Movies - TV
Paul Walker Took The Time Getting To Know All The Dogs Of Eight Below
By MIYAKO PLEINES
Disney’s “Eight Below” starred the late Paul Walker as Jerry Shepard, an Antarctica research base guide who had to leave his team of sled dogs behind due to an impending storm, but returned for them as soon as he could. Remarkably, Walker’s performance as a canine-loving dog whisperer was based on his real-life bond with the pooches of the film both on and off the set.
In a 2006 interview with The Morning Call, Walker talked about the details of his relationships with the dogs of the film. He told the paper, “I was dealing with 64 dogs because each dog had eight doubles,” going on to describe just how close he got to his canine co-stars. “I knew them all by name. I knew each and every one of their personalities.”
Walker's dedication to getting to know and understand the many dogs that helped make the film possible is an enchanting detail about the film that definitely translated to the on-screen rapport his character has with his sled dog team. However, Walker still had his favorite pooch: “I wanted to go home with Jasper. He was solid white and had beautiful blue, squinty eyes.”