We recently got the chance to talk to the voice of the original “Speed Racer” (and lyricist for the original “Speed Racer” theme song) Peter Fernandez about his history with the “Speed Racer” franchise and some of the most memorable moments of his career. Fernandez is playing Spritle in “Speed Racer: The Next Generation,” a new animated half hour TV series that will air on the Nicktoons Network. He also makes an appearance in the live action film that hits theatres on May 9 (which is extremely cool-looking, we might add).
So, you were just at ComicCon. What is it like interacting with “Speed Racer” fans? Well its always hectic at ComicCon. I signed some new manga books that just came out. All of the fans are great – a few years ago in California, I met a man who said that he was inspired by “Speed Racer.” I asked him what he was doing and he was a design engineer for the Ford Motor Company. I’ve had a couple of helicopter pilots who have said the same thing. I had a man whose adult son who cried the whole time he talked to me!
Tell us about “Speed Racer: the Next Generation.” It takes place 35 years or so after the original series. I play the part of Spritle, Speed’s son. He doesn’t know where his father is. He was the little kid in the original series, and now he’s the 40 year old headmaster of a driving school.
Did they keep your theme song? They do a new one that’s sort of similar, but not as catchy. (laughs)
How did you feel about being approached by Warner Bros. for the live action movie? I was thrilled to be asked. They kept pretty close to the original characters. John Goodman, my goodness, he looks just like Pops. The Wachowski brothers [the writers and directors of “Speed Racer”] said that when they were kids, they were big fans and would run home from school to catch “Speed Racer,” so they tried to keep close to the original.
“Speed Racer” was probably the first successful anime franchise in the US. What do you think was appealing to US audiences? One aspect is that all kids play with cars. And here’s a show that’s all about cars. It was the first series, one of the few ever, that had family values in it. It was centered around a family that was involved in every part of the story.
Do you prefer working in television, film, or radio? Radio. First of all, you can do anything in radio. The set [of the story] is in everyone’s mind. It’s a different set for everyone listening. You can do anything with your voice. There were marvelous scripts [for radio] that were adapted into films and plays and other such things.
Do you prefer acting or writing? I used to prefer writing, but now I’m kind of torn. Writing is harder than acting. They are both challenging in different ways. Being a writer, you also get to direct.
What were some of the biggest challenges or most memorable moments of your career? One of the biggest challenges to any actor is keeping working. You go on many auditions, you’re lucky to get a job. I’ve had some marvelous experiences in the business. I was in a play when I was 14 years old for President Roosevelt’s birthday. Afterwards, we had dinner at the White House. He wanted us to sit at his table. I was lucky enough to sit across from President Roosevelt!
