Wallace & Gromit star addresses take over from Peter Sallis

Wallace & Gromit are back on our screens this Christmas in critically acclaimed new film Vengeance Most Fowl.

It marks the first feature film for the beloved duo since 2005 Curse of the Were-Rabbitand the film also marks the first full outing for Ben Whitehead as the voice of Wallace.

Whitehead worked with the late Peter Sallis on Curse of the Were-Rabbit and has voiced Wallace since Sallis retired in 2010.

Prior to the premiere of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl on BBC One this Christmas Day, Whitehead has now addressed taking on the role of Wallace and how he approached it.

Related: News Wallace and Gromit movie is a must-see this Christmas

“There are always challenges approaching the character that someone else has done, especially given Peter’s legacy. The main thing to consider is that you’re not going to be able to do exactly the same thing as them,” said he in the press for the new film.

“Nick (Park) and Merlin (Crossingham) also assured me that because a voice match wasn’t what was required here. However, I wanted to try to take as much as I could from what Peter brought to this character, which originally made with Peter in mind.

“I took as much as I could from Peter’s character, but also brought some of my own aspects and characteristics to it.”

Having played Wallace in various outings outside of their films, Whitehead knows what it takes to get “as close as I could to a voice match” for the character.

And he has revealed an apt word that helped him get into the Wallace mindset.

Related: Best Movies on TV This Christmas

“As for trying to capture Peter’s voice from before, of course I listen back to them and see what’s come before, which I’ve done since I was a young lad watching. A magnificent day out“, Whitehead explained.

“Now the journey to work is good for me as I can sit on a train and watch the Wallace & Gromit movies and have a real laugh and get into character. For me ‘cheese’ is definitely the trigger word that helps me to get into character.

“I was also coached by Andrea Hazel Lewis, who took the time to look at Peter’s voice and Wallace’s character. For example, Wallace sometimes sticks his tongue out a little bit so you can do something similar when you’re voicing him.”

You will be able to see if you can tell the difference when the new one Wallace and Gromit movie premieres this Christmas.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl premieres on Christmas Day on BBC iPlayer and BBC One at 6.10pm. It will be released globally outside the UK on Netflix on 3 January 2025.

Film Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of experience in film journalism as a writer and editor. Starting as an intern at Trade Bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyze UK box office results, as well as carving out his own niche with horror films and attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became film editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as a guest expert on BBC News and on – stage at MCM Comic-Con. Wherever he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.