My #FindingDoryEvent Ellen DeGeneres & Ed O’Neill interviews!

*Disclosure: The Small Things received an all expense paid trip to Los Angeles with Disney to cover the premier of Finding Dory and a press junket. All opinions are 100% my own and were not swayed in any way.*

If you would have told me when I started my blog over five years ago that I would be interviewing Ellen DeGeneres and Ed O'Neill, I would have looked at you like you were crazy. I am still in shock. Thursday, June 9, 2016 was Finding Dory Press Day! We shuttled over to the Montage in Beverly Hills to get our day started.

photo credit :Sara Lundberg / BudgetSavvyDiva.com

Ellen DeGeneres and Ed O'Neill were our first interviews for the day!  If you did not know, Ellen DeGeneres is the voice of “Dory” & Ed O’Neill is the voice of “Hank”.

Disney•Pixar's “Finding Dory” will officially be in theaters June 17, 2016, and we were lucky to screen it just in time for interviews! The interview started amazing. Ellen and Ed came into the room and we were all clapping and cheering. She ran around the table clapping and the room was an atmosphere that I just cannot explain. She looked around the room smiling and asked stated that "I'm assuming that means you saw it then".

photo credit :Sara Lundberg / BudgetSavvyDiva.com

Someone spoke up and asked if it was the first time they saw it then, and Ellen said that she saw it before but it wasn't finished. We also found out like ourselves, they cried when they saw the movie too! I mentioned previously that it is full of emotions!  

A question came up asking: "Are there any three words that keep you going when you face a challenging time?"
Ed O'Neill chimed in jokingly- "Just Keep Punching". We all laughed because the reaction he gave was just as his personality is. So funny!
Ellen's Answer: Her motto was already Just Keep Swimming!. She said it was weird that this came a part of her character. We also learned that her life has gone through so many twists and turns and that she DID just keep swimming. "But I just kept moving forward, and I just kept doing what I know how to do, which is make people happy and make people smile and make people laugh".

photo credit :Sara Lundberg / BudgetSavvyDiva.com

One of my favorite questions of the day was asked, and this is my favorite because it really does tell you a lesson about the movie. 

Question: What are you hoping that your characters bring to kids, to parents, and to people?
Ellen DeGeneres: Her answer in short was "Never give up", "be optimistic" and "there's always another way". When someone says that there isn't another way, there is. You don't get stuck.  And no matter what your situation is, it can get better, and everybody starts from a different places, and some people start with a lot more odds stacked against them. But there's a way out.
Ed O’Neill: Ed mentioned how his character always mentions there isn't a way out and how Ellen's character said there's always a way out. It was the same concept.

Just Keep Swimming..Just Keep Swimming... Just Keep Swimming... 

photo credit :Sara Lundberg / BudgetSavvyDiva.com

They were both asked if they researched their characters for their roles. We did learn that Ed googled the Octopus and did not know that species existed. They had not known about the three hearts as well. You will learn that Hank does have three hearts! Dory explains it in the movie. We learned that Ed isn't thinking ahead yet about the next film, if there will even be one that is. Ed also did not know how big his part was going to be! He thought it would just be a cameo! It is so much more than that! He did not know what he was going to be doing when he took on his work, but as soon as he heard it was Pixar- he was in!

photo credit :Sara Lundberg / BudgetSavvyDiva.com

If you are ever lucky enough to run into Ellen, don't ask her to speak whale! It isn't happening people! Just if you were wondering- according to Ellen and Ed- they were NOT involved in writing the story. She never imagine that the movie would be about Dory too! 

The question also came up asking "Did you have a favorite line of dialogue in the film?" Ellen answered: My favorite scene of his is when he turns on the disposal, accidentally. "I like the whole thing"

I am with ya, Ed! I don't have a specific favorite scene myself. It is all magical! And guess how we closed our interview? Someone asked "We just wanted to know if we could do a little dance with you guys?"YES! This happened! TOTALLY!  Sorry they are blurry! Marshall said we wouldn't stop moving! 

ANDDDDDD no interview is complete until you get a group photo with the talent! I am sitting beside Ellen! PINCH ME NOW! Words cannot describe the feeling that I had. The feeling we all had. We were in the same room with two amazing and funny people! It was such an honor. It really was! I asked her if I could hug her and she gave me a hug too!!! I can check that off of my Bucket List!!!!!!!!

I told myself that I was not going to cry. I did. I could not hold back. When I lost my daughter three years ago, Ellen's show is what kept me laughing. That is no joke. It was on my bucket list to meet her and it happened! I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life.

Disney•Pixar's “Finding Dory” will officially be swimming in theaters June 17, 2016! Are you planning to go and see it?  Check out the trailer again!
Visit FINDING DORY on their official website and social media below to stay up to date with the latest and learn more! You can also grab coloring sheets here.

FINDING DORY on Facebook |  FINDING DORY on Twitter | Follow Disney/Pixar on Instagram | Follow Disney Studios on Pinterest | Visit Disney/Pixar on Tumblr

What is your favorite part of this interview? Tell me about it:

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Win it: I have a prize up for grabs! I am giving away one of my swag items! I was gifted a Finding Dory iPhone 6 case, but I do not have an iPhone 6, so I am giving it to one of you! Giveaway is open until 6/27/16. This case has a liquid-filled seascape with floating Dory, blue foil fish, and gold glitter. It includes a screen guard and cloth, and retails for $24.95! Open to Continental USA. Enter below. Goodluck.

Entry-Form

Be sure to check out my Red Carpet/After Party Experience post HERE.