He appeared in numerous other films in the late 1990s, including "Heat" (1995), "Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997), "Celebrity" (1998) and worked opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, as Walter Plane, in the 1998 adaptation of "Great Expectations". He played photographer Victor "Animal" Palotti in "Godzilla" (1998). "Godzilla" was one of Azaria's first starring roles in a blockbuster film. Its five-month shoot was the longest of his career to date, but he considered it a good chance to boost his profile. He noted, "I'm so used to melding into every character I play. Even people in the business think the guy who did "Birdcage", "Quiz Show" and "Great Expectations" are three different actors—which in a way makes me proud, but in another way is very frustrating. It's the curse and blessing of the character actor". The shoot's physical challenges, and the film's critical failure, led Azaria to later describe it as "tough to make, and very disappointing when it came out. It was one you definitely chalk up and say, 'That was part of paying your dues, better luck next time'." In 1999, he starred in the drama "Mystery, Alaska" as Charles Danner, and the comedy superhero film "Mystery Men", as the faux-British silverware throwing expert The Blue Raja. Other film roles included Hector Gorgonzolas in "America's Sweethearts" (2001), Claude in "Along Came Polly" (2004), and the young Patches O'Houlihan in "" (2004), the latter two with Ben Stiller. For his role of Claude, a French scuba instructor, in "Along Came Polly", Azaria donned a wig and worked out extensively to get into the physical shape the part required.