‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Actress Angelina Jolie Teases The Secretive Panda Village

Angelina Jolie has reprised her role as Tigress on the animated film, Kung Fu Panda 3, and the actress was only too happy to sit down and talk about the children’s film. Angelina seemed especially glowing as she talked about her own children and exposing them to the magic of making animated films like the Kung Fu Panda series.

Kung Fu Panda 3 Star Angelina Jolie Dishes On That Secret Location

Kung Fu Panda 3 takes audiences into a new world. As Angelina reveals, Po (Jack Black) learns that he’s not alone when he meets his birth father. Audiences come along for the ride as Po is taken into the secret panda village, where he has to come to terms with who he is and his place in this new panda community.

If that sounds a bit too somber and reflective for a child’s movie, Ms. Jolie adds that there’s also fun to be had.

“Plus there’s a fun, new element of a zombie attack, which kind of just throws in everything that kids like – zombies and pandas!”

In talking of Tigress, her own character, Angelina reveals that making an animated film is very much like life. She says she tried making up a unique voice, a fictitious sound for a cartoon character, but after several attempts, Jolie was advised to just be herself. She adds that the voice we hear from her Kung Fu Panda role is her voice, but in a deeper tone.

Angelina Jolie Introduces Her Children To Animated Filmmaking

Angelina also said that, even though her children span a wide range of ages, they all love Kung Fu Panda. She says although none of her children have expressed an interest in a specific character, they all seem to be big fans of Po.

As work on Kung Fu Panda 3 was underway, Ms. Jolie used the opportunity to bring her children on set and witness the creation of the film. Angelina thought it would interest them to see how cartoons were made, but she reveals that they ended up doing much more than just watching. The Jolie-Pitt children were offered voice roles on Kung Fu Panda 3, which Angelina says surprised her even more than them.

“I didn’t know if they were going to get quiet or nervous, but they all did it really, really well and then I said, ‘Are you ok?’ and they said, ‘Acting’s easy!’ Now I’m going to hear about that the rest of my life. ‘It’s easy, Mom. Why are you always so tired?'”

So, will we see the Jolie-Pitt kids in films of their own? Probably not anytime soon, says their mom. Angelina said they were all really thrilled to do the voice roles, but that they’re far too shy to actually step in front of a camera.

“But just the idea that you’re going to do a voice and become a panda. How can you say no?”

Angelina seems to understand her children in the way that only a mother could, and it seems that her love for children knows no bounds. While in Syria on a diplomatic mission, acting as the Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ms. Jolie found herself in a tight spot. She was all that stood between a mob eager for glimpses of the actress and a gathering of frightened refugee children.

“It’s not safe for the children,” Ms. Jolie told the crowd as she used her body to shield the children from harm. “You need to back up.”

Angelina picked up one very small girl, who was in immediate danger of being crushed by the mob.

The Kung Fu Panda 3 actress was in Syria to see how things had progressed since her last visit, but Jolie was dismayed to find that the situation had deteriorated. She used the opportunity to plea with the Syrian government to take immediate action toward making positive changes.

Kung Fu Panda 3, starring Angelina Jolie and Jack Black, is currently playing in theaters.

[Image by Alberto E. Rodriguez /Getty Images]