Star Colleen O'Shaughnessey opens up about her return as Tails for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, saying the yellow fox isn't yet a fully formed ally. Miles "Tails" Prower made his debut in the SEGA video game franchise with 1992's Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and has been one of the titular speedster's best friends and closest allies through subsequent titles. Tails is best known for his flying skills, both with his iconic biplane nicknamed the Tornado and utilizing his twin tails like a helicopter rotor, and for his admiration to be just like Sonic.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will pick up shortly after the events of the first film as the titular hero is left at home in Green Hills, Montana while Tom and Maddie head to Hawaii for Rachel's wedding, only to find his solo time ruined when Dr. Eggman returns from the mushroom planet with the help of Knuckles the Echidna in the search for the Master Emerald. Ben Schwartz returns to lead the cast as Sonic alongside O'Shaughnessey as Tails, Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik/Eggman, James Marsden as Tom, Tika Sumpter as Maddie, Natasha Rothwell as Rachel and the introduction of Idris Elba as Knuckles. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is gearing up to hit theaters next week and those behind the film are offering some insight for what's to come from their characters.
In anticipation of the film's release, GamesRadar+ caught up with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 star Colleen O'Shaughnessey to discuss Tails' return. When asked how she approached the role differently from the games, she revealed that Tails isn't a fully formed ally to Sonic in the sequel movie and views the story as a prequel to the source material. See what O'Shaughnessey shared below:
"It's just different scenarios, different situations. We're meeting him at a different stage of his relationship with Sonic, we're just getting to know him. It's more like a prequel, if you will, to what I've worked on before. Because all of those relationships were already established in things I worked on previously."
Since his debut in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 game, Tails has been voiced by a variety of performers, though O'Shaughnessey has held the role for nearly a decade beginning with 2014's Sonic Boom TV show. She would briefly be replaced by former Tails actress Kate Higgins for Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps miniseries in 2021. Tails first appeared in the credits sequence for the original Sonic the Hedgehog in which he arrived on Earth through a ring portal and expressing a hope that he can find Sonic before an unknown threat can stop them.
Though Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has received more mixed reviews than its predecessor, one point of praise has been the film's further dive into the lore and mythology of the video game franchise, with Tails' larger inclusion being one of the aspects. With director Jeff Fowler recently teasing that the ongoing movies won't necessarily follow the Sonic games, it's understandable deviations are being taken to create an engaging experience for longtime fans and newcomers, including the prequel approach to the story that O'Shaughnessey describes. Only time will tell how Tails' introduction fares with audiences when Sonic the Hedgehog 2 hits theaters on April 8.
Source: GamesRadar+
