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.
Nicolas Cage Was Concerned About How Children Would See Him
Family movies like Shrek are marketed toward children more than adults, something of which Nicolas Cage is well aware. Cage explained his decision during a 2013 interview (via TODAY): "Well, the news said it was because of vanity. I think that's a bit strong.
In addition to Farley and Murray, Nicolas Cage, Johnny Depp and Robin Williams were also considered until the role went to Mike Myers. Shrek was the second character in the main film series to say "dude" after Donkey in Shrek the Third.
Chris Farley was initially hired to voice Shrek, and he had recorded nearly all of the dialogue for the character, but died before completing the project.
The Very Different Version Of Shrek We Never Got To See
Who auditioned to be Shrek?
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.
Before Mike Myers took on the role of big green ogre Shrek, funnyman Chris Farley was set to voice the character. In newly surfaced audio tapes, the late comedian can be heard voicing the popular character prior to his 1997 death, along with Eddie Murphy, who voices Donkey.
It's well known that before Mike Myers made the role his own, the late Chris Farley was set to play the title character in Shrek. But what many people might not know is that, before Farley's casting, Nic Cage was approached to voice everyone's favorite big green ogre.
Donkey is a fictional character created by William Steig and adapted by DreamWorks Animation for the Shrek franchise. He is voiced primarily by Eddie Murphy.
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.
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.
Sadly, Farley passed away in the middle of film production in 1997 after recording around 85 percent of his lines. He would eventually be replaced by fellow SNL star Mike Myers. The two men approached the role of Shrek quite differently.
Here's where this choice gets funky: Justin Timberlake voices a character in Shrek the Third. Not just a one-note cameo, either. Justin Timberlake voices King Arthur, Fiona's distant cousin and next in line for the throne of Far Far Away after Shrek (who understandably just wants to return to his swamp).
"I turned down Lord of the Rings and I turned down Matrix because I didn't want to go to New Zealand for three years or Australia for three years because I needed to be home with my son Weston," Nicolas Cage revealed in a 2022 interview with People Magazine.
In 2004, Andrews voiced Queen Lillian in the animated blockbuster Shrek 2 (2004), reprising the role for its sequels, Shrek the Third (2007) and Shrek Forever After (2010).
Why didn't David Spade go to Chris Farley's funeral?
Spade's non-appearance fueled speculation that there was some falling out with Farley prior to his death. However, years later Spade denied any ill will between him and his comedic partner, saying that his absence from the funeral was because he would have found it too emotionally difficult.
Mike Myers wound up providing the voice for the iconic ogre, yet his feature was not always the way Shrek was meant to go down. The truth is that Chris Farley had initially meant to voice the titular character. Myers had, of course, appeared as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, where he cut his teeth.
Instead, Almost Heroes didn't come out for almost two years, in May 1998, due to a pending merger between Time Warner and Turner. During that time, the worst thing imaginable came to be; Chris Farley died of a drug overdose. During filming, Matthew Perry and Chris Farley became great friends.
State of play: Perry, short for Pericles, is one of several donkeys living at a pasture near Bol Park in Palo Alto. In 2001, he became the model for the goofy donkey that would steal everyone's hearts in the "Shrek" franchise.
