David Schwimmer talks 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted'

Melman's in Monte Carlo -- as are Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Gloria the hippo and the "psychotic" penguins. Following the animated "Madagascar" (2005) and "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" (2008), Melman the hypochondriac giraffe and friends are hiding in a circus as they continue trying to return to the Central Park Zoo in "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," opening Friday.

Schwimmer, 45, who co-stars with Amy Ryan in playwright Lisa D'Amour's Off-Broadway production "Detroit" this August, spoke with Newsday.

I don't know. When Jeffrey Katzenberg first approached me and told me the story about these four "zoo-sters," I was wondering which one he had in mind for me. When he told me it was the giraffe, I was really relieved because I've always honestly had an affinity toward giraffes. And I think it's because I feel they're so vulnerable. Even though they're often very graceful and majestic, I think they're just big easy targets in the animal kingdom.

Yeah. They just seem so easy to take down. And what is their defense? They have no defense mechanism.

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It's challenging because you're completely alone, so you're really using your imagination to create the whole scene -- how would co-stars] Chris [Rock] or Jada [Pinkett Smith] or Ben [Stiller] say this line? Sometimes you have another actor they bring in just to cue you and read the dialogue, but it's never the same. You're not going to get someone as good as Chris Rock to be Chris Rock. I'm appreciative of them, because it's tough, what they're doing -- they're trying to be someone else and that's never really fun. And then we just work. And my philosophy is, I try to give the directors 10 variations of every line.

I don't remember specifically lines, but what's amazing to me is when there's a certain take that my character Melman does where I suddenly recognize myself. And then I'm like, "Holy crap! I can't believe they got me!" The good thing about voice work is that they're always videotaping you in the booth, so the animators go back and watch your expressions and, more importantly to me, your timing.

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No. I don't know why that's on IMDb, but I never was in that.

Please, because I have no idea why . There's stuff on I have no idea how it gets on there.

No, not at all. Please set the record straight. I guess it's a natural assumption because we have the same last name, but no. I've never even met her. Although I am friends with -- and have worked with -- a wonderful character actress by the name of Rusty Schwimmer. She's great. You'd recognize her in a heartbeat -- "The Perfect Storm" .

No.

I love to dance but I don't feel any real need to make it a public event.