“Just Keep Swimming” Events, Sarah Interviews Hayden Rolence the Voice of Nemo

Hayden Rolence and Sarah Knight Adamson answer your questions!

Hi everybody, thanks for sending in your questions to Hayden Rolence, the voice of Nemo for our “Just Keep Swimming Event.”

Also, thanks for sending in your activities that you are doing while you are Just Staying Home!

We are very excited as we have questions from all over the United States, including New York City, Illinois, Michigan, California, and Vermont. Also, Canada, London, and Bermuda! Thanks to everyone!

Here’s the link to the Zoom YouTube Q&A video: https://bit.ly/NemoAnswersYouTube

First question starting with our youngest Nemo fan:

*Caroline age 2 from Illinois has 3 questions:

What made you want to be an actor?

I was young enough that my parents decided for me to try out acting for me. My mom was asked if I acted by one of the people that I had been modeling for.

Did you have to practice your lines a lot?

For any of my on-camera work I do, but since Nemo was a voice-over job, I was given the lines nearly as I walked into the recording studio.

Since you’re from Chicago, what’s your favorite kind of pizza?

My favorite type of pizza is deep-dish, and the toppings don’t really matter to me.

*George: age 3 from California

Do you like living in a sea anemone?

The sea anemone is great because it offers a lot of protection from other creatures and a safe place to spend the night.

I think it would be fun to ride on the back of a turtle. Was that fun?

I would imagine that it was very fun. The East-Australian Current is quite fast considering Nemo’s size.

*Calvin age 4 from Vermont

What kind of fish is Dory?

Blue Tang

Why didn’t the scuba diver just take a picture of Nemo instead of taking him?

He wanted to sell him to the dentist to put in his office aquarium.

*From Michigan: Eleanor age 5 and Sophia age 6

What is Nemo’s favorite place to swim?

What Nemo’s favorite color?

Nemo’s favorite color is most likely blue because it reminds him of the ocean.

*All the way from London: Hugo, Age 7

Does Nemo miss his friends being in isolation?

Nemo being me, I absolutely miss my friends, but Nemo being the character, I’d imagine that he would too if he were quarantined.

*Twin girls age 7 from Bermuda named Madison and Isla

Was it exciting being the voice of Nemo?
It was honestly the most fun thing ever. It felt like a dream come true.

What did it feel like to be in a movie?
The first time watching the movie, I remembered doing all of the lines.

Did you meet Ellen Degeneres, and was she nice?
I did meet Ellen, and she was super nice. She was so outgoing and kind. It was great.

*Here is a family of 4 from Illinois:

Emily age 7 would like to know what Nemo does for fun?
Nemo, the fish, likes going to school and likes to learn. Nemo, being me, also likes going to school and learning, but I also like dancing and playing the piano and talking on the phone with my friends.

Eli age 9 would like to know what Nemo likes to eat?
Nemo as a fish likes to eat algae, but nemo being me, I like to eat pasta and pizza.

Eva age 11 would like to know what happened to Nemo’s small fin?
During the attack on Nemo’s home when he was still an egg, the big fish cracked his egg leading to him being born like that.

Ella age 14 has always wanted to know how old Nemo is?
Nemo was 6 as of Finding Nemo, so because Finding Dory happened six months afterwards. Meaning that he is between the ages of 6 and 7.

*Brielle age 9 from New York:

How did you become the voice of Nemo?
Pixar sent out a request for a new voice, and I rehearsed my lines again and again trying to make myself sound like the original Nemo, and eventually, I got it and recorded it and sent it in.

Why did you become the voice of Nemo?
I wanted to be the voice of Nemo because it was a goal of mine as a child to get to the point as an actor where I got a big role like that one.

Was it fun?
It was the most fun experience that I’ve ever had. Nothing yet has come close to the

*Here are 9 year old triplets, and their 8 year old brother from Illinois:

Natalie: Why did Disney-Pixar make Dory the kind of fish they did?
In my understanding, which I might be wrong, but Pixar likely wanted to be inclusive and show the power of perseverance through no matter what circumstance.

Riley: How did Dory lose her memory?

As far as I know, Dory was born with her memory loss condition, but no one can know for sure.

Avery: Where did Dory’s parents go or did they die?

Spoilers for Finding Dory, but Dory’s parents waited for her outside of the rehabilitation building.

Jesse: Without memory, how did Dory survive all that time on her own?
She survived with the help of the people that she had met through her journey to eventually finding Nemo and Marlin

*From Canada:

What is your favorite scene in the movie, and why?
My favorite scene from the movie is when Dory finds her family because it is such a powerful scene with so much emotion.

What is the most surprising part of the recording process?
The most surprising part of the recording process was that all of the parts have to happen at the same time like you can’t animate without having the voices, but you can’t do the voices all at once because the story hasn’t entirely been thought out

What was opening night and the premiere like?
It felt very surreal, and it was so fun. I loved it so much and would love to have the opportunity to do it again.

*From Illinois: Angelina and Karlo

Has anything cool happened in your dance career lately?
I’m fortunate enough that my dance studio is still running and doing online classes, so I still have all of my classes, but on top of that one of my classes that I do with the other older dancers, has been having guest teachers on to teach us a combo and influence us with their movements.

*And lastly in the heart of our United States Coronavirus pandemic with Lana-Kay age 13 From Manhattan, New York

How did you manage being a teenager and being nemo?

Well, I worked on Nemo when I was younger than a teenager, between the ages of 9 and 11, but I still had to manage my time wisely. The way to get through it is to just keep at it and try to stay on top of all of the things that you have to do, but also keeping some time for yourself.

Thank you! Everyone stay tuned for updates on activities to do while you are Just Staying Home and remember to Nemo?

Hayden and Sarah: “Just Keep Swimming!