Jim Carrey explains his process of getting into an emotional and cartoonish state playing the villainous Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Jim Carrey explains how he achieved his Dr. Robotnik performance in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. After the success of 2020's SEGA video game movie Sonic the Hedgehog, the sequel was released in April of this year and reunites Carrey with James Marsden as Sheriff Tom Wachowski, Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic. The Sonic follow-up has so far been met with both critical and commercial success.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Carrey's Robotnik returns to earth after Sonic sent him to a distant planet during the final fight of the first film. He continues to sport the shaved head he had in the end credits of the first movie, looking more like the Robotnik/Eggman fans know from the video games. Accompanying the doctor is Robotnik's new ally, Knuckles the Echidna, voiced by Idris Elba. The sequel also makes good on the teaser from the end credits scene of the first movie, as Sonic's best friend Tails (voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey) features in the follow-up, working with Sonic to defeat Robotnik's new plan. Dr. Robotnik is searching for a powerful emerald that can either create or destroy civilizations, but Sonic is determined to find it first.

In a clip from PEOPLE (via Yahoo! Entertainment), Carrey shares his process for creating the villainous and cartoonish Dr. Robotnik. The character is both physically and mentally demanding, and Carrey goes all in, pushing himself to provide the best possible performance, as Director Jeff Fowler observes. And Carrey's work seems to have paid off. The movie has grossed more than $180 million domestically since its release, beating the original Sonic the Hedgehog film. On his process, Carrey says:

"I throw the spaghetti against the wall, see if it sticks, see if it's al dente. I know the material, and then, of course I want to try it a bunch of different ways. Give the director so much to work with, so many levels of emotion, so many levels of cartoon. I'll do them all night if they let me."

Carrey's career spans four decades, and the mustached Dr. Robotnik is just one of many over-the-top characters the actor has brought to life. His signature manic energy truly embodies the SEGA villain, and a cartoon physicality and mentality have always been hallmarks of Carrey's acting style. The demands of the role are very well suited to Carrey's skill set.

The fact that he put so much into this character is rather telling considering Carrey has recently said that he is retiring from acting. He says that if he finds a perfect, important script, he may come back, but right now, he is taking a break. That makes Dr. Robotnik his last role for a while, so his dedication and experimentation truly show Carrey crafting the character to be the best he could make it. The levels of emotion and cartoonish energy contained within Dr. Robotnik are certainly a highlight in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and it is a fitting send-off for Carrey.

Next: Why Sonic Is Becoming A Live-Action Movie Franchise (But Not Pokémon)

Source: People Exclusive Clip