When The Princess and the Frog was released in 2009, it made history for being the first Disney movie to feature a Black princess. The movie told the story of a young woman named Tiana who lived in New Orleans in the early 1910s. Although she comes from humble beginnings, she has dreams of becoming a chef and the movie follows her journey from rags to royal riches. The movie was a huge hit among fans it brought in well over its budget at the box office. On top of that, most critics had good things to say as well. Despite being animated, the film still helped many of the cast members expand their live-action careers. Even though it’s been more than a decade since the world was introduced to Tiana, the movie still holds a special place in lots of people’s hearts. Keep reading to find out what happened to the cast of The Princess and the Frog.
Anika Noni Rose
In the role of Tiana, Anika Noni Rose was the star of The Princess and the Frog. Although she had been in the industry for several years before, becoming a Disney princess certainly changed the trajectory of her career. Even though she didn’t actually get any camera time in the movie, it still proved to be the perfect way for her to put her talents on display. The success of the movie opened the door for lots of other great opportunities for Anika, and she has been working regularly ever since. Some of her most noteworthy post-princess roles have been in shows like The Good Wife and the new Netflix mini-series Maid. She has also frequented the big screen in movies like Body Cam and Half of a Yellow Sun. Anika has also been doing her thing on the stage and she continues to prove that regardless of the medium, she knows how to put on a good show. All of the Princess Tiana fans out there will be happy to know that Anika will be reprising her role as Tiana in an upcoming animated series that is set to debut in 2023.
Bruno Campos
Bruno Campos was the voice of Prince Naveen in The Princess and the Frog, and that was his first voice acting role. However, you’d never be able to tell by listening to him bring the character to life. Although getting into character for voice work can be really challenging, Bruno had plenty of inspiration. During an interview with Cinesnob, Bruno revealed that he imitated a lot of his father’s characteristics to play the prince. Bruno said, “My dad. He was just a very funny man. He was very charming, outgoing, and loved telling stories”. Bruno added, “He had this infectious wit and tenaciousness. He spoke English in this melodic way. I just imitated all of his rhythms.” Surprisingly, Bruno decided to walk away from acting not long after his work on the movie. He earned his J.D. in 2013 from the University of Michigan Law School and he went on to become a lawyer. He currently worked for a New York-based law firm. It doesn’t appear that he will be reprising his role in the animated series.
Keith David
Keith David was a well-established actor long before The Princess and the Frog came along. From movies to TV shows, Keith David has always been the kind of actor who can do it all, and he brought something really special to his portrayal of Dr. Facilier. For his work in the movie, he earned a Black Reel Award in 2009 for Best Voice Performance. Keith has remained very busy after The Princess and the Frog, and his resume grows a little more. He currently has well over 300 acting credits to his name, and he also has quite a few projects in the works that will be released over the next few years. Even though he is now in his mid-60s, Keith isn’t showing signs of slowing down any time soon.
Michael-Leon Wooley
Voice acting can be challenging enough on its own, but it can be even more complicated when voicing characters that aren’t human. However, Michael-Leon Wooley didn’t let that stop him from doing his thing with Louis the alligator. After all, Michael His work in The Princess and the Frog continues to be his most well-known role to date, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been working this whole time. As one of the only cast members who has always primarily worked as a voice actor, Michael-Leon has continued to lend his voice to several successful projects. He currently has a main role in the animated series Trolls: TrollsTopia. In addition to the TV and film roles he’s done, Michael-Leon has also worked in the video game world. He had a voice role in both Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto V.
Jim Cummings
Getting the chance to have a role in The Princess and the Frog was a special moment for Jim Cummings in a lot of ways. Not only was it a great opportunity on a professional level, but as someone who grew up in New Orleans, it was a nice way to pay homage to his hometown. Jim already had a career before the movie came along, and that hasn’t changed at all. He has had dozens of roles since 2009 and his resume currently has more than 550 acting credits which include video game roles and movies and TV shows that haven’t been released yet.
Jennifer Cody
Best friends are always important characters, and that’s exactly what Lottie was for Tiana. Jennifer’s portrayal of the character was fun and interesting and she made the most of every line. Interestingly, Jennifer only had a few roles before The Princess and the Frog, but things have certainly picked up for her after. In more recent years, she has had a variety of voice and live-action roles. She has been a part of some very popular projects including Blue Bloods, Winx Club, and The Good Fight. Her resume may not be as long as some of the other people on this list, but she’s still had a very successful career.
Peter Bartlett
Peter didn’t have the biggest role in The Princess and the Frog, but his work was still memorable nonetheless. As the voice of Prince Naveen’s personal servant, Lawrence, was often mistreated by the prince which eventually caused him to betray him. Until 2013, Peter was a cast member on One Life to Live. His most recent on-screen appearance was in 2016 in the TV movie She Loves Me. According to his IMDB page, Peter doesn’t have any upcoming projects in the works. Now that he is on the brink of turning 80, he may have decided to retire from acting.
Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Lewis is a legend in the entertainment industry. Casting her in The Princess in the Frog was the icing on a cake that was already full of talented people. While she naturally has a very distinct voice, she switched up her normal sound while playing Mama Odie. Since Jenifer Lewis is such a big star, most people probably have a good idea of what she’s been up to. Just in case you missed it though, Jenifer’s career is still in full swing. However, she has been mostly focused on acting roles. She has been a main cast member in the sitcom Black-ish since 2014.
Frank Welker
Frank Welker’s name isn’t as widely known as some of the other cast members, but that certainly doesn’t mean that he’s any less talented. He was a veteran in the industry by the time he got the opportunity to be part of The Princess in the Frog. Like a true star, Frank managed to capture people’s attention even though he didn’t have a starring role. Now with more than 40 years of acting experience to his name, Frank Welker’s career is still going strong. He has been cast in dozens of roles since his portrayal of Stella the dog, and he never disappoints. Frank doesn’t have any new projects in the pipeline now, but his most recent role was voicing Scooby-Doo and Fred Jones in Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
Dee Bradley Baker
In most movies, there would be no need for a snake to have a voice role. However, Juju wasn’t your typical snake. Juju belonged to Mama Odie, a nearly 200-year-old voodoo priestess. Although Juju could’ve easily been the most terrifying snake ever, he was actually kind of sweet. Juju didn’t do much talking, but the character is still one that viewers will always remember. Unlike some of the other cast members on the show, The Princess and the Frog isn’t what Dee Bradley Baker is best known for. He has actually had quite a few more significant roles both before and after the film. Some of his other credits include American Dad!, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and Muppet Babies. Dee will continue to be busy in the years to come thanks to some of the projects he’s currently working on.
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