'Dolphin Tale 2' Star Harry Connick Jr. on Whether Animals Have Souls; 'You'd Have to Think So'
"Dolphin Tale 2" star Harry Connick Jr. recently weighed in on whether he believes animals have souls.
The "American Idol" judge returns as Dr. Clay Haskett in the sequel to Director Charles Martin Smith's 2011 film and he recounted what it was like being around so many different animals during filming.
"Dolphin Tale 2" is based on more true stories from Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) in Florida and a number of new characters, both human and animal, are introduced.
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The film continues the story of Winter, who captured hearts in the first film when she was famously rescued, then fitted with a prosthetic tail.
Hope, who like Winter is also a rescue dolphin in real life, plays a crucial role and ironically her name lends itself to the film's central theme – change.
"You'd have to think so," Connick told the Christian Post exclusively about whether he believes animals have souls. "I have three dogs and a cat and the dog is kind of like my dog - her name is Sammy. There's something else going on … When you have a connection - I don't know whether it's the connection that makes you think they have a soul or whether it's the soul that makes you think you have a connection. But something is going on."
Connick stars alongside Morgan Freeman (Dr. Cameron McCarthy) and Ashley Judd (Lorraine Nelson) in the family friendly film. Teen actors Nathan Gamble and Cozi Zuehlsdorff also return as Sawyer Nelson and Hazel Haskett.
Being around so many diverse creatures like Winter while filming gave Connick a newfound respect for animals.
"When you get around this animal, your perspective changes. You see things in a different way. There's an acceptance there. There's so much to be learned from that," he said during a press conference. "All of us know what it's like to wake up with the intent of having a great day and you just get smacked down with some awful news and something happens to you or somebody that you love … a death or whatever it is. But what do we do? We keep moving on and whatever grace that allows us to do that, we keep aspiring to have."
Smith, who described the film as having "more complexity" than the first one, did not initially set out to make a sequel.
During the wrap party for the first film, Hope, a baby bottlenose dolphin, was rescued and would inspire him to create "Dolphin Tale 2."
"I remember that night," said Connick who attended the wrap party. "I remember this kind of excitement that night … they found this baby dolphin. No one had any inkling that they'd be doing a sequel. In some ways it's even better than the first [film], it's sort of more complex."
Austin Stowell is back as Kyle Connellan and Austin Highsmith plays CMA trainer Phoebe. Champion surfer Bethany Hamilton is introduced and she plays herself.
Smith explained his goals in creating "Dolphin Tale 2," which hits theaters across the U.S. this Friday.
"I really wanted to emphasize the rescue, rehab release in this film and that these animals (if at all possible) should be put back in the wild. Winter can't ever go home, but if she could she'd be out in a heartbeat," Smith said.
"These are wild animals, they're not pets. They're not here for our entertainment and I really hope that people take that away," he continued. "The other thing I wanted to emphasize was our responsibility to the planet and our responsibility to the remaining wild life and I really do beat it over the head – I hope not too much."
