The Star Online has an article on Playhouse Disney’s Special Agent Oso which includes an interview (via press release) with Sean Astin discussing his role as the title character:
Actor Astin practically jumped at the opportunity of lending his voice for Agent Oso. He not only loves the concept of doing voice-acting as it frees him of all the hassles that come with appearing on the screen including make-up, hair and trying out different clothes, but also because he grew up with Disney as well.
Astin reasoned why he was chosen to provide Oso’s voice: “I know they wanted to find somebody to do the voice that they thought emulated the striking physical features of the character.”
When asked just how much of Special Agent Oso’s personality he to take on, Astin replied, “Probably more than it should. I should probably be embarrassed by the fact that I think, by some extension, secret agent status has been conferred upon me now. I definitely have a little swagger when I mention that to my friends.”
Astin had a secret weapon in finding his connection with his character — [he] read the scripts to his then five-year-old daughter, Elizabeth.
“I wanted to see what she thought of it. I could tell when I was losing her attention, and when I wasn’t. The more I read to her, the more I connected with her … And she’s into it. What was really fun was seeing how she liked it. It reinforced the fact that the format for the show had been well thought out, well-constructed and would likely be appealing for the kids that it’s aimed at.”
Following recent announcement (via Animation Magazine) of Disney Channel picking the show up for a second season, Astin said, “I’m so proud of this show, especially because my kids have connected with it and that makes me cool in their book. I can’t wait to start recording Oso’s new missions…with our fantastic technical team and my incredibly talented castmates.”
Astin’s Oso “castmates” include Meghan Strange (voice of Ruby in The Land Before Time TV series) as Paw Pilot, Gary Anthony Williams (The Goode Family, The Boondocks), as Mr. Dos, Phill Lewis (Kim Possible, American Dad) as Special Agent Wolfie, and Amber Hood (Grim and Evil, Everquest II) as Special Agent Dotty.