It’s not uncommon for our favorite Hollywood actors to take on popular voice-acting roles every now and then. Everybody’s favorite, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), for instance, is currently voicing Shadow the Hedgehog for the upcoming Sonic 3. Sounds interesting, right? But have you ever wondered why? Why Reeves and why not a rather new actor? After all, it’s just voice acting for animated characters. Well, while voiceover may seem easy, it’s actually quite difficult to breathe life into an animated character.
All that animation wizardry needs to be paired up with emotions, and tiptoeing to make sure the character hits just right is harder than it sounds. That’s probably why some of the most famous animated characters are actually voiced by well-experienced A-listers in Hollywood instead of newbies. For instance, just like Reeves, MCU heartthrob Chris Pratt is also voicing Garfield in the upcoming The Garfield Movie. Plus, hiring famous actors also gives IPs a marketing edge when they have a famous actor behind an iconic animated character. So let’s take a look at six popular voice acting roles that are done by your favorite Hollywood actors!
1. Guardians of the Galaxy’s Rocket and Groot — Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel
Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of Rocket Racoon — a fan favorite, hot-tempered weapons expert in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy is very well-known among the franchise’s fans Cooper has played the role brilliantly and the fact that it comes from the same actor who led The Hangover Trilogy, starred opposite to Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born, and brilliantly highlighted mental health issues in Silver Linings Playbook, only adds to Rocket’s appeal. So the next time you’re watching Avengers kick some ass — don’t forget that it’s Cooper bringing our favorite small-screen raccoon to life, right alongside the likes of Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, and more!
But that’s not where it ends — Vin Diesel, too, plays Groot, in the same film. Can you imagine the man who played Fast and Furious’s Dominic Toretto standing next to Captain America? Well, it’s real and that’s where Diesel’s character, Groot, builds a bridge. And it’s almost brilliant because despite the fact that his character only has one line of “I’m Groot” throughout the trilogy and Avengers installments, he’s been there with us throughout — even though it might not have felt that way.
Watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on Disney+
2. The Boy and the Heron’s Shoichi Maki and The Gray Heron — Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson
The Boy and the Heron is a Hayao Miyazaki masterpiece which landed some of the biggest names in Hollywood for its English dub voice-acting cast. The cast includes Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, and David Bautista, all of which added their individual flair to the project. Both Christian Bale and Robert Pattison are iconic figures in Hollywood who gained notoriety in a long list of films and TV shows.
Bale, for instance, rose to fame for his iconic role in American Psycho, following one after the other, while Robert Pattison melted hearts when he played Edward in Twilight. Now here’s the interesting part — both these Hollywood hunks have played Batman, which is an instant statement maker for Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron. Christian Bale plays the lead character Mahito’s father, Shoichi Maki, a character known to be a gentle fisherman and does it brilliantly. Pattinson, on the other hand, lent his voice for the role of The Gray Heron, an enigmatic trickster with a penchant for mystery.
Watch The Boy and The Heron on Apple TV+
3. Shrek’s Donkey — Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy’s stroke of comedic genius always shines through in every single one of his projects, and his voice acting in Shrek as Donkey is no different. Eddie Murphy is popularly known for his roles in Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, Trading Places, Norbit, and a stack of other brilliant performances in movies and TV shows, but what stands out even more is his ability to knock his voice acting projects out of the park.
Murphy’s energetic voice and quick wit is what made Donkey’s character shine as Shrek’s sidekick. It went on to become one of the most lovable characters in the entire Shrek franchise. Murphy has also voiced multiple animated characters over the years, including Mushu in Disney’s Mulan.
4. Toy Story’s Woody — Tom Hanks
The legendary Tom Hanks has been in the limelight for a long time in Hollywood and rightly so. He has brought so many roles to life over the years — think movies like Forrest Gump, Sleepless In Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and Shutter Island, to more recently, A Man Called Otto, among others. It only makes sense for stakeholders to lure his talents for their animated ventures as well! However, unlike many actors and their roles, Woody is special on ou rlist because it’s the only exclusive voice role Hanks has ever done! Hanks has not only voiced Woody in the four main installments of the Toy Story franchise but also in their various shorts and specials.
5. The Lego Movie’s Vitruvius — Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman has one of the most iconic vocal chords of this century and his deep and eclectic voice has captured him in different roles. From playing God in Bruce Almighty to Nelson Mandela, fictional presidents, and the narration of documentaries which include The Long Way Home, March of the Penguins, and War of Worlds, among others. In 2014, he voiced Vitruvius, a white-haired wizard in The Lego Movie. His authoritatively distinct voice served as a perfect complement to the character’s role as a mentor to Emmet, an underdog hero. Freeman’s other prominent voice acting role is of Drosselmeye’sr in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. Also check out these five famous narrators that could replace Morgan Freeman.
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