Director Brad Bird recently explained in a recent interview I stumbled across in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that going with novice voice actor Lou Romano wasn’t a difficult choice. Bird also selected lesser-known comedian Patton Oswalt  (who had a supporting role in the TV show, “King of Queens”) as the talented cooking rat, Remy, and Janeane Garofalo, cast as Colette.

They got the call because they “just sounded right”.

Director Brad Bird thinks casting a celebrity for name recognition is often a sign that a filmmaker has doubts about the quality of the story. “They think audiences go to listen to these people. That is insane thinking. I don’t sit there thinking, ‘You know, what I look for in an animated film, it’s a familiar celebrity voice.’ I don’t think anyone cares. That’s not what they go for.”

Yay. There’s hope for us non-celebs. Keep up your passion to sound “just right”….and go see “Ratatouille”.