Celebrity Parade With Jeanne Wolf

June 6, 2008 — -- DUSTIN HOFFMAN

It's a small role for an academy award winning legend. Dustin Hoffman is the voice of a mousey guru of martial arts in the animated "Kung Fu Panda." It's up to him to turn a roly poly panda into a kicking and punching fighting machine to save the kingdom from an evil leopard. Forget the plot, I wanted to find out how Hoffman feels about young stars like Brit and Lindsay ending up in rehab.Hoffman told Parade:

"People that are in the arts -- not just actors, but you know, that become famous -- so why do they suddenly start drinking? Why do they become addicts? Why do they suddenly start to become so self-destructive? I don't know, but maybe one of the reasons is that it doesn't do it -- the demons are there. One of the things you learn when you become famous is it demystifies a myth -- it doesn't change anything, anything really organic inside you. And the myth is that it does."

Hoffman's advice -- just say no.

ADAM SANDLER

Adam Sandler is back to being totally wacky. Adam's a tough Israeli commando in "You Don't Mess With the Zohan." But, he wants to move to the big apple and be a hairdresser. After faking his death he becomes the most popular stylist in New York. But, hey, bad people want him dead. There's more, but, come on, we can't give away all the jokes. Here's the irony, even though he's going for laughs, Sandler takes it all seriously.Adam told Parade:

"There are times that I look back and I just go 'why didn't you just enjoy that?' I mean, making a movie – I should just be happy the whole time making it. But, I get so nutty. And I just get so – I spin out of control. I see the other people looking at me like, 'just shut up and we'll come up with it. But, your energy is scaring everybody right now.' So, yeah, I wish I could calm down a little bit."

Adam reveals that his family helps keep him centered. He says. "When I'm with them I understand how to be comfortable doing nothing."

JACK BLACK

Jack Black finally gets a chance to be an action hero, only he's animated. In "Kung Fu Panda," Jack is a bear who's learning martial arts so he can fight a really mean snow leopard. Jack admits, "The best thing about doing just the voice is that I didn't have to learn how to kick and punch for real." There was another plus. Black is in a movie that his young son Sam can see. And he's only too ready to reveal that he's a doting dad to his toddler. Jack told Parade:

"Even when he's crying, he's cute. And I have to watch out not to smile while he's crying because he'll think I'm a cold bastard. But, sometimes I can tell that he's crying – when he's crying for real, you know, I know it -- but other times I can tell he's crying to manipulate me and to get an ice cream or something or just because he wants some love and sympathies."

Black is getting ready to be a daddy again. And he admits, "being a parent has already changed me forever."

FOR MORE ON FAMOUS FACES, GO TO PARADE.COM