Australian comic Akmal Saleh on his role in new animated movie 200% Wolf

Some actors have range in their performances, and then there’s comedian Akmal Saleh. “You know, it’s a funny thing, I’ve done a lot of cartoon voices – I was a feral cat, I was a thug, I was a lizard, and they all sound exactly like me,” Saleh says. “They sound exactly like me, there’s not even a slight variation.” So, it’s fair to say being cast as a Scottish terrier in the 2020 animated kids feature 100% Wolf – based on the book of the same name by Perth-based author Jane Lyons – wasn’t a stretch. “I actually didn’t even auditioned for this role,” the veteran comic admits. “They rang me and they heard my voice, and they said, ‘You sound like a dog, you sound like a Scottish terrier with an Egyptian accent, that’s what we’re looking for, it’s very rare to find that’.” Now Saleh has reprised the role of Hamish in the film’s sequel, 200% Wolf, which again follows lead character Freddy Lupin (Ilai Swindells), a pink poodle growing up in a family of werewolves. With a voice cast that includes British comedy royalty Jennifer Saunders and Samara Weaving, Saleh never stopped to think why he was perfect as a terrier and not cast as a werewolf. “No, I couldn’t do it,” he says. “That would be really out of my range completely. “I’ve never turned into a wolf. There was one party a long time ago, where I actually thought I turned into a wolf, but I haven’t touched those substances since.” The new film sees Saleh’s Hamish, Freddy and friends embark on an adventure to save a magical moon spirit. A quest, if you will, which is something Saleh could relate to. “Look, the older I get, a quest now is just to get up out of bed on time to get to my gigs, and wearing pants,” the comic quips. “It doesn’t sound like a big quest, but, at my stage in my career, it’s an achievement.” The hard-working Saleh has been playing his trade in venues around Australia for 30 years, and has watched stand-up comedy evolve significantly over that time. “When I was starting out, it was really blokey, and there was not many women doing it, and it was a certain type of aggressive humour,” Saleh explains. “And there are people who are really successful now that would never have got a chance when I was starting out, because it wasn’t considered comedy then, but it is now.” Just like his routine has been informed by the evolution of comedy, Saleh hopes audiences will take lessons from 200% Wolf. “Well, if you can help it, don’t turn into a wolf in inappropriate moments, like, you know, if you’re in Coles or something, maybe try and stop yourself from doing that,” he advises. But that’s not the only reason to take the kids along to see 200% Wolf. “This is the first animation in history to feature a Scottish terrier with an Egyptian accent,” Saleh says. “It’s absolutely historic. Never been done before and never likely to be done again.” 200% Wolf is in theatres now.