LOS ANGELES—Any interview for a film that involves Will Ferrell inevitably includes questions about whether or not he did any improvising in the movie he has come to promote. This time around, the first answer, from Tom McGrath—director of the animated film Megamind, which stars Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Tina Fey—comes early. In an L.A. hotel room, McGrath says all of his actors were allowed to “try things”, with the best take being chosen. However, as the day goes on and Ferrell turns the interview sessions into an episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, it becomes clear that Ferrell would feel uncomfortable if he were ordered to stay true to any script.

Asked how he feels doing interviews in a tent, which was set up for a wedding earlier in the day, he says, “I would like to thank Jensen’s tenting, the best in the business. When you want a tent, call Jensen’s.” On the origins of the accent he used in his portrayal of Megamind’s title character, a supervillain who has run out of heroes to fight, he says, “It’s so disappointing, and it’s not your fault, but I am actually doing a Lithuanian accent, which shows you how bad a mimic I am.”

When asked if he could relate to the loneliness his character suffers after his only nemesis is gone, he answers, “I have always wanted to sail around the world in a handmade boat, and I built a boat. The second day on the sea, I realized that I am not a sailor. I was miserable. I thought I had everything I needed, but it turned out it was my last day on the water. And it was Lake Havasu.” And to another question about being able to relate to the costumed, blue-skinned villain, he says, “I have a lot of tight leather pants that I keep in a vault, and there is a part of my body that I can’t go into detail on that is blue. It is a genetic defect.”

It isn’t all fun and games, though. Eventually, he answers a question about the movie (which opens next Friday [November 5]) with some seriousness. Ferrell, who came to the film with only one animated feature on his résumé—he voiced the Man With the Yellow Hat for Curious George—says that although voice-overs may seem easy, it doesn’t matter whether you improvise or stay with the script, finding a character using only your voice is never a simple task.

“In animated work, there is a great amount of freedom in terms of getting to come up with stuff on the spot and improvising, but at least from my perspective what is lost in these projects is how difficult it is to articulate any sort of emotional gear shift with your voice. Playing the comedy is one thing, but there is a real skill shown by any actor who can effectively do this consistently. It is hard for me.”