Pass the Haggis: \'d4Sassy\'d5 Sacco To Star With Connery In Scottish Cartoon

The New York Observer, July 17th, 2007

Cameron Diaz, move over! Scotland’s first-ever animated feature film stars the voice of Manhattan nightlife impresario and all-around braw lassie Amy Sacco.

“I play a booby blonde from New York, so it was a real stretch,” said the clearly chuffed Ms. Sacco at a screening of Interview, starring Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller, hosted by Dior Beauty on Wednesday July 11, where she was overheard discussing her new gig with Scottish comedian Billy Connolly. The forthcoming film—working title Sir Billi: Saving Bessie Boo—is set in the Highlands and centers on the adventures of an avuncular veterinarian named Billi, played by Sean Connery. One of the residents of Billi’s small yet cosmopolitan town is an eccentric American named Patti, who is studying the occult. Ms. Sacco plays Patti’s voluptuous sister Toni, who comes to visit from New York and catches Billi’s eye.

“We wanted a really sassy, sexy New York voice for the part,” said writer-producer Tessa Hartmann, who has known Ms. Sacco for years. “I immediately said to my husband [director Sascha Hartmann]: you know Amy would be perfect for this. I’m actually surprised she hasn’t done voice-over work before—she has such a sassy, slow drawl.” Ms. Hartmann added that along with this va-va-va-voice, audiences will be treated to the club queen’s actual body movements—via CGI motion tracking—sometime in the summer of 2008. Hot!

Ms. Sacco insisted the project is a one-off and she has no intention of seriously pursuing a thespian career. (Though she has flirted with the idea of reality TV in the past.) “I don’t think I’m going to be putting anyone’s job in jeopardy,” she said, “except maybe my own.”