Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and the gang from Far Far Away are back for their fourth and final adventure. We caught up with movie star, Mike Myers, who provides the voice for our favourite Ogre, to find out all the behind-the-scenes secrets.

What was your original inspiration for Shrek?

I originally did Shrek with a Canadian accent, but I soon decided to change it.

I discovered that Cameron Diaz had chosen an American voice and so had Eddie Murphy, so there were too many North American voices in the movie. I wanted to do something different. That’s when I tried the Scottish accent.

Why did you choose the Scottish accent?

Scottish people are very funny at being angry and they’re very funny when they’re happy. I thought ogres get mad all the time. They kind of say: “I told you never to come into my house with your shoes on.” But that’s swiftly followed by: “Oh, I love you.” It just became natural for Shrek to be Scottish. It worked really well.

Did you get to improvise in the sound booth when you were recording the voice for the fourth movie?

It’s hard to go off on a tangent when you’re working in the most expensive entertainment device created by man. The script was already in place, but I would re-phrase a line or I’d add some Scottishness to it. The essence of the movie was what the writers came up with and I didn’t want to mess with that.

How would you describe the fourth movie?

In the first film, Shrek doesn’t feel that he is good enough for love. In the second film, he doesn’t feel that he is good enough to be married. In the third one, he doesn’t feel that he is good enough to be a father. And in this movie, he doesn’t feel that he’s good enough to live happily ever after.

Is the fourth movie the best Shrek film yet?

I honestly believe that these movies get better every time. The animation gets better every time – and the story telling gets better and better. People can feel that the filmmakers really care about these characters, which is what makes these films so wonderful to work on. I love being in the world of Shrek. I’m really going to miss it when it’s all over.

Why do you think Shrek is so popular?

I think we can all relate to Shrek, which is the truly wonderful thing about him. He’s such a great character and he’s so funny. He’s always cracking me up.

Do you have any Shrek-like qualities?

We all have insecurities and that’s something Shrek thinks about. We also all have times when we don’t feel like we are good enough. That’s very Shrek-like, too.

Where did you get your comedy genes from?

My dad used to say that there is nothing so terrible that it can’t be laughed at. He was great – and he would laugh at the most horrible things.

Was he one of your comedy inspirations?

My dad was a massive inspiration. Every situation was an opportunity to do something funny for my dad. My grandfather was the same. He would go to the hairdressers in Liverpool where they would ask how he wanted his haircut. He would say: “In silence!”

What advice would you give to kids who are looking to break into the movie industry?

I would tell them to follow their bliss and do whatever makes them happy. I love doing what I do. I love making things. I like being a creative person, but it’s important not to get caught up in a career. I’m very grateful and I’m very happy, but I don’t get too tied down with work. I make sure I enjoy life!

How exactly do you enjoy life?

I travel the world and see new things. I always remember visiting Venice for the first time and being blown away by it. I loved seeing where Napoleon and Mozart lived. I loved the canals. I had the same feeling of being overwhelmed when I went to New York for the first time.

Catch Shrek Forever After in cinemas now.