Nicolas Cage missed out on a very profitable animated film series when he turned down the chance to voice Shrek in the 2001 computer-animated comedy. DreamWorks studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg began developing Shrek in 1995 and initially offered the role of its lead protagonist to his friend Nicolas Cage.
Nicolas Cage was offered the role of Shrek at one point, but turned it down. In 1996, DreamWorks hired Chris Farley to do the voice. Farley had recorded 80 to 90% of the dialogue for the character, but died in December 1997, before completing the project.
After Nicolas Cage passed up the role, Chris Farley was cast to play Shrek. In fact, according to Uproxx, Shrek writers Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot had originally based Shrek and Donkey's relationship on Farley and David Spade's relationship in "Tommy Boy," so the larger-than-life comedian was a natural choice.
Some other actors considered for Shrek include Bill Murray and Nicolas Cage. Before DreamWorks was even founded, early ideas for Shrek paired Murry with Steve Martin voicing Donkey. During the actual casting process, Cage was offered the part before Myers.
With his career's upward momentum continuing, Farley was cast as Shrek. Before his death in December 1997, he had reportedly completed about 85% of his dialogue.
Fiona is voiced by actress Cameron Diaz. Comedian and actress Janeane Garofalo was originally cast as the character until she was fired from the first film with little explanation.
Steve Martin was the guy that Spielberg had in his mind as the voice of Donkey. Again, I just can't see it. Fortunately, Spielberg couldn't get the movie off the ground until he founded Dreamworks SKG in 1994, and by then things had changed.
Prince Charming is a recurring antagonist of the Shrek franchise. He was a somewhat recognizable figure in Far Far Away, and was arranged to rescue Princess Fiona from the Dragon's Keep. Prince Charming was born to The Fairy Godmother and his unnamed and presumably deceased father in the kingdom of Far Far Away.
From his early acting days and through the height of his fame, Farley struggled with substance use disorder. He died of a drug overdose at the age of 33.
What was Chris Farley's last movie before he died?
"Almost Heroes" was Chris Farley's last leading role in a major movie and was released just a few months after his death from a drug overdose in late 1997.
In the case of the Shrek franchise, Shrek's Scottish accent was a much-needed addition to the film for character background, historical depth, and individuality.
Add that on poor Fiona's age when she was first locked up and we find out that she's somewhere around 30. So assuming she and Shrek are the same age, since that's how the musical positions things, it's safe to say that he's about 30 as well.
Tommy Boy opened in theaters on Friday, March 31, 1995. Segal remembers the movie's box office debut well. “I was watching the box office that opening weekend very closely because it was only my second movie, and I was 31 at the time.
Chris Farley, a student in the Marquette University College of Speech, became a popular comedian and actor. Perhaps best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, Chris also starred in several hit movies before his untimely death in 1997.
Candy died in his sleep at the age of 43, on March 4, 1994, in Durango City, Mexico, while filming Wagons East; a spokeswoman said that Candy's cause of death was a heart attack.
Lord Farquaad first appears in the 2001 animated fantasy film Shrek as the dictatorial ruler of Duloc, which he attempts to rid of fairy-tale creatures. This sets the film's central plot in motion. He is a short man with a medieval pageboy haircut and an arrogant, temperamental, and cold demeanor.
The real-life inspiration for the animated character Shrek might just be a man nicknamed "The French Angel." Known formally as Maurice Tillet, a Russian-born Frenchman, the man rose to prominence as a wrestling star in the 1930s and '40s.
In the Shrek cinematic universe (2001-present), “Donkey” is actually a nickname given to the character by Shrek (character; for film, see “Shrek (2001)”). While it is never revealed in the films, the character's full name is Donald Keyton.
Shrek calls Donkey a stubborn jackass. Remember donkey and jackass usually refer to the same animal. A common simile is "as stubborn as a jackass" or "as stubborn as a mule".
Cody William Cameron (born October 12, 1970) is an American voice actor, film director and storyboard artist best known for directing Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. He voiced many animated characters, including Pinocchio and the Three Little Pigs in the Shrek series and Mr.
Tinker Bell is a minor character who first appeared in Shrek. She is based on the same character from J.M. Barrie's play Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. In the first film, Tinker Bell is being sold by Peter Pan to the Duloc Guards.
First off, Fiona once mentioned that when she was a child, a witch cast a spell on her, yet the intro of Shrek 2 implies that she was born with the curse, which could be a consequence of the Fairy Godmother's deal with Harold, thus still making her responsible for it.
