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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With April Morely

Aired May 24, 2003 - 14:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Jim Carrey may get top billing in the new film "Bruce Almighty," but as anyone who has seen the film can tell you or even the film trailer, Buster the dog is the one who steals the show. CNN's Paul Clinton has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL CLINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet Buster, or Sam, as he's known, in the new film "Bruce Almighty." Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston get top billing, but Buster is the lead canine, just ask him. Carrey plays a guy who becomes endowed with almighty powers. And one of his first miracles is to potty train Sam.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good boy.

CLINTON: The miracle was really achieved by animal trainer April Morely.

APRIL MORELY, BUSTER'S TRAINER: Nudge, nudge, good, good, get your feet up. Stay. Very good. Very good. Can you flush? Foot. Foot. Good. Other foot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forget something?

CLINTON: Yes, he can even put the seat back down.

MORELY: I put a piece of food right here, on the side. So when he comes in to nudge it -- we help it go down. Let's see if he can do it on his own this time.

CLINTON (on camera): Does it work with husbands, putting the food behind it?

MORELY: I don't think so.

CLINTON: If he knows how to put the seat down, he's ahead of me.

MORELY: He is ahead of most men.

CLINTON (voice-over): In other respects, Buster acts like a typical male.

MORELY: He loves the couch, that's where he wants to be.

CLINTON (on camera): I don't blame him, Jennifer and the couch. How much does it cost like this for a dog to do the movie? MORELY: It depends how long they are going to do the movie, how much action. A dog's rental rate can be anywhere from a couple hundred dollars a day up to $1,000.

CLINTON (voice-over): Like most stars, Buster won't discuss his salary, but he does understand the importance of doing interviews.

(on camera): Are you a movie star? Yes! Your movie is going to be number one at the box office? It is?

Good working with you, too.

Yes, enjoyed it.

Come on, Buster, let's go. Let's go to the bathroom. Come on. Not in my shoe, Buster!

(voice-over): OK, nobody's perfect. Paul Clinton, CNN, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, that's a sight, Buster's training Paul how to use the bathroom. All right joining me now to talk more about Buster's breakout role is trainer April Morely and of course the top dog himself, Buster. April, this is amazing. All right, so we saw how you trained Buster, but at first you had even to spot the little pooch. Am I correct, that you found Buster in a puppy pound?

MORELY: Yes, in North Hollywood animal shelter. I was scouting, looking for a different-looking dog for the project. Because we had shown so many dogs to the director and he wasn't quite sure which one he wanted. And Buster caught my eye off the bat. There's something special about his look, about his face, his personality. And I grabbed him.

WHITFIELD: He's so cute. Somehow you just knew he would have the potential to be possibly a good actor. Sometimes the dog can look the part but won't follow through on the instructions.

MORELY: Got to have the brains also. He has a lot of energy. And that's what we look for. They have to have to have all the attributes you really don't want as a pet. You want to have them digging and chewing, all kinds of energy we can funnel -- or use for this kind of work.

WHITFIELD: Yes, you want to teach him how to do the digging and chewing on cue, right?

MORELY: On cue right, like lifting the toilet, everything else, everything is on cue.

WHITFIELD: Wow, you use the treats to get him to respond. What strictly is his motivation? Because all actors have to have motivation. MORELY: Well, his motivation is basically attention. He loves to be petted. He's friendly, he likes everybody on set. And the more I pet him and more I talk to him and the more I play with him, the more he likes. These are just extras.

WHITFIELD: We saw how you tried to teach him -- or you did successfully teach him how to use the toilet. How did you get him to read the newspaper?

MORELY: Well, believe it or not reading the newspaper he wasn't actually reading, he was just sitting there looking at it.

WHITFIELD: I kind of figured. I don't know anybody who can teach him to read yet. I haven't tried that one. It seems as though he really does feel good about pleasing everyone on the set, about carrying out, you know, these tricks.

MORELY: He loves to work. The attention he gets while he's working is the big payoff. He loved Jennifer, he loved Jim. All he really wanted to do was run and jump in their lap. He really didn't want to do the gags. He looked forward to getting all the pets from Tom, Jim and Jennifer every day. He loved it.

WHITFIELD: So all of us who have dogs want some tips, how do we get our dogs to do that? I have a little secret, I had a Siamese cat who used the toilet on her own, and we didn't have to teach her. But I have a feeling you have to teach the pooch to do that.

MORELY: You have to teach the pooch to do that. And it's all about the -- getting the action, getting up there making him look like he's doing that because we know he's really not doing that.

WHITFIELD: Like flushing the toilet, what's the motivation, how do you get the dog to do that?

MORELY: He had to learn to use his feet, first of all. Way before he got near the toilet. We teach him to his foot when he says "give me your foot." That's the basics then you start with that. Then give him something to put the foot on. Then you reward it. Once he learned One trick. He learned to put them all together. It's a sequence of training procedures.

WHITFIELD: We're going to watch and see how Buster responds to you. Because it looks like you almost always give him a treat. We'll let you do your thing for now.

MORELY: Good boy. Speak, speak. Good. Back up. Up high. Good. Sit. Beg up high. Come on, up. Good, all right. Come on, come on. This is the fun part. Good! That's the fun part.

WHITFIELD: It looks like to be successful, too, you have to use the same commands all the time so as not to confuse Buster, or your dog at home.

MORELY: Right, and they learn your mannerisms, they learn your moods. They learn the feeling of stress the tension you have when you're working on the set. They play off everything that you show them. You have to be consistent with your demands sets from them, your commands and what you want from them. Because they are like kids. Sometimes it takes 5 times for him to do what I ask him to do.

WHITFIELD: Because he knows how long he can get away with it. So if you are energetic about the project and Buster will be too.

MORELY: Than he is.

WHITFIELD: April Morely, thanks very much and thanks to Buster.

MORELY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Here is a treat for him for a doing this for us. Appreciate it.

MORELY: Good boy. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Thanks a lot, April.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 24, 2003 - 14:48   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Jim Carrey may get top billing in the new film "Bruce Almighty," but as anyone who has seen the film can tell you or even the film trailer, Buster the dog is the one who steals the show. CNN's Paul Clinton has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL CLINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet Buster, or Sam, as he's known, in the new film "Bruce Almighty." Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston get top billing, but Buster is the lead canine, just ask him. Carrey plays a guy who becomes endowed with almighty powers. And one of his first miracles is to potty train Sam.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good boy.

CLINTON: The miracle was really achieved by animal trainer April Morely.

APRIL MORELY, BUSTER'S TRAINER: Nudge, nudge, good, good, get your feet up. Stay. Very good. Very good. Can you flush? Foot. Foot. Good. Other foot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forget something?

CLINTON: Yes, he can even put the seat back down.

MORELY: I put a piece of food right here, on the side. So when he comes in to nudge it -- we help it go down. Let's see if he can do it on his own this time.

CLINTON (on camera): Does it work with husbands, putting the food behind it?

MORELY: I don't think so.

CLINTON: If he knows how to put the seat down, he's ahead of me.

MORELY: He is ahead of most men.

CLINTON (voice-over): In other respects, Buster acts like a typical male.

MORELY: He loves the couch, that's where he wants to be.

CLINTON (on camera): I don't blame him, Jennifer and the couch. How much does it cost like this for a dog to do the movie? MORELY: It depends how long they are going to do the movie, how much action. A dog's rental rate can be anywhere from a couple hundred dollars a day up to $1,000.

CLINTON (voice-over): Like most stars, Buster won't discuss his salary, but he does understand the importance of doing interviews.

(on camera): Are you a movie star? Yes! Your movie is going to be number one at the box office? It is?

Good working with you, too.

Yes, enjoyed it.

Come on, Buster, let's go. Let's go to the bathroom. Come on. Not in my shoe, Buster!

(voice-over): OK, nobody's perfect. Paul Clinton, CNN, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, that's a sight, Buster's training Paul how to use the bathroom. All right joining me now to talk more about Buster's breakout role is trainer April Morely and of course the top dog himself, Buster. April, this is amazing. All right, so we saw how you trained Buster, but at first you had even to spot the little pooch. Am I correct, that you found Buster in a puppy pound?

MORELY: Yes, in North Hollywood animal shelter. I was scouting, looking for a different-looking dog for the project. Because we had shown so many dogs to the director and he wasn't quite sure which one he wanted. And Buster caught my eye off the bat. There's something special about his look, about his face, his personality. And I grabbed him.

WHITFIELD: He's so cute. Somehow you just knew he would have the potential to be possibly a good actor. Sometimes the dog can look the part but won't follow through on the instructions.

MORELY: Got to have the brains also. He has a lot of energy. And that's what we look for. They have to have to have all the attributes you really don't want as a pet. You want to have them digging and chewing, all kinds of energy we can funnel -- or use for this kind of work.

WHITFIELD: Yes, you want to teach him how to do the digging and chewing on cue, right?

MORELY: On cue right, like lifting the toilet, everything else, everything is on cue.

WHITFIELD: Wow, you use the treats to get him to respond. What strictly is his motivation? Because all actors have to have motivation. MORELY: Well, his motivation is basically attention. He loves to be petted. He's friendly, he likes everybody on set. And the more I pet him and more I talk to him and the more I play with him, the more he likes. These are just extras.

WHITFIELD: We saw how you tried to teach him -- or you did successfully teach him how to use the toilet. How did you get him to read the newspaper?

MORELY: Well, believe it or not reading the newspaper he wasn't actually reading, he was just sitting there looking at it.

WHITFIELD: I kind of figured. I don't know anybody who can teach him to read yet. I haven't tried that one. It seems as though he really does feel good about pleasing everyone on the set, about carrying out, you know, these tricks.

MORELY: He loves to work. The attention he gets while he's working is the big payoff. He loved Jennifer, he loved Jim. All he really wanted to do was run and jump in their lap. He really didn't want to do the gags. He looked forward to getting all the pets from Tom, Jim and Jennifer every day. He loved it.

WHITFIELD: So all of us who have dogs want some tips, how do we get our dogs to do that? I have a little secret, I had a Siamese cat who used the toilet on her own, and we didn't have to teach her. But I have a feeling you have to teach the pooch to do that.

MORELY: You have to teach the pooch to do that. And it's all about the -- getting the action, getting up there making him look like he's doing that because we know he's really not doing that.

WHITFIELD: Like flushing the toilet, what's the motivation, how do you get the dog to do that?

MORELY: He had to learn to use his feet, first of all. Way before he got near the toilet. We teach him to his foot when he says "give me your foot." That's the basics then you start with that. Then give him something to put the foot on. Then you reward it. Once he learned One trick. He learned to put them all together. It's a sequence of training procedures.

WHITFIELD: We're going to watch and see how Buster responds to you. Because it looks like you almost always give him a treat. We'll let you do your thing for now.

MORELY: Good boy. Speak, speak. Good. Back up. Up high. Good. Sit. Beg up high. Come on, up. Good, all right. Come on, come on. This is the fun part. Good! That's the fun part.

WHITFIELD: It looks like to be successful, too, you have to use the same commands all the time so as not to confuse Buster, or your dog at home.

MORELY: Right, and they learn your mannerisms, they learn your moods. They learn the feeling of stress the tension you have when you're working on the set. They play off everything that you show them. You have to be consistent with your demands sets from them, your commands and what you want from them. Because they are like kids. Sometimes it takes 5 times for him to do what I ask him to do.

WHITFIELD: Because he knows how long he can get away with it. So if you are energetic about the project and Buster will be too.

MORELY: Than he is.

WHITFIELD: April Morely, thanks very much and thanks to Buster.

MORELY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Here is a treat for him for a doing this for us. Appreciate it.

MORELY: Good boy. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Thanks a lot, April.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com