Samuel L. Jackson Was The 'Captain Marvel' Set's Cat Whisperer

Photo credit: Marvel Comics
Photo credit: Marvel Comics

From Esquire

  • Samuel L Jackson is exactly as popular with cats as he is humans, i.e. very

  • Ben Mendelsohn had to sit around and let the cats climb on him to get them used to his costume

  • Goose is played by four different cats

In spite of all the plaudits Brie Larson's got for it, Goose the cat is inarguably the breakout star of Captain Marvel. He's probably the best cat actor since that cat from Meet The Parents. He's that good.

As any drama teacher will tell you though, all cat-acting is cat-reacting, and Goose's co-stars worked hard to get the best out of each other. Speaking to Vulture, veteran animal trainer Ursula Brauner revealed that Ben Mendelsohn and Samuel L Jackson were key to Goose's potentially award-winning performance.

"Ben Mendelsohn was so amazing getting the cats used to the costume and makeup," Brauner recalled. "He showed them how he moved and sounded, and he was just really great getting the cats to like him."

One particular scene in the quad-jet was freaking the cat out a bit, but Mendelsohn helped smooth things over. "[Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck] took the time to say, 'Let’s stop what we’re doing and get the cat comfortable,'" Brauner says. "We had Reggie sitting on a chair, and Ben was sitting in the chair next to him, and we let Reggie go to him and explore on his own volition, and pretty soon, he realised Ben was just like us, but he just looked different. It’s about taking the time to stop. And it shows onscreen."

Larson is quite badly allergic to cats, but ploughed on through her scenes with bravery. Meanwhile, Samuel L Jackson showed that his easy rapport with pretty much everyone he meets extends beyond humanity.

"He says he’s not a cat person, but he was probably one of the best people working with the cats," says Brauner. "They loved him, went right up to him."

We keep saying 'Goose' here, but Goose is actually played by four cats. Roughly "70 percent" of the time it was Reggie - "he was really the hero and did most of the shots" - but if he was getting a bit diva-ish after a long day, he might retire to his trailer and hand over to Gonzo ("great [at] being held in arms"), Archie ("the spunky cat with personality") or Rizzo ("the master of all trades").

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