PHOENIX — Disney discovered its "Tramp" for the live-action remake of "Lady and the Tramp" at a Phoenix rescue shelter.
Filmmakers found Monte, a two-year-old terrier mix, at HALO Animal Rescue in Phoenix, according to shelter leaders. Monte came to them from a shelter in New Mexico.
“He was adopted from us in April of 2018, and we knew that the people that were meeting with him were considering him to be a Hollywood star, but we didn’t know for what, because it was top secret,” HALO President and CEO Heather Allen said.
However, Allen said they knew Monte had star-quality long before filmmakers came knocking.
“When he arrived at the shelter he was super friendly, he greets people right away, he gives kisses, he loves attention, he knows ‘sit’ and he knows how to walk well on a leash,” Allen said.
Monte seems to be the paw-fect fit for the role as the loveable "Tramp" in the Disney classic.
“He’s a terrier mix of some sort. He’s a shelter mutt. That’s not a dig, by the way. That’s a compliment. That’s what makes this extra cool,” Allen said. “It’s not that shelters don’t have purebred dogs, but he really represents how great shelter dogs are. They are super friendly and can be outgoing.”
Monte lives in California now and he's gearing up for his acting debut.
"Lady and the Tramp" will be released on Disney+ on November 12. Monte will be among a few big names like Justin Theroux who will be the voice of Tramp and Tessa Thompson as the voice of Lady.