The One Thing Larry The Cable Guy Always Does Before Voicing Mater From Cars - Exclusive
When you think of the "Cars" franchise, the first thing that probably pops into your mind is the smiley red race car Lightning McQueen. A close second, though, is most likely his best bud Mater, a vintage tow truck with catchphrases like "Git-R-Done."
Voiced by comedian Larry the Cable Guy since the original 2006 "Cars" film, Mater is a lovably hokey 1950s Chevrolet boom truck who's as trusty as he is rusty. He loves tractor tipping, helping out stranded cars, and hanging with his best bud, Lightning McQueen. Easily recognizable by his thick Southern accent, the boom truck with a big heart is always a fan favorite.
Larry the Cable Guy has voiced Mater all throughout the "Cars" franchise, which now includes three full-length films, a television series, and three sets of shorts — including the latest entry into the franchise, "Cars on the Road," which is now streaming on Disney+. It's a role that Larry admits has changed his life — and one he's always fully prepared to step back into.
In fact, during an exclusive interview with Looper, Larry the Cable Guy explained the simple steps he takes to make sure he always nails the iconic character's vocal tone and on-screen charm.
Voicing Mater is 'like breathing' for Larry the Cable Guy
The latest installment of the wildly popular "Cars" franchise, 2022's "Cars on the Road," is a series of vignettes that follow Mater and Lightning McQueen on a cross-country adventure to attend the wedding of Mater's sister. Along the way, they encounter everything from ferocious dinosaurs to a spookily haunted hotel.
When it came time to get back in the driver's seat, Larry the Cable Guy admits it was easy peasy to bring Mater to life once again.
"People always wonder if it's hard to get back into the voice," he told us. "I'll tell you exactly what I do. I get in the studio and the first thing I do is go like this, 'Dad gum! My name's Mater, like ta-mater without the ta.' I go, 'That's the tone right there.' I'll probably do that two or three times, and as soon as I get the right tone, I'm ready to roll. That's pretty much all I do. I can go a year and a half without doing the voice, but as long as I say those phrases and I get the tone, then I'm set to go."
Part of the reason it's so simple is because Larry the Cable Guy not only does the voice on screen, but also for other projects — a lot.
"We do so many of these it's like breathing now," he says. "It's old hat — toys, games, cartoons. Plus, I do it almost every day for somebody who has a birthday, and they want their kid to have a Mater call, like a flood of your friends or whatever. I'm always staying in pretty good shape, Mater-wise."
"Cars on the Road" is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.