Allan Henry, the motion capture performer who played the infamous Cocaine Bear in Elizabeth Banks’ latest film, had quite the challenge on his hands. The bear, known as “Cokey,” is a drug-addicted, 500-pound beast that is not as humanistic as the apes in the “Planet of the Apes” trilogy, which Henry also worked on. However, he managed to bring Cokey to life with realistic movements and reactions to create a believable on-screen character.
Taking Inspiration from Famous Bears
To get into the mind of a bear, Henry studied nature documentaries, CCTV footage, and footage of bears in media, such as the bear from “The Revenant” and Baloo from “The Jungle Book,” which he also worked on. He also observed bears’ pace, movements, and breathing patterns to create an authentic portrayal of Cokey.
Becoming the Cocaine Bear
Henry’s costume for the role was a crutch-like outfit with a ring that supported his forearm and rods that came down the sides with a hand grip to hold onto. The costume extended to a prosthetic foot or rubber ball, making his arm half a meter longer. Henry also wore a helmet with aluminium bars that had a silicone bear snout and mouth with ping-pong ball eyes. The silicone was soft and moved like skin, allowing Henry to move against actors and interact with the environment without causing any damage. The Challenges of Playing Cokey While Henry had experience playing animals in motion capture, he found the role of Cokey to be more challenging because of the bear's lack of human-like qualities. He had to move and breathe like a bear while conveying emotions and reactions through the character's movements. But his hard work paid off, as the realistic portrayal of Cokey in the film helped to create an immersive experience for audiences.
{{/usCountry}}Henry’s costume for the role was a crutch-like outfit with a ring that supported his forearm and rods that came down the sides with a hand grip to hold onto. The costume extended to a prosthetic foot or rubber ball, making his arm half a meter longer. Henry also wore a helmet with aluminium bars that had a silicone bear snout and mouth with ping-pong ball eyes. The silicone was soft and moved like skin, allowing Henry to move against actors and interact with the environment without causing any damage. The Challenges of Playing Cokey While Henry had experience playing animals in motion capture, he found the role of Cokey to be more challenging because of the bear's lack of human-like qualities. He had to move and breathe like a bear while conveying emotions and reactions through the character's movements. But his hard work paid off, as the realistic portrayal of Cokey in the film helped to create an immersive experience for audiences.
{{/usCountry}}Allan Henry’s performance as the motion capture performer for Cocaine Bear is an example of the importance of behind-the-scenes work in creating an engaging film. As for the film’s success, it is a testament to the power of storytelling and the desire for unique and compelling narratives in cinema.