhem has got this hand-drawn feel to it. It’s like if you took a note or a page out of some kid’s textbook that he doodled on in the corner. There’s stuff like that in the visual style and I thought it was sick. I was already excited to be a part of a Ninja Turtles thing and play Leonardo, but then I saw the first little glimpse of what it’s actually gonna look like and my excitement just skyrocketed because I’m a sucker for cool animation and it looks sick.

In the trailer, Splinter describes Raphael as having “bravery.” How else would you describe the character?

BN: Raphael has definitely got a mixture of everything. I mean, there’s definitely some bravery in there, leadership, and a lot of heart as well. A lot of people forget about that because Raph is such a hothead. Raph’s leadership gets developed more and more when necessary.

Do you think that the Turtles feeling like outsiders makes them continually resonate with audiences?

BN: I think so. Audiences will definitely be able to connect with characters that are different or unique. Something that I hope people take away after watching the film is that it’s okay to be different. Sometimes even the most unique people can be heroes.

How did you and the rest of the turtle cast go about making it feel like you were really lifelong siblings? It definitely comes across in the trailer.

BN: The first time that I met all the Turtles actors was in a chemistry read and we just kind of knew right there when the four of us were trying to read the script. The producers and the people at Nickelodeon and Paramount were just cracking up. We all knew at that point we had something special. Working on this in the last two and a half years or so, I’ve seen the other Turtles actors every week. It’s like these guys have become my brothers in a way

Did you guys ever ad-lib dialogue? There’s such a flow to the way you all talk together.

BN: A lot of times we would start recording and [co-writer and producer] Seth [Rogen] would be like, “Argue about a topic related to TikTok!” And in character we would start arguing and we’d just riff and see where we’d end. We know when it’s a safe place to ad-lib and when to not. The movie is actually hilarious and it’s partially because of the improv.

Your versions of the character seem like the most teenage these characters have ever been. What’s that been like?

BN: Us being actual teens and us putting forth our actual experiences being in this new generation, we got to be hands on with this movie. Seth and Jeff Rowe would ask us, “What’s new?” We’d consistently talk about certain slang that we’d use nowadays and incorporate that so it’s relatable to people our ages.

How would you describe this film to your friends and family?

BN: It’s action-packed, lighthearted, exciting, thrilling, hilarious. It has got everything. So grab your popcorn and enjoy.

Was there anything for you that was particularly challenging?

BN: Any of the fight sequences. It’s so hard to match that animation! I will be fully acting out in the booth as if I’m on camera. Just to get the authenticity of me running through the woods. “Now jump.” So now I have to jump. So I’ll be like [makes running noises] and then start running again. I haven’t done a lot of voiceover work. I’ve mainly done live action. This was definitely a challenge for me. It definitely took me out of my comfort zone. But I eventually thrived and I love it.

Were there other things that Micah and Nick and Shamon were doing that you were copying?

BN: We were throwing fists in our own little corner of the studio. Nick, who plays Leonardo, had his own guardrail for his recording sessions because he gets really into it. He’d just grab it and shake it. So we gave him a little rail. Here you go, have this.