Bryan Cranston on the father-son relationship in The One and Only Ivan

Bryan Cranston

'The One and Only Ivan' is an unforgettable tale about the beauty of friendship, the power of visualisation and the significance of the place one calls home. The heartwarming adventure which comes to the screen in an impressive hybrid of live-action and CGI is based on Katherine Applegate's bestselling book, which won numerous awards upon its publication in 2013. The movie has been directed by Thea Sharrock and features an ensemble cast including Sam Rockwell, Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren and many others.

Bryan Cranston essays the character of Mack, a circus owner. Speaking about the dynamics of relationships in the movie, he said, "We have a full display of different animals. But the main animal that Mack has, and really feels a father-son relationship, is Ivan, because he had him since he was a young baby gorilla and now he's a young adult."

Bryan worked with other live-action actors, Ramon Rodriguez, Owain Arthur and Ariana Greenblatt and had a great time shooting with them. Talking about his co-stars, Bryan says, "We've gotten along and we're there for each other off screen when we need it."

Recollecting an incident from the shoot, he further adds, "I was having a difficult day one day when I'm on a little mini bicycle. There was a lot of movement and I was overheating in my outfit. Ariana and Ramon came backstage and asked how I was doing and if I were okay. They show care and consideration and that's nice. Ariana is a pistol. We used to play "I spy" backstage and she is really competitive. Ramon is so sweet and solid in his work. And Owain is a crazy Welshman. He just makes me laugh."

The One and Only Ivan is the story about Ivan, a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant, Bob the dog, and various other animals. The One and Only Ivan stars Sam Rockwell as the voice of Ivan; Angelina Jolie as the voice of Stella; Danny DeVito as the voice of Bob the dog; Helen Mirren as the voice of Snickers the poodle; Brooklynn Prince as the voice of Ruby; Ramon Rodriguez as the mall employee George; Ariana Greenblatt as George's daughter Julia; Chaka Khan as the voice of Henrietta the chicken; Mike White as the voice of Frankie the seal; Ron Funches as the voice of Murphy the rabbit; Phillipa Soo as the voice of Thelma the parrot; and Bryan Cranston as Mack, the circus attraction's owner.

Catch the heartwarming tale of The One & Only Ivan only on Disney+ Hotstar Premium on August 21, 2020.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news