HOLLYWOOD -- The star actors on Monsters, Inc. had a monstrously good time making what is promising to be one of the megahit movies of 2001.

The line-up includes Billy Crystal and John Goodman, who play the dynamic duo at the heart of the story, as well as strong support players James Coburn, Jennifer Tilly, Steve Buscemi, Frank Oz, Bonnie Hunt and the working class hero from TV's Cheers, John Ratzenberger.

But they were not hired just because they have star appeal, says John Lasseter, co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios, creator of the two sensational Toy Story movies, and executive producer of Monsters, Inc., which opens Friday under the "Walt Disney Presents" banner.

After all, Monsters, Inc. is a computer animated movie, not a live action spectacle that needs recognizable faces on the screen and names on the marquee. Monsters, Inc. is about two scary monsters who work at a factory capturing the screams of children to use as energy power in Monstropolis and are confronted with a human child who accidentally crosses over from her bedroom.

"In choosing actors to work on these (movies)," says Lasseter, "it's not how big their names are, it's how good they are as actors. We love actors who have good improv abilities because we always record the dialogue before we do the animation and, in the (recording) sessions, we want them to take something and make it their own.

"Animation is a very laborious process. It takes four years to make these films and, for two-and-a-half years, you're working just on story. We strive to find spontaneity wherever we can. One of the key things is just letting the actors go with it, making things up, and getting actors like John Goodman and Billy Crystal to do it."

Says Crystal: "Basically, you do radio for a year-and-a-half." Crystal does the voice for "my little guy," who is a round, one-eyed, lime green monster named Mike, a guy with a whip-like wit. "You have to imagine the set. You have to imagine your costumes and you're just doing a radio play."

But Crystal insisted on changing the usual Pixar protocol, which is to record each actor separately and then edit them together while the computer animators work on the visuals.

"We did everything together, which I insisted on," Crystal says of working with Goodman. He tried it alone first and felt lost and silly. With Goodman, he soared. "These two guys, they have to be like a '30s comedy. They're Laurel and Hardy."

Goodman, whose burly blue-green character Sully is the hero of Monsters, Inc., was just as enthusiastic, although the logistics -- Crystal is based in New York, Goodman in New Orleans -- was awkward for Pixar.

"It's unique and rarely happens," says Goodman. "Usually you're by yourself, but, when Billy and I got together, the energy just went through the roof. It was great."

Goodman has done voice work before, including for Disney's The Emperor's New Groove. In that comedy cartoon, he bounced his words off David Spade, but the two never even met during the recording of the dialogue.

Steve Buscemi, who plays the villainous, ferret-like monster Randall, is both proud of his contribution and jealous of the opportunity Crystal and Goodman had to collaborate.

"Randall was definitely an important part of the story, so that feels good, to be one of the main characters. And it was exciting to hear my voice acting with Billy Crystal and John Goodman and James Coburn and Frank Oz. It would have been nice to have really been in a room with them."

Buscemi did do one session with Oz, the Muppet legend. "That was a real treat and a real honour because he's just a genius at doing voice work."

Ratzenberger worked on both Toy Story movies as well as A Bug's Life, and is a fan of all of Pixar's work. In Monsters, Inc., he plays Yeti, the lovable abominable snowman. Ratzenberger also thinks it is timely.

"It's just a funny movie and it's got a good message: Work through your fears. That should be the key, that should be the drumbeat that Hollywood follows right now."


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