Philip W Bayles | On 24, Aug 2014

17 animals you didn’t know were voiced by celebrities

This weekend sees the release of Netflix’s new animated series BoJack Horseman, which stars the ever-hilarious Will Arnett as a washed-up 90s sitcom star… who also happens to be a horse. To celebrate, we looked back through the annals of animation history and found some other animals that we never realised sounded so familiar.

George Clooney – Sparky the Dog

From: South Park S1 E4: “Big Gay Al’s Big Gay Boat Ride” (1997)
Though he never made any sounds other than the occasional bark, Stan Marsh’s gay dog Sparky was voiced by Hollywood heart-throb and long-time South Park fan George Clooney. When asked about why they cast Clooney in the role, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s response was pretty straightforward: “we thought it was funny”. Thankfully, Clooney didn’t mind, and was eventually given a speaking role in South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. He plays the surgeon who accidentally replaces Kenny’s heart with a baked potato.

They Said: “Grr… Ruff!”

Surprise Factor: 10/10

Johnny Cash – The Space Coyote

From: The Simpsons S8 E9: El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (1997)
Described by Matt Groening as “one of the greatest coups the show has ever had”, The Man in Black’s cameo as the product of a trip on Guatemalan insanity peppers is a classic piece of television. Apparently Homer’s spirit guide sent to help him find his soulmate, the coyote might have had a very different voice. Bob Dylan was also approached to do the cameo, but had already turned down several other offers from the showrunners in the past. Given how some of Dylan’s songs sound, Homer might not have been able to understand the coyote’s advice if he’d accepted.

They Said: “This is just your memory… I can’t give you any new information.”

Surprise Factor: 4/10

Louie Prima – King Louie

From: The Jungle Book (1967)
The last animated film overseen by Walt Disney before his death in 1966, The Jungle Book is remembered by most fans as having one of the best soundtracks of any Disney film. To help bring their iconic tunes to life the Sherman Brothers asked jazz musician Louie Prima to voice King Louie, self-proclaimed ‘King of the Swingers’ who asks for Mowgli’s help creating fire. When it came to drawing “I Wanna Be Like You”, the animators used real-life footage of Prima’s band performing in Vegas as inspiration. The rest, as they say, is history…

They Said: “I wanna be a man, man-cub/And stroll right into town/And be just like them other men/I’m tired of monkeyin’ around…”

Surprise Factor: 3/10

Bruce Willis – Spike Pickles

From: Rugrats Go Wild (2003)
Way back in 2003, when The Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys were both at the height of their popularity, someone at Nickelodeon decided that the best idea would be to make a crossover movie featuring the two sets of characters. The movie wasn’t very good – not least because of a misguided attempt to make ‘Scratch n’ Sniff’ a thing again – but at least one good thing came of it. Thanks to Eliza Thornberry’s ability to talk to animals we know that Spike, the Pickles’ faithful dog, speaks like Bruce Willis. Frankly, he hasn’t given a performance that lively in years.

They Said: “I am Spike. Full name: “DOWN SPIKE, DOWN! GET OFF THAT COUCH!”

Surprise Factor: 8/10

Peter Cullen – Eeyore

From: Winnie the Pooh (1988-2010)
No, we did not make this up. Eeyore and Optimus Prime are the same person, and that is awesome. Peter Cullen took up the role of the depressed donkey with the detachable tail for the 1988 series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and continued to voice him for 22 years in shows such as The House of Mouse and the kids’ series My Friends Tigger and Pooh. To this date he’s held the voice the longest, so it’s probably fair to call him the definitive Eeyore. Sadly there are no plans as of yet for the Autobots to visit the Hundred Acre Wood, but there is footage of Cullen showing what it might be like if Eeyore and Optimus ever did meet, and it’s even better than you’re thinking.

They Said: “Could be worse. Not sure how, but it could be.”

Surprise Factor: 9/10

Woody Allen – Z

From: Antz (1998)
Many unfairly dismissed it when it was released as a knock-off of A Bug’s Life, but DreamWorks’ insect animation is a charmer thanks to its witty script and an all-star cast. Gene Hackman, Sly Stallone, Sharon Stone and Jennifer Lopez all starred, but none of them could stand up to Woody Allen, who basically played himself in the form of a tiny neurotic ant searching for meaning in his monotonous existence and finding love in a sophisticated and beautiful woman. He even went so far as rewriting his lines in the script to make them sound more like stuff Woody Allen would say. It’s like Annie Hall if everyone had two extra legs.

They Said: “Yeeowch…”

Surprise Factor: 1/10

Frank Welker – Nibbler

From: Futurama (1999-2013)
You may not know Frank Welker’s face, or even his name, but if you’ve been anywhere near a TV in your life odds are you’ve heard his voice. In a career that’s spanned 45 years, the actor has given life to hundreds of animated characters both animal and human. Highlights of his CV include Fred Jones and Scooby-Doo, Droopy the Dog, and the English version of Totoro. But his greatest role is undoubtedly Nibbler, the three-eyed diaper-wearing monster Leela adopts as a pet in the first season of Futurama. Not only does he wear a cape and crap out starship fuel, but he also talks like Henry Higgins reciting Shakespeare.

They Said: “The poop eradication is but one aspect of your importance!”

Surprise Factor: 4/10

The Entire Cast of the Lion King

From: The Lion King (1994)
Somebody from The Lion King had to go on this list. Picking just one is, frankly impossible, when the cast is as stuffed to the gills with talent as this. When you consider the other roles these actors have performed over the years the movie gets about ten times more awesome. Basically, Darth Vader is king of the animals, advised by Mr Bean, while his brother – Charles Ryder from Brideshead Revisited – plots to steal his throne. Darth Vader’s son, Randy Taylor from Home Improvement, is taken in by Max Bialystock and grows up to become Ferris Bueller before returning home to claim his rightful place as king. And everyone sings Elton John songs.

They Said: “Hakuna Matata!”

Surprise Factor: 8/10

Jessica Walker – Fran Sinclair

From: Dinosaurs (1991-1994)
She may be best known today for playing sharp-tongued women with an unhealthy obsession with alcohol, but in the 1990s Jessica Walter played a very different matriarch – one that lived 65 million years ago. She lent her voice to Fran, long-suffering wife of the megalosaur Earl Sinclair in Jim Henson’s bizarre puppet sitcom Dinosaurs. The show’s not aged terribly well, but there’s something kind of amusing about seeing Lucille Bluth with dorsal fins and an apron – and it has one of the most depressing and brilliant finales of any show since Blackadder Goes Forth.

They Said: “Earl Sinclair, if you touch one scale on that boy’s head, I’ll disconnect your premium cable channels.”

Surprise Factor: 7/10

Ellen Degeneres – Dory

From: Finding Nemo (2003)
Finding Nemo is another star-studded entry that deserved a spot on this list for any of its cast. Nigel the Pelican sounds a lot friendlier than Captain Barbossa but they were both played by Geoffrey Rush, and Bruce the great white shark who refuses to eat fish is none other than Dame Edna Everage herself. But it was sitcom star turned Oscar host Ellen Degeneres who stole the show as Dory; a regal blue tang with short term memory loss. She was the comic heart of the film, her every line an instant classic, but there was something deeply tragic about her too.

They Said: “I forget things almost instantly. It runs in my family… At least, I think it does. Where are they?”

Surprise Factor: 2/10

Rodney Dangerfield – Rover

From: Rover Dangerfield (1991)
“I get no respect. No respect at all.” That was Rodney Dangerfield’s trademark quip, although frankly it’s hard to see how the comedian deserved any for this film. The story of a wisecracking dog living the life in Vegas who finds himself living on a farm was originally intended to carry and R-rating, but Warner Bros. pressured Dangerfield and Co. into watering it down. The result was a boring and unimaginative film, punctuated by flat gags and bizarre musical numbers with titles like “I’ll Never Do It on a Christmas Tree”. Still, there’s something strangely endearing about seeing a dog with Dangerfield’s bulging eyes and red tie. It’s certainly more amusing than a donkey with Eddie Murphy’s voice.

They Said: “I guess that’s my trouble, no class. I looked up my family tree, two dogs were using it!”

Surprise Factor: 0/10

Joaquin Phoenix – Kenai

From: Brother Bear (2003)
When you boil it down, Brother Bear is probably one of the weirder Disney offerings in recent years. It’s about a young, headstrong Inuit who kills a bear to avenge his brother, and for his effort is transformed into a grizzly himself in order to learn about the power of love and Phil Collins songs. It’s a pretty messed-up story, and in that respect Joaquin Phoenix – who’s also played despotic Roman emperors and PTSD-suffering sailors – is a perfect fit for the lead role of Kenai. Thankfully there is a bit of comic relief in the mix; Canadian comedians Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas turn up to lighten the mood as a pair of idiotic moose named Rutt and Tuke.

They Said: “I have a story to tell you. It’s kind of about a man… and kind of about a bear. But mostly, it’s about a monster.”

Surprise Factor: 9/10

Ian McKellen – The Toad

From: Flushed Away (2006)
The story of a pampered Kensington rat lost in London’s extensive sewer system, Flushed Away is packed to the gills with British talent – just as one would expect from the studio that brought us Wallace and Gromit, the most British pairing since fish and chips. But by far the best addition to the cast is Ian McKellen as the villainous Toad, who steals every scene he’s in with his smoking jacket and a creepy collection of tadpoles in jam jars. He even gets a better backstory than most James Bond villains – he used to be the young Prince Charles’ favourite pet, until he was replaced by a rat.

They Said: [After swallowing and eating a screaming housefly] “Pardon me. My fly’s undone.”

Surprise Factor: 2/10

Busta Rhymes – Reptar

From: The Rugrats Movie (1998)
TThe idea of rappers taking to the screen is by no means a rare thing. Eminem and 50 Cent have both made semi-autobiographical movies, while Will Smith’s career has endured long enough to turn him from a legitimate star into a joke. But all else frankly pales when compared with Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr – real name Busta Rhymes – who brought life to Reptar the dinosaur in the Rugrats’ first big-screen adventure. Kind of. What he actually voiced was the Reptar wagon, a stroller/lifeboat complete with flamethrower that Stu Pickles invented for his kids. But as we all know, the only thing more awesome than a dinosaur is a dinosaur on wheels.

They Said: “I AM REPTAR! HEAR ME ROAR!”

Surprise Factor: 9/10

Antonio Banderas – Puss in Boots

From: Shrek 2 (2004)
It was a joke that should have gotten old immediately – the actor who became known to US audiences playing Zorro voicing an animated version of Zorro… if he were a cat. But somehow, Antonio Banderas’ performance managed to steal the show in Shrek’s first sequel. Maybe it was his 100 per cent commitment to the idea of a furry little musketeer. More likely it was the adorable green eyes that almost seemed to scream “Turn me into a GIF!” All we know is, as the sequels became increasingly unbearable Puss was the only thing about them worth watching. Especially when he got fatter than Mr Creosote after a wafer-thin mint.

They Said: “Fear me, if you dare…”

Surprise Factor: 0/10

Walt Disney – Mickey Mouse

From: Steamboat Willie (1929)
Everybody knows that Steamboat Willie, apart from being the first animated picture to feature sound, was also the cartoon that introduced us to a little mouse in shorts who would go on to become the biggest pop-culture phenomenon of all time. Comparatively few people, however, know that his adorable falsetto chuckle came from the very man who created him. Walt Disney himself provided Mickey’s voice until 1947, when the increasingly stressful demands of his empire – and a lifetime’s smoking habit – forced him to pass on the role. Whether he will resume his duties when the scientists at Epcot unfreeze him remains unclear.

They Said: “Hot dogs! Hot dogs!”

Surprise Factor: 6/10

Will Arnett – BoJack Horseman

From: BoJack Horseman (2014)
Netflix’s newest original series centres on the eponymous washed-up sitcom star, who feels like a cross between Charlie Sheen and Brian Griffin wearing the horse’s head from The Godfather. It should be a joke – and a character – that gets old very quickly, but thankfully Arrested Development star Will Arnett lives for these kinds of roles. Just like Gob Bluth and his hilarious take on Batman for The LEGO Movie, Arnett manages to imbue an inherently ridiculous character with a sense of real tragedy and make him likeable in the process. Let’s hope BoJack doesn’t have to go on a trip to the glue factory for a long time yet.

They Said: “Life is just one long kick in the urethra.”

Surprise Factor: 4/10

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