What TARS from Interstellar Looks Like in Reality

The iconic “Interstellar” robot is voiced by Bill Irwin of “Law & Order: SVU” fame. Irwin, a veteran comedian and Broadway performer known for his physicality and clown work, not only provided the voice for TARS but also performed the puppetry for the robot. Christopher Nolan and his team built TARS (and the other robot, CASE) from scratch, allowing them to be controlled by a human. Although Irwin is not a robot, TARS and CASE bear no resemblance to the performer who brought them to life on the big screen.

While speaking with Vulture, Irwin openly discussed the entire process, revealing just how challenging it was to control a massive robot constructed from sheet metal. “We would push this thing around. At first it was a matter of gripping a cable that you’d have to grip hard,” Irwin said of the early prototype. Over time, the process became much easier, which Irwin likened to shifting “from squeezing the brakes on an old bicycle to playing a video game.”

The “puppet” stood about five feet tall and required significant effort to be maneuvered. “You operated it from behind,” Irwin explained. He detailed that controlling it involved pushing, with attachments at the chest and each ankle, and having his hands on the controls at the back of the machine.

Source: Vulture