Created by Don Hall (the director of Big Hero 6), the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ shorts series Baymax! sees the lovable, compassionate and inflatable healthcare companion Baymax (voiced by Scott Adsit) putting his skills to use to help a variety of different people, and one cat. Across the six episodes that tie together, Baymax has a purity of purpose to make people and their lives better, as he helps to heal what ails them.
During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Adsit talked about what he thought of Baymax when he first saw the character, that visiting the Walt Disney Animation Campus is like going into the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory, what makes this such a special character, why Baymax is so popular, setting up a recording studio in his closest in order to make this during the COVID lockdown, and how Baymax might try to help the zombies in The Walking Dead universe, where Adsit has had a live-action role in World Beyond.
Collider: Thank you for your part in gifting us with more new Baymax. It always warms my heart.
SCOTT ADSIT: Oh, good. That’s what he’s here for.
On a bit of a silly note, one of my favorite things about the Spider-Man ride in Avengers campus at Disney California Adventure is the fact that there is a Baymax toy inside of the claw machine in the W.E.B. workshop. I like to check in on him, every time I go on the ride, just to make sure he’s still there. Were you aware of that? Have you gotten to see him?
ADSIT: No, I have to. I haven’t been to the Avengers Campus yet. I like going to Disneyland when I’m in L.A., but I haven’t been there in two and a half years. I need to get back. It’s he’s in a claw machine in Spider-Man’s world, does that mean he’s in the universe? That would be nice.
Yeah, it’s very fun. I was very excited when I saw him there. So, when you first saw the character of Baymax and you first recorded the voice for him, because he is such a different kind of character, did you have any idea you’d still be voicing him, all this time later? Could you ever have imagined that he’d become such a beloved character?
ADSIT: I had a hard time imagining I would still have a job, by the end of the project. No, I didn’t expect it to have this longevity. I just thought, “This is a great story with great characters, all around. This is gonna be really fun.” I got to go behind the curtain at Disney, which was a big thrill too. They took me to the Animation Campus at the studio and I got to see behind the scenes of how all those amazing artists put together their genius work. It’s like going into the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory. It’s just astoundingly full of magic. It’s amazing. That was the most exciting aspect then, and I didn’t see anything beyond that. I just thought, “What’s happening now is the most exciting thing I could think of.” The idea of going beyond that was past my imagination.
Did it always feel like a special character to you?
ADSIT: Yeah, in the same sense that, every character I play, I try to make special. I knew this had something else going for it. Being a Disney project, it would be seen by a lot of people. I also knew that the quality would have to be so high because Disney has very high standards for their storytelling. And I knew that it would be different from other things I’ve played because there would be a purity to it, which speaks of the genius, understanding of character, storytelling, and the human condition that Disney is known for.
With as simple as the character of Baymax seems, are you surprised that he seems to really fit in and work in any environment, situation, or scenario, and that he can really interact with any number of people and all different kinds of people?
ADSIT: Yeah. Boiling it down, he really is just the best aspects of all of us, so he works with anyone who’s human because we recognize in him the aspects of ourselves that we admire. When we sit down and really take ourselves into account, it’s the qualities that we admire most in ourselves. So, when we see Baymax being Baymax, we’re seeing ourselves at our most pure.
And it’s not just with humans. He can even win over a cat, which not everyone can do.
ADSIT: No one can win over a cat, as far as in my experience. But yea, he does it.
Baymax is a character that really does have heart, humor, and compassion, and he never has any judgment. Living in a world where it feels like everything could burn down, at any moment, does it ever feel challenging to find Baymax? Is he always that welcome warm hug that warms your heart?
ADSIT: I think why he remains popular is because, in spite of everything that’s going on, he still is the best part of humanity. He’s helpful. He’s interested. He’s got knowledge to impart. He doesn’t have judgment. He’s all empathy. When the world gets dangerous or unkind, empathy is what we all need, and we need people to give us that empathy, and Baymax is a character who can do that.
You’ve played Baymax in an ongoing story with Big Hero 6, and now you get these little shorts, which all eventually connect, but you get to see him in some different scenarios. As an actor, what’s the fun in that?
ADSIT: He’s great because he’s consistent with who he is, no matter who he’s dealing with, so it’s always fun. What’s funny about Baymax is not what he says or does, it’s how people react to what he does. He’s always pretty constant, but then we get to see how different kinds of people react to him. That’s where all the funny comes from. I really enjoy getting Baymax in a room with a different person, each time, and seeing what’s different. Baymax stays true to who he is, and the others who are interacting with Baymax, in his very defined, pure self, find a better aspect of themselves and change a little bit. I think that’s really exciting.
This series was done during COVID lockdown, so you created a recording studio in your closet. What goes into actually making that happen and what was that like to work in? Is it different from the typical process? Can you do the process anywhere, or are there challenges when you have to do it in a situation like that?
ADSIT: Speaking only for myself, it’s a little more cumbersome because my closet opens up with two doors and I put a soundproof lid on it. And then, I put a curtain, which is the bedspread, over that, so the fourth wall of the closet is a bedspread. And then, to run my own session and to be my own engineer for the session, I’m online with the directors who are telling me, “Do this. Change this. Do that.” And then, I’ve gotta run my computer by opening my curtain, hitting buttons, closing my curtain, and getting back in front of the mic. I have friends who have studios built in their houses, and they run it very professionally. Mine is all very held together by baling wire and chewing gum. I really do enjoy it because I feel like I’m in the trenches.
I think it’s so interesting that you also do live-action acting roles and that you’ve even been in The Walking Dead universe with World Beyond. How do you think Baymax would react to a world with zombies, where he wouldn’t actually be able to do much to help them?
ADSIT: He would try to make them feel better. He would probably try to curb their hunger, perhaps with diet tips. He might wanna make them vegetarian, to avoid causing harm. He would try to reduce their anxiety. He would waste a lot of gauze and bandages. He would try to help the zombies first because they’re the most injured. I think he might be able to quell that hunger in them and make them a little more healthy.
If anybody could do it, I believe Baymax could.
ADSIT: Yes.
Baymax! is available to stream at Disney+. You can watch the recent trailer below.