40 Fun Facts About Osmosis Jones

In Osmosis Jones, what is the title character, a wisecracking officer on patrol inside a human body?

A white blood cell defends the body against infection in real life, so the film gives Ozzy a badge and a beat. Scientists call these defenders leukocytes.

Which Ghostbusters star plays Frank, the junk-food-loving widower whose body hosts Osmosis Jones?

Bill Murray plays the slobbish Frank in the live-action scenes, which were set up after the cartoon world inside his body was already well underway.

Which stand-up comedian voices Osmosis Jones, the fast-talking cop on duty inside Frank's body?

Chris Rock improvised freely in the booth, and Variety wrote that the comic and his elastic cartoon cop eventually seemed to become one.

What is the name of the deadly virus in Osmosis Jones, a villain also known as the Red Death?

Thrax wants a place in the record books: he plans to kill Frank within 48 hours of infection, a new best for a virus.

What kind of medicine is Drix, the by-the-book partner assigned to Osmosis Jones?

A cold pill called Drixenol, Drix runs on a 12-hour time release, which keeps the strait-laced agent on a strict schedule.

What filth-covered snack does Frank eat in Osmosis Jones, letting a deadly virus into his body?

A boiled egg starts it all: it carries the virus into Frank's mouth, where the first sign of trouble is an inflamed throat.

What is the day job of Frank, the unhealthy human whose body is the setting of Osmosis Jones?

Zookeeper was a late choice: when the film was first approved, Frank was written as a construction worker.

Which animated hit beat Osmosis Jones to the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature?

Shrek won big at the 2001 Annies, and Tom Sito, who co-directed the animation of Osmosis Jones, had earlier been head of story on that rival film.

Which sibling duo behind Dumb and Dumber directed the live-action scenes of Osmosis Jones?

The Farrellys joined the production midstream to direct only the live-action scenes; the cartoon world inside Frank was directed by animators Piet Kroon and Tom Sito.

Which studio, maker of Space Jam and The Iron Giant, released Osmosis Jones in 2001?

Warner Bros. had ordered a television series before the film even opened, and though the film flopped in cinemas, the spin-off Ozzy & Drix reached Saturday mornings in 2002.

Which part of human biology does the Frank Police Department represent in Osmosis Jones?

The immune system becomes a police force in the film, with germs as the criminals and medicine such as Drix drafted in as backup.

The title of Osmosis Jones borrows a biology term for the movement of what through a membrane?

Water is what moves in osmosis, crossing a membrane toward the side with more dissolved material, and this is the main way water gets into and out of cells.

Which Star Trek captain voices Phlegmming, the junk-food-pushing mayor in Osmosis Jones?

William Shatner plays the mayor as a vain politician who would rather send Frank to a food festival than admit to a health crisis before election day.

Which Oscar-nominated actor voices the menacing red virus that invades Frank in Osmosis Jones?

Laurence Fishburne took the villain role two years after playing Morpheus in The Matrix, and Variety welcomed it as his chance to act in animation at last.

Which R&B singer voices Leah, the mayor's secretary, and sings on the Osmosis Jones soundtrack?

Brandy plays the love interest of Ozzy and gave the track Open to the soundtrack album, a mix of hip hop and R&B.

Which Emmy-winning sitcom actor voices Drix, the strait-laced partner of the hero in Osmosis Jones?

David Hyde Pierce, the fussy Niles Crane of Frasier, got to play the tough guy for once, and the Baltimore Sun's critic called his Drix hilarious.

Variety called Osmosis Jones the most extensive blend of live action and animation since which film?

Who Framed Roger Rabbit set the bar in 1988, and the same review judged the cartoon half of the newer film far livelier than its human scenes.

In Osmosis Jones, the villain's nightclub hideout sits inside what blemish on Frank's forehead?

A zit houses the germ-filled club, and when a brawl bursts it, the mess lands on the lip of Mrs. Boyd in the middle of a meeting with Frank.

Which brain region does the Osmosis Jones virus villain raid, wrecking Frank's temperature control?

The hypothalamus is the real thermostat of the body, so when a crucial nucleotide is stolen from it, Frank runs a fever high enough to stop his heart.

On what item worn by Frank's daughter Shane does Osmosis Jones fight his final duel?

A false eyelash becomes the last battleground after both fighters land on her cornea, and the villain is beaten when his hand gets stuck in it.

What liquid finally kills the virus villain of Osmosis Jones when he drops into a laboratory beaker?

Rubbing alcohol finishes him seconds after Ozzy slips free, ending a villain who had planned to kill Frank in record time.

What carries Osmosis Jones from Shane back into the mouth of her dying father at the climax?

A teardrop gives Ozzy his ride home, and he arrives with the stolen nucleotide just in time to revive Frank after his heart stops.

After an early cut drew a harsher rating, Osmosis Jones was re-edited to earn which MPAA rating?

PG was a first for the film's live-action directors, who were known for R-rated comedies; the earlier cut had been marked down for crude language.

Which of Frank's organs works as a busy international airport in the city of Osmosis Jones?

The stomach is where arrivals land in the City of Frank, while the nervous system is drawn as the electric power grid.

Which Saturday Night Live star plays Mrs. Boyd, the teacher of Frank's daughter in Osmosis Jones?

Molly Shannon plays the science and gym teacher who has a restraining order against Frank, a part she filmed while still in the cast of the sketch show.

Which technique carries most scenes inside Frank in Osmosis Jones, with computer imagery as support?

Hand-drawn animation was the star for the critic at Variety, who found its fluid lines a pleasure after stiffer cartoon features of the day.

What does the virus villain of Osmosis Jones use to make Frank sneeze him out of the body?

Pollen triggers the sneeze that fires the villain out of Frank's mouth, just after the heroes rescue his hostage, the mayor's secretary.

Which New York city does Mayor Phlegmming want Frank to visit for a food festival in Osmosis Jones?

Buffalo is the reason the mayor keeps pushing junk food, and Frank is still preparing for the trip, against his daughter's wishes, when his fever hits.

Which Oscar-winning director voices Tom Colonic, the mayor's election rival in Osmosis Jones?

Ron Howard voices the candidate who campaigns on better health for Frank, and Variety called his brief turn a brilliant send-up of television politics.

What lowly job in Frank's bowels goes to Phlegmming after he loses office in Osmosis Jones?

Janitor is his demotion, and he soon ejects himself from Frank altogether by ignoring a warning notice and setting off a burst of wind.

In Osmosis Jones, which hairy part of Frank's body is the hangout of a gang of sweat germs?

The armpit is drawn as a hangout for organised crime, where the villain murders the gang boss Scabies and takes over his crew.

In the Ozzy & Drix series opener, what insect carries the Osmosis Jones heroes out of Frank?

A mosquito sucks up the pair along with the germ they are chasing and delivers all three into a teenage boy named Hector Cruz.

Which There's Something About Mary actor plays Bob, the brother of Frank, in Osmosis Jones?

Chris Elliott plays the brother who found Frank his current job, three years after appearing as Woogie in the earlier comedy by the same directors.

Which 1960s band first recorded Summer in the City, reworked by St. Lunatics for Osmosis Jones?

The Lovin' Spoonful scored their only American number one with the song, and the hip hop remake by St. Lunatics opens the film's soundtrack album.

In Osmosis Jones, what kind of medicine is Chill, the informant who tips off Ozzy and Drix?

A flu vaccine by trade, Chill is the underworld contact who sends the two partners to the villain's hideout on Frank's forehead.

Which Futurama voice actor took over as Osmosis Jones for the television spin-off Ozzy & Drix?

Phil LaMarr, the voice of Hermes in Futurama and of Samurai Jack, played Ozzy across both seasons, with Jeff Bennett stepping in as Drix.

In Ozzy & Drix, the series that followed Osmosis Jones, what job do the two heroes take up?

Private investigators is the new line of work after their police days inside Frank, and the pair vow to guide their teenage host through adolescence.

Which Rocky Horror star voices the scarlet fever germ that opens the Osmosis Jones spin-off series?

Tim Curry voices the bacterium that is carried into the new host along with the heroes, making it the first villain of Ozzy & Drix.

What contaminated seafood once made Frank vomit on Mrs. Boyd at a science fair in Osmosis Jones?

An oyster caused the disaster, which cost Frank his previous job and earned Ozzy a suspension for unnecessary force.

Which producer of The Matrix has an uncredited voice role as the police chief in Osmosis Jones?

Joel Silver, the producer behind Lethal Weapon and Die Hard, lends his voice to the boss of Ozzy without taking a screen credit.