Fred Willard is The First Live Action Pixar Character

[Brian Damage]

Fred Willard is credited in the cast of Pixar's Wall-E, so everyone assumes he is voicing one of the animated robots. It turns out he is appearing on camera in a Pixar first.

"I'm going to be the first live character in a Pixar movie," said Willard. "I appear on a TV monitor but I'm more than a voice. Jeff Garlin is a voice but people are saying, 'Oh, you're a voice.' No, I actually appear. People will say, 'Oh, that's Fred Willard.'"

Willard will be recognizable as himself, though he is playing a character in the otherwise animated world. "I don't play myself. I play the CEO of a huge corporation who by the time the movie takes place practically owns everything in the world. It's kind of a take off on Wal Mart. It's called Buy and Large."

Director Andrew Stanton did not explain his reasons for including live-action, and Willard was not about to question him. "I have no idea but I didn't want to ask them for fear they'd say, 'You know, that's a good question.'"

Willard's part is already finished, but the Pixar team may call Willard back for one more session. "I've already recorded my stuff. They might record some more and it comes out in June '08. I just went up and did it and it was great. So I'm very pleased that I'm in that."