The Most Surprising Celebrity Voice Actors in Beloved Cartoons
For serious actors, it’s all about range. That’s why the lead of your favorite thriller movie might just also be the voice of a beloved cartoon character. Audiences love hearing the familiar voices of their favorite actors, and having an A-lister bring their voice to a project can do wonders for its box office numbers.
Regardless of why they’re cast, it’s always a treat to find out a character is voiced by someone who seems very different from the character themselves. This article explores some of the most shocking and little-known pairings of cartoon characters and their respective celebrity voice actor.
AccuSoft Inc Press Photo
Vin Diesel as The Iron Giant
Diesel’s portrayal of the titular character, a 50-foot-tall metal-munching robot, made use of his famously deep voice. Over the course of the story, the robot’s voice becomes more human-sounding and less mechanical. The producer, Allison Abbate, said he was chosen specifically for his resonant and expressive voice, which allowed the robot to be imposing, but still charming.
According to Diesel, however, he’s not too different from the Iron Giant. In an interview, he said, “I feel like a bull in a china shop, and with the giant, he moves to scratch his back and buildings fall. I think we came from the same planet.”
Though known for his action movies and muscular figure, Diesel managed to bring profound emotional depth to his character. This role likely influenced the decision to cast him as the voice of Groot in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Just like the Iron Giant, Groot is a charming extraterrestrial character with a limited vocabulary. With an ability to show vulnerability through minimal dialogue and strength through physical acting, Vin Diesel’s acting performances manage to be well-rounded and dynamic.
Studio Ghibli Press Photo
Christian Bale in Howl’s Moving Castle
A visually stunning Studio Ghibli movie seems like a far cry from the action-packed Batman films, but Bale managed to balance both. Thriller and superhero movies like American Psycho, The Machinist, and The Dark Knight generally characterize his filmography. Additionally, he’s known for his physical transformations: adopting a muscular physique in one film and undergoing extreme dieting in another to appear emaciated. Doing a voice-only role, then, is quite different from his usual projects.
In Howl’s Moving Castle, he plays Howl, a childish but kind wizard in the English dub version. According to IMDB trivia, Bale instantly agreed to be cast in any role for the film after seeing Spirited Away (2001), another Ghibli movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Almost two decades later, Bale joined the star-studded cast to voice Shoichi, an older, paternal character, for the English dub version of The Boy and the Heron — also directed by Miyazaki. While Bale currently has more intense films on his plate, such as The Bride, an adaptation of Frankenstein, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him come back for another lighthearted Studio Ghibli film.
20th Television Press Photo
Michael Jackson in The Simpsons
One night, the creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening, received a call from Michael Jackson — and the episode “Stark Raving Dad” began to take shape. Jackson was a big fan of the show, especially Bart Simpson, and offered to do a guest episode. In the episode, Homer gets sent to a mental institution where he meets a man who introduces himself as MJ. The irony of the situation is that the character isn’t actually MJ, but Homer is too unfamiliar with the celebrity to know the difference.
Jackson voices the character until his true identity as Leon Kompowsky, a regular guy from New Jersey, is revealed. However, due to restrictions in his recording contract, none of the singing in the episode is actually his voice. Instead, it was done by Kipp Lennon, a rock singer.
Also, due to his record label, Jackson was left uncredited for the role, though it aired with “John Jay Smith” as a pseudonym. The episode ultimately received positive reviews for its writing and “star power,” but was ultimately removed from circulation in 2019 after Jackson’s child sexual assault allegations.
Universal Pictures Press Photo
Taylor Swift in The Lorax
In the adaptation of a well-loved Seuss book, Taylor Swift makes an appearance alongside other big names like Danny DeVito, Betty White, and Zac Efron. Swift voices Audrey, named after Seuss’s second wife, Audrey Geisel. Audrey is the lead female role and the love interest of the young main character, Ted. It’s her love for the truffula trees that drives Ted to find the Lorax, making her a pivotal character in the story.
While the movie did well at the box office, grossing $351 million, its reception fell flat, with Swift receiving mixed feedback on her performance. One FictionMachine review notices that, despite her primary career as a musician and despite the film being a musical, she doesn’t sing at any point. While the Hollywood Reporter called her voice acting “agreeable,” the New York Times had a much different perspective, suggesting that her addition was only used to make the environmentally friendly message more palatable to young audiences. With the Lorax as her only voiceover credit, it feels too soon to judge, leaving plenty of opportunity for Swift to regain her footing in voice acting.
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Conclusion
The faces behind the voices add a level of fascination for various reasons. Sometimes, the actors are entirely different from the characters they voice. Other times, the excitement comes from a big celebrity just dipping their toes into the art of voice acting and using their fame to build anticipation for the movie release.
Regardless of an actor’s relationship to their character or their previous voice acting experience, it takes an immense amount of skill for an actor to embody and disappear into a role using only their voice. It might just be time to rewatch some of your favorite animated movies and shows to better understand how your favorite celebrities bring cartoon characters to life.
- Related: Comedy legends who defined American humor
- Related: From Leonard Nimoy to Robert Pattinson: Famous actors known best for one role
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