Meet the dolphin behind 'Dolphin Tale,' plus Winter's kid co-stars

In Hollywood, the hardest work is supposedly with kids and animals; though, in "Dolphin Tale," neither seems to be a problem, and both are at the core of the "tale."

Winter the dolphin has made her home in Florida's Clearwater Marine Aquarium for the last few years and knows darn well by now how to behave in public. Over the past year, she grew to love Cozi Zuehlsdorff and Nathan Gamble, the two child stars of "Dolphin Tale."

Gamble plays a heartbroken kid who is trying to find his place in his family and community, which he discovers in the survival of Winter, who washed ashore with a damaged tail from a wayward crab trap. The two bond -- and even dance together -- to heal each other in this family adventure.

"I spent more time with the animatronic [Winter]," Zuehisdorff concedes, laughing.

The kids confirm that Morgan Freeman, in fact, does have a music streak in him. Check out what Gamble and Zuehisdorff have to say about turning into "scaly prunes," learning to swim with a dolphin without a tale and the sad state of affairs on Gamble's iPod.

Additionally, we "speak" with Winter and spend time with her trainer Abby Stone, who describes the Marine Aquarium and Winter's celebrity personality.

Check out HitFix's interview with Morgan Freeman and Harry Connick, Jr., who also star in the film, here.

"Dolphin Tale" is out today (Sept. 23).

Katie Hasty
Managing Editor

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After five years as a columnist and editor at Billboard, Katie Hasty joined HitFix in 2009 for music and film reporting out of New York. The Midwest native has worked as a writer, music promoter and in A&R since 1999 and performs with her band Numbers And Letters.