Playing the evil bunny Snowball in the new The Secret Life of Pets movie, Kevin Hart admitted it took time to fully understand his character.
In an interview with Variety, he added: “I spent time with bunnies for seven months. I didn’t use my fingers. I hopped everywhere I went – ate nothing but grass.”
Director Chris Renaud felt casting Hart into the role of a small white bunny was a great idea, saying: “Probably the funniest thing you can do about putting a small black guy in a small white rabbit’s body is say, ‘Be yourself.’”
Hart enjoyed playing a crazy rabbit and explained to the Hollywood Reporter, “First of all, I’m a little crazy. Being that I got to play a villain, I said ‘How do I make this villain a little complex? How do I make him full of levels and layers?’ So I made him insecure, I made him emotional, I made him angry but all in all he’s just a person that wanted love at the end. So I think to make your character likable is what’s most important. Because when people like you they root for you, bad guy or no bad guy.”
Chris Renaud also stated, “With a guy like Kevin Hart, who has this big explosive voice coming out of this little cute bunny, it just felt like it would be instantly appealing and fun.” As for the concept of the movie, they thought of how dogs might miss their owners while cats enjoy the freedom. Co-writer Cinco Paul said, “Dogs miss you. Cats do not miss you.”
The Secret Life of Pets premieres July 8 in the United States.