How would you describe your character in Tangled?

I voice a character called Flynn Rider in the animation. Flynn is the male lead of the film and he’s the archetypal prince character, but he’s not a prince. Instead, he is a charming and an arrogant bandit. Deep down, Flynn has a good core. However, you don’t see that at the beginning of the movie. You discover this about Flynn as the story unfolds because this characteristic is brought out of him through the purity, love and naiveté of Rapunzel.

How did you get involved with the movie?

I got a call inviting me to audition for Disney’s new animated musical – and I was immediately sold. I am a huge fan of Disney. I have been a fan ever since I was a little kid. In fact, I’ve always dreamed of being a voice in a Disney animation and I’ve always wanted to sing for Disney, so this opportunity was a dream come true.

Did you have to sing for your Tangled audition?

I was told to prepare a singer-songwriter song for the audition and the first thing that came to my mind was a James Taylor track called Sweet Baby James. If somebody says ‘pop’ to me, I think of Michael Jackson or Justin Timberlake. If somebody says ‘singer-songwriter’, the first person I think of is James Taylor. There are plenty of modern singer-songwriters, but there is something about James Taylor that has always resonated with me.

Is Zachary Levi your real name?

My last name is Pugh. My middle name is Levi. The only name change I’ve gone through is dropping the Pugh and sticking with the Levi – but that’s it. It was very subtle.

Did you enjoy working in the sound booth for Tangled?

It was a great experience. However, I found it a little strange because I was alone in the sound booth. I thought I might record some of the dialogue with Mandy Moore (who voices Rapunzel), but that didn’t happen. Everyone records the dialogue separately.

How did you come up with the voice of Flynn?

I wanted Flynn to be different to my normal voice. I think that was appropriate given that it’s a fantasy world set in a medieval, renaissance-style era. If the movie was set in modern times, I’d use my regular voice – but I wanted him to sound different to my regular cadence.

Were you excited to discover that your character in Tangled provides much of the comedy of the movie?

I was incredibly happy, but I have to admit that the animals steal the show. When it comes to the comedy of Tangled, the gecko and the horse are outstanding. W.C. Fields said never work with kids or animals, but the gecko and the horse end up stealing my thunder.

Tangled premieres on Disney Cinemagic on 23rd October at 5pm.

Tangled is also out on DVD now.