These Side-By-Side Photos Show How 14 Animated Animals Compare With Their Real-Life Counterparts

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On Wednesday, Netflix dropped the trailer for Leo, its upcoming animated film starring Adam Sandler.

Close-up of Adam in a suit and tie at a media event
Taylor Hill / WireImage / Getty Images

The actor voices the titular character, who is a classroom pet lizard longing for more in his life. Tired of dealing with annoying kids, Leo plans to escape — and we'll have to wait until Nov. 21, when the film is released, to see what happens next.

Leo in a classroom with a student looking sad
Courtesy Netflix

It's honestly a pretty adorable trailer. Check it out below:

As with any animated movie about animals, it's always interesting to see how the characters compare with their real-life counterparts, and it looks as if Leo got the lizard look down:

Leo the lizard and a real lizard
Courtesy Netflix / Himanshu Sharma/NurPhoto via Getty Images

So in honor of Adam's new movie, here are 14 times actors played animated animals to great success, including side-by-side photos of the characters and the IRL animals:

1.Rosalie Chiang voiced Mei, a teen girl who transforms into a red panda, in Turning Red (2023).

Close-up of Rosalie at a media event
Monica Schipper / Getty Images

Here's a side-by-side of Mei and an actual red panda:

Mei standing up and a red panda on a tree branch

2.Anthony Ramos voiced Mr. Piranha, a piranha, in The Bad Guys (2022).

Close-up of Anthony smiling at a media event in a suit
Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for CinemaCon

Here's a side-by-side of Mr. Piranha and an actual piranha:

Close-up of Mr Piranha and a piranha
Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection, Reinhard Dirscherl / Ullstein Bild via Getty Images

3.Lin-Manuel Miranda voiced Vivo, a kinkajou, in Vivo (2021).

Close-up of Lin-Manuel in a bow tie at a media event
Arturo Holmes / Getty Images

Here's a side-by-side of Vivo and an actual kinkajou:

Vivo saying something and a kinkajou eating something
2021 SPAI / Netflix, Andrew Milligan — PA Images / PA Images via Getty Images

4.Beyoncé voiced Nala, a lionness, in The Lion King (2019).

  Kevin Mazur / WireImage for Parkwood / Getty Images
Kevin Mazur / WireImage for Parkwood / Getty Images

Here's a side-by-side of Nala and an actual lionness:

Nala and a lionness
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection, Boniface Muthoni / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

5.Shakira voiced Gazelle, a Thomson's gazelle, in Zootopia (2016).

Shakira at a media event
Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images for Fendi

Here's a side-by-side of Gazelle and an actual Thomson's gazelle:

Gazelle holding a microphone and a Thomson's gazelle in the grass

6.Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg voiced Jewel and Blu, two Spix's macaws, respectively in Rio (2011).

Close-up of Anne and Jesse at a media event
Lester Cohen / WireImage

Here's a side-by-side of Blu and Jewel and actual Spinx's macaws:

Blu and Jewel and Spinx's macaws on a tree branch together
20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved / Courtesy Everett Collection, Patrick Pleul / DPA/AFP via Getty Images

7.Anika Noni Rose voiced Tiana, a green frog, in The Princess and the Frog (2009).

Anika Noni Rose smiling in a strapless gown at a media event
Axelle / FilmMagic

Here's a side-by-side of Tiana and an actual green frog:

Tiana waving and a frog on a tree branch

8.Lucy Liu voiced Viper, a green tree viper, in Kung Fu Panda (2008).

Close-up of Lucy smiling in a strapless outfit
Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images

Here's a side-by-side of Viper and an actual green tree viper:

Viper coiled and a tree viper coiled
DreamWorks Animation / Courtesy Everett Collection, Dominik Gigler / Getty Images

9.Elijah Wood voiced Mumble, an emperor penguin, in Happy Feet (2006).

Elijah smiling at a media event
Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Here's a side-be-side of Mumble and an actual emperor penguin:

Mumble in the snow with other penguins and an emperor penguin in the snow
Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection, Education Images / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

10.Will Smith voiced Oscar, a bluestreak cleaner wrasse fish, in Shark Tale (2004).

Close-up of Will smiling at a media event
Steve Granitz / FilmMagic / Getty Images

Here's a side-by-side of Oscar and an actual bluestreak cleaner wrasse fish:

Oscar and a bluestreak cleaner wrasse fish

11.Zach Braff voiced Chicken Little — a baby rooster, aka a cockerel — in Chicken Little (2005).

Close-up of Zach at a media event in a suit and vest
Dominik Bindl / WireImage / Getty Images

Here's a side-by-side of Chicken Little and an actual cockerel:

Chicken Little wearing glasses and a cockerel
Walt Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection, Tim Graham / Getty Images

12.Chris Rock voiced Marty, a plains zebra, in Madagascar (2005).

Chris in a bow tie smiling
Craig Sjodin / ABC via Getty Images

Here's a side-by-side of Marty and an actual plains zebra:

Marty speaking and a zebra in the grass
DreamWorks / Courtesy Everett Collection, Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

13.Alexander Gould voiced Nemo, a clown fish, in Finding Nemo (2003).

Close-up of Alexander smiling

Here's a side-by-side of Nemo and an actual clown fish:

Nemo swimming and a clown fish swimming
Walt Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection, Reinhard Dirscherl / Ullstein Bild via Getty Images

14.Eddie Murphy voiced Donkey, a donkey, in Shrek (2001).

Eddie in a suit at a media event
Matt Winkelmeyer / FilmMagic / Getty Images

Here's a side-by-side of Donkey and an actual donkey:

Donkey smiling and two donkeys on the grass
DreamWorks / Courtesy Everett, Harald Lange / Ullstein Bild via Getty Images