Owen Wilson talks 'Cars 2'

If you ask for a funny man with a crooked nose and sandy blond hair in Hollywood, you would be directed to Owen Wilson.
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The actor and Academy nominated scriptwriter, Wilson has won great acclaim for his memorable turns in mainstream and independent films.
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Most well-known for his performance in Marley And Me and Wedding Crashers, the actor is also the voice of Lightning McQueen, the star racecar from 2006 animated film Cars.

With the worldwide success of the prequel that takes place in a world populated by anthropomorphic motor vehicles, Owen is now looking forward to the release of Cars 2. Hitlist talks to the actor about his next...

What made Cars so endearing to audiences?
I think Cars is so popular because it takes on a universal theme and tells it in a unique and passionate way that feels personal with almost a handmade quality.

What kind of director is John Lasseter?
This movie was his passion project, so it was exciting to have him at the helm again. He puts so much effort into getting it right. There's so much enthusiasm when he's directing me in a session that you'd think it's his first movie. He dresses a bit like a kid - he's always in one of those Hawaiian shirts with cars on them. He seems like someone who would fit in working at Disneyland, but you get off the ride and the guy's the head of maybe the most successful animation company ever.

Who are some of the new characters in Cars 2?
The filmmakers do a great job of populating this world with great new characters. One of the fun things about the espionage world in the movie is that you have all these cool gadgets for the spies. It makes it that much more exciting. You've got Finn McMissile, who's voiced by Michael Cain. Holley Shiftwell is voiced by Emily Mortimer. And the Gremlins and the Pacers are the bad guys.

What is the story of "Cars 2"?
Mater (the tow truck) has never been out of Radiator Springs so I invite him along for this adventure. So we're going global-we're visiting England, Italy and Tokyo for the World Grand Prix. Along the way, Mater becomes entangled in a little intrigue-international espionage-people mistake him for an American spy. So we're not just racing around the world, we're trying to save it.

What do you think of the "Cars 2" world?
I'm excited to see the way they've car-ified Tokyo, London, Paris and Italy. I think it's going to be amazing to see that. I know when John was just showing me stills drawings they were so beautiful I wanted to take them home.

Are you a fan of cars and racing?
Growing up in Texas, there's always sort of a love affair with cars and I think one of the things that inspired John Lasseter is that he loves cars.

As a kid, I'd make up a list-if you could have five cars, what would they be? I love Aston Martins and the DeLorean from "Back to the Future" and Ferraris-from the '50s especially-are really amazing. I drive a Prius, but maybe that's not as exciting as some of those cars.

The spectacle and the sound of Formula 1 racing is something unbelievable. I also became somewhat of a racing fan after meeting some of the NASCAR racers on the first film.