'Kung Fu Panda 3' Spoilers: J.K. Simmons Says New Villain Kai Is Scary But Also 'Smart' And 'Funny'
Dragon Warrior Po (Jack Black) returns to the big screen this month in "Kung Fu Panda 3" and in it, he faces an all-new villain, Kai (J.K. Simmons), an ancient sword-wielding evil spirit who steals the powers of kung fu masters.
Simmons, who won an Oscar award last year for his portrayal of another villain - Terrence Fletcher, the abusive jazz instructor in "Whiplash" - spoke to Entertainment Weekly about voicing Kai for the latest film in the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise. The actor revealed that he was drawn to the film because his family members are big fans of the first two "Kung Fu Panda" installments.
As for Kai, also known as The Beast of Vengence/Master of Pain/Maker of Widows, "He's smart enough and funny enough for parents to not be sitting there catching up on their emails," Simmons said.
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According to the 61-year-old film and theater actor, he was able to keep the villain from being too scary for little children by giving him a humorous side. "He was the new bad guy, and he was supposed to be scary, but [the filmmakers] don't want people carrying their screaming 5-year-olds out of the theater," Simmons revealed.
Kai, who makes a triumphant return after being exiled to the spirit realm, expects the world to cower in fear upon his arrival. But to his chagrin, nobody really knows who he is. This dichotomy, Simmons said, gave him something to work and have fun with.
"There are great life lessons," Simmons said of the film. "One of my favorite lines ever is in this movie, where the mentor, Master Shifu, says to the student, 'If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than you are now.'"
"Kung Fu Panda 3" hit movie theaters on Jan. 29.
