The "Shrek" Franchise Had An Iconic Voice Cast, But I Bet You Forgot Some Of Them
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
We can all agree that the Shrek movies are really great, right? Okay, maybe just the first two movies are the really good ones, but this is a franchise with 👏UNDENIABLE👏 CULTURAL👏 IMPACT. Memes don't lie.
With Shrek 2 turning 20 years old this year and a fifth movie officially in development, it's the perfect time for a stroll down memory lane.
Here are all the famous voices who appeared in the franchise over the years.
Mike Myers as Shrek
Mike Myers is just one of the many comedy stars who got his big break on Saturday Night Live, and since then, he's gone on to play countless memorable funny characters, including Austin Powers and, of course, Shrek. Shrek was originally meant to speak in Mike's own Canadian accent, but the actor asked to rerecord his lines in a Scottish accent so Shrek would seem more "working class" next to Lord Farquaad, who had an English accent.
Cameron Diaz as Fiona
Few actors have a debut as iconic as Cameron Diaz, whose first role was in 1994 as the female lead in The Mask with Jim Carrey. TBH, nobody had a better decade than Cameron Diaz did in the '90s — she was in The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, There's Something About Mary, Being John Malkovich, and then she capped it all off with Charlie's Angels in 2000.
Eddie Murphy as Donkey
Well, he's Eddie Murphy. One of the best comedians to ever do it, and a movie star to boot. A lot of actors try their hand at playing multiple roles in one movie — including Mike Myers in the Austin Powers movies — but no one does it quite like Eddie, whose record is currently seven characters in The Nutty Professor. He also played multiple characters in Coming to America (and the sequel), Bowfinger, and the better-that-you-forget-it Norbit. On the plus side, he was so good as Donkey that he's still the only person to ever be nominated for a major acting award for a voiceover performance (he was nominated for a BAFTA).
John Lithgow as Lord Farquaad
Attempting to summarize John Lithgow's career would be a silly endeavor, but there's almost zero chance that you don't recognize him from something — his recent big roles include Winston Churchill on The Crown and prosecutor Peter Leaward in Killers of the Flower Moon. But if you haven't seen his work, just know that he has six Emmys, four Grammys, two Golden Globes, two Tonys, a BAFTA, and two Oscar nominations. No big deal.
Vincent Cassel as Robin Hood
Vincent Cassel has had a very successful career in French film, but American audiences will probably recognize him as the pervy ballet director from Black Swan or the evil Serac from Westworld Season 3. Imagine my surprise when I learned he was also the voice of Monsieur (Robin) Hood, whose song is so annoying that Fiona beats him up in the first Shrek.
Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots
Puss is the only supporting character from the Shrek movies to go on to have his own franchise, which should tell you how beloved the character and Antonio Banderas's portrayal are. That little face with a Zorro-like voice burst on the scene in Shrek 2 and changed the world. Besides voicing the fencing feline, Antonio is best known for his frequent collaborations with Pedro Almodóvar, which are ever so slightly less family friendly than the Shrek movies.
Jennifer Saunders as Fairy Godmother
Jennifer Saunders was a British comedy diva long before voicing the villainous diva in Shrek 2, but her deliciously evil performance and rousing rendition of "Holding Out for a Hero" exposed her talents to a whole new audience. Dare I say the Fairy Godmother is an even better villain than Lord Farquaad? I might.
Rupert Everett as Prince Charming
American audiences probably recognize Rupert Everett as Julia Roberts's scene-stealing bestie George from My Best Friend's Wedding, which also starred his Shrek costar Cameron Diaz. He has a long, long filmography that he recently topped off with roles in My Policeman and Napoleon. On the TV side, he starred in the British miniseries Funny Woman.
John Cleese as King Harold
John Cleese is best known for founding Monty Python, the comedy troupe behind Monty Python's Flying Circus and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Besides that, he also wrote and starred in the acclaimed film A Fish Called Wanda and appeared as Nearly Headless Nick in the Harry Potter franchise.
Julie Andrews as Queen Lillian
One of the most recognizable voices in the world lent her talents to the Shrek movies as Queen Lillian, Fiona's mother. She holds the distinction of having a character that kind of looks like her, which is a rarity in this franchise. She also holds the rare distinction of being Julie Andrews.
Larry King as Doris the Ugly Stepsister
The most surprising fact about the Shrek movies is that Larry King is in three of them. Yes, the legendary radio and TV host was the voice actor for Doris. He appeared as himself in TV shows and movies a bunch of times, but Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After were some of the very rare occasions when he played a character on screen.
Justin Timberlake as Arthur Pendragon
Shrek the Third came out in 2007, less than a year after Justin Timberlake's album FutureSex/LoveSounds. His solo career was in its heyday, and he was right in the middle of his movie star era, so it was only natural that he'd pop into the recording studio for one of the biggest animated franchises of the decade. Oh, and he was also dating Cameron Diaz at the time.
John Krasinski as Lancelot
Lancelot is only really in two scenes in Shrek the Third, but it's funny that this douchey jock version of the character sounds exactly like Jim Halpert. Since The Office ended, John Krasinski has moved on to directing and recently wrapped up his run as the title character in Jack Ryan.
Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Amy Sedaris, and Cheri Oteri as Snow White, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty in Shrek the Third.
The princesses were a highlight of the third Shrek movie, so it's no surprise they were voiced by some very famously funny women. Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Cheri Oteri all had their breakthrough on Saturday Night Live, and Amy Sedaris got her start on the Comedy Central sketch comedy show Exit 57 and the sitcom Strangers with Candy, both of which she co-created with Stephen Colbert and other comedians.
Jon Hamm, Craig Robinson, and Jane Lynch as Shrek's ogre relatives in Shrek Forever After.
Shrek's relatives might sound familiar to you because they are played by Don Draper, Darryl Philbin, and Sue Sylvester — othewise known by their real names: Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Craig Robinson (The Office), and Jane Lynch (Glee).
