Bruno Mars Sings Like a Bird in Musical 'Rio 2' Clip
Bruno Mars’s Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show was seen by 115.3 million, setting a new viewership record, eclipsing the likes of Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Madonna. And that was just a week after he won his second Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal for his album “Unorthodox Jukebox.” Now after conquering the fields of pop music and television, Mars is naturally turning his attention to the movies.
Mars makes his animated debut in April’s “Rio 2,” the sequel to the 2011 hit about of Blu and Jewel, a pair of rare birds (voiced by Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg) dropped off out of their element in Brazil. In the new movie, Blu and Jewel now have chicks of their own, and they get reunited with their lost flock in the jungle. That flock includes Roberto, the singing, swaggering bird from her past voiced by Mars.
Director Carlos Saldahna told Billboard he first became interested in pursuing Mars for the role when he saw the singer show off his comedy chops when he hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 2012. Saldahna said that Mars helped him find the character in the recording booth, giving Roberto a more sensitive and less macho edge. The director even had a scene re-animated to better fit Mars’ soulful singing.
"Rio 2" isn’t Mars’s first movie role. When he was only 6-years-old, he appeared as a tiny Elvis Presley in 1992’s "Honeymoon in Vegas." Check out his moves:
Then known as Bruno Hernandez, he was heralded as the world’s youngest professional Elvis impersonator. He appeared in a nightclub act with his mother, father, and brother in their hometown of Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, which lead to a cameo in the Nicolas Cage/Sarah Jessica Parker romantic comedy.
“Rio 2,” which also features musical performances from Janelle Monáe, Kristin Chenoweth, Jemaine Clement, and Jamie Foxx, opens nationwide on April 11.
