Elijah Wood knows what it's like to be different. As a child, Wood says his boundless energy set him apart from other kids, much to the disdain of those pesky grown-ups.

"I wasn't so much spastic or crazy, but I just always had a lot of energy and a certain passion for life, and sometimes that wasn't always accepted or appreciated, mainly by adults," Wood says.

And no, he didn't have attention deficit disorder, but the experience of being singled out made his role in the wonderful new animated movie "Happy Feet" an easy one to accept. As Mumble, Wood voices a young emperor penguin that, unlike his peers, can't find his "voice." Instead of expressing himself through song, Mumble is a natural dancer -- much to the shock and dismay of the elder penguins who rule his community. Wood says his singing voice isn't as bad as Mumble's, but he was surprised by just how bad it sounds in the finished film.

"It was actually kind of great though, because I was called on to sing really poorly for the film, and I thought I did a pretty competent job," Wood says. "But they actually digitally made it worse. I knew what I had done, but my god, they made it sound horrendous."

As the offspring of Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman) and Memphis (Hugh Jackman), the movie insinuates that Mumble has turned out differently because his father exposed the egg containing Mumber for too long in the cold. The "Lord of the Rings" star has a different perspective.

"I don't see the character as having faults but rather having these amazing, unique qualities," Wood says. "I feel that his interior is developing faster than the other penguins, because he sees and understands things that they don't. He doesn't have that closed mind. I didn't think it necessarily had to do with [his father dropping the egg] on the ice."

Mumble's unique insight sets him on a journey to discover why these mysterious "aliens" (human beings) are affecting the penguins' food supply. The environmental theme isn't being sold strongly in the marketing materials, but it's one of many excellent messages for kids and adults.

"We [all] experience that sense of having to conform and not being accepted," Woods says. "The beautiful thing about Mumble is he's beautifully unaware of it. I think it's a great message for young people to realize these things that separate us from each other are ultimately what make us who we are. That's something to celebrate."

"Happy Feet" opens nationwide Nov. 17.