Disney can often attract big names to appear in their animated movies, even if they are only offering a minor role. This means that some A-list actors and Oscar-winners have obscure roles in Disney movies that fans could easily miss. While the stars behind the biggest characters are usually publicized, like Dwayne Johnson inMoanaand Robin Williams inAladdin,it can be hard to recognize other actors based solely on their voices.
Disney’s old classics generally don’t have many recognizable names, because Hollywood’s brightest stars weren’t interested in animation and studios preferred dedicated voice actors anyway. The trend of casting high-profile actors in animated movies is a relatively recent one, starting in the 1990s and accelerating throughout the 21st century. These days, it’s common for an animated movie’s cast to be filled with A-list talent, but many of these actors can go unnoticed.
10Thomas - Pocahontas (1995)
Christian Bale
Christian Bale’s big breakthrough came inAmerican Psycho,although he had several notable roles before Mary Harron’s dark psychological thriller. He played Demtrius in an adaptation ofA Midsummer Night’s Dreamalongside Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer, and he shone as a young actor inEmpire of the SunandNewsies.Looking back,his biggest movie beforeAmerican Psychowas probablyPocahontas,although he only has a minor role as one of John Smith’s compatriots.
Christian Bale’s mastery of accents suggests that he could have a much bigger career as a voice actor if he wanted one.
Christian Bale’s mastery of accents suggests that he could have a much bigger career as a voice actor if he wanted one, but his voice-acting roles have been few and far between sincePocahontas.He voices Bagheera in Andy Serkis’Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle,and he has lent his voice to the English dub of two Studio Ghibli movies,Howl’s Moving CastleandThe Boy and the Heron.
9Dean Abigail Hardscrabble - Monsters University (2013)
Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren’s best moviesinclude period dramas, biopics and the odd comedy. Her illustrious career stretches back to the 1960s, so she’s had time to adapt to a wide variety of genres. She still hasn’t had too many voice-acting roles, however, which makes her appearance as Dean Hardscrabble inMonsters Universitysomething of an oddity. Hardscrabble is the firm but fair authority figure whom Mike and Sully meet when they start causing trouble on campus.
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Other thanMonsters University,Mirren’s voice-acting roles have been relatively low-key.She’s part of the star-studded cast ofPrince of Egypt,and she voices the ponderous robot Deep Thought inThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,but her other roles have come in more obscure animated movies. Mirren is still going strong, and the Oscar-winner is set to appear in the buzzy mystery movieThe Thursday Murder Clubat some point in 2025.
8Captain Amelia - Treasure Planet (2002)
Emma Thompson
Treasure Planetis one of thebest Disney movies of the 2000s, and a bright spot in an awkward decade between the Disney renaissance and later hits likeTangledandFrozen.It’s common knowledge that Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the main character, Jim Hawkins, but he isn’t the only star in the cast. Emma Thompson brings a lot of menace and gravitas to her portrayal of Captain Amelia.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the main character, Jim Hawkins, but he isn’t the only star in the cast.
Emma Thompson is a versatile actor, just as comfortable in period dramas likeSense and Sensibilityas she is in lighthearted blockbusters like theMen in Blackfranchise. It should come as no surprise that she can also list voice-acting among her many talents.Treasure Planetprovided her with her first voice-acting role ever, butshe returned to Disney for her role inBrave.Her other major animated movie is Laika’sMissing Link.
7Chicken Little - Chicken Little (2005)
Zach Braff
Chicken Littlewas Disney’s first 3-D computer-generated animated movie, coming a few years after other studios had stolen a march with hits likeToy StoryandShrek.It’s not considered a real Disney classic, despite its historic significance for the studio. The story adapts an old folk tale, which is usually a path to victory for Disney, but it puts a modern sci-fi twist on the story that divides opinion.
Chicken Littlestars Zach Braff as the title character, whilethere are other major stars in the cast, like Adam West, Joan Cusack and Patrick Stewart. Braff’s most significant movie isGardenState,which he also wrote and directed. He’s mainly known as a TV star, and he could be about to return to his biggest role ifnews of theScrubsrevivalis accurate.Scrubsis far from his only TV role. Recently, he made a scene-stealing appearance in the dark comedyBad Monkey.
6Kenai - Brother Bear (2003)
Joaquin Phoenix
Brother Beargave Joaquin Phoenix his first voice-acting role, and the Disney movie is still his only animated movie. He has lent his voice to a couple of documentaries, but he has mostly stuck to acting in live-action movies. Phoenix was already an established star by the time he madeBrother Bear,having starred in hits likeGladiatorandSigns.His one and only voice-acting role now seems like nothing more than a brief experiment.
Brother Beargave Joaquin Phoenix his first voice-acting role, and it’s still his only animated movie.
Brother Bearwas a commercial success, but it wasn’t a hit with critics. It’s possible that this tepid response contributed to Phoenix’s reluctance to return to voice-acting, but it seems more likely that he simply wanted to make the most of his time by starring in live-action movies. He’s one of the best actors of his generation, and he has made a habit of appearing in Oscar-nominated movies, as well as scooping Best Actor for his role inJoker.
5Mrs. Potts - Beauty & The Beast (1991)
Angela Lansbury
Beauty and the Beastis one of the best movies of the1990s Disney renaissance, which got the studio back on track and revitalized the medium of animation in America. One thing that made the Disney renaissance different to earlier animated movies was that the studio started hiring some bigger names for their voice roles, whereas older animated movies often stuck with specialized voice actors without much of a public profile.
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Beauty and the Beaststill doesn’t have the star power in the cast of later hits likeAladdinandThe Lion King,but there are some noteworthy names. Angela Lansbury stands out as the most famous actor on the cast list, thanks to her portrayal of Jessica Fletcher inMurder, She Wrote.Aside from the classic TV mystery series,Lansbury enjoyed a long career in Hollywood, from her film debut in 1944’sGaslightto her late-career children’s movies, likeMr. Popper’s PenguinsandTheGrinch.
4Horst - Ratatouille (2007)
Will Arnett
Ratatouilleis most associated with Patton Oswalt, although Peter O’Toole also gets a lot of love for his performance as the snobby food critic Anton Ego. One actor who sometimes gets lost amid the cast is Will Arnett.He only has a minor role as Horst, but the chef delivers some great lines, constantly changing his mysterious backstory whenever someone questions him about his time in prison.
His most iconic voice role is that of the title characer in Netflix’s dark sitcomBoJack Horseman.
Will Arnett has starred in some hilarious comedy movies and TV shows, includingArrested Development, 30 RockandBlades of Glory,and his distinctive deep voice has also allowed him to amass a long list of animated movie credits. He plays Batman in theLegofranchise, Mr. Perkins inDespicable Meand dozens of other animated characters. His most iconic voice role is that of the title characer in Netflix’s dark sitcomBoJack Horseman.
3Sina - Moana (2016)
Nicole Scherzinger
Moanais famous for Dwayne Johnson’s role as Maui, which casts a shadow over some of the other actors. Nicole Scherzinger is one of the other big names in the cast, even though she doesn’t have many acting roles under her belt. Scherzinger brings her vocal talents toMoana,building onher successful career as a solo artist and a member of the Pussycat Dolls. She plays Moana’s mother Sina.
Aside from her music, Nicole Scherzinger is famous for being a judge onThe Masked Singer.She has had minor roles inMen in Black 3and some TV shows, butMoanais her biggest movie by far. She also appears in thecast ofMoana 2.She only plays a supporting role, but she’s a welcome addition to the soundtrack when she gets the opportunity to sing.Moanaalso allows Scherzinger to pay tribute to her Polynesian roots.
2Mrs. Otterton - Zootopia (2016)
Octavia Spencer
The cast ofZootopiahas plenty of big names, like many of Disney’s more recent animated movies. Most fans will know that Jason Bateman plays Nick, Idris Elba plays Chief Bogo and J. K. Simmons plays Mayor Lionheart, but Octavia Spencer’s minor role as Mrs. Otterton can go unnoticed. Mrs. Otterton pleads with Chief Bogo and Judy to find her missing husband, Emmitt, and this case eventually leads Judy to uncovering the “Night Howlers” conspiracy.
The cast ofZootopiahas plenty of big names, like many of Disney’s more recent animated movies.
It seems unlikely that Octavia Spencer will return for theupcomingZootopiasequel, since she hasn’t been listed among the first batch of cast announcement and her character’s story has been concluded. The Oscar-winner has a few other voice-acting roles, however.She plays Corey the Manticore in Pixar’sOnward,she has a memorable role inAmerican Dad,and she’s set to appear inThe Smurfs Movie.
1Nigel - Finding Nemo (2003)
Geoffrey Rush
Finding Nemohas a few big stars in its cast, with Ellen DeGeneres as Dory, Willem Dafoe as Gill and Eric Bana as a hammerhead shark. Geoffrey Rush’s role as Nigel the Pelican can easily fly under the radar. Rush is one of many Australian actors inFinding Nemo,and he makes the most of a minor role. Nigel helps Marlin and Nemo despite his nature as a pelican who should be preying on small fish.
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Geoffrey Rush gained international prominence and won an Oscar for his role in 1996’sShine,but he was already an accomplished actor in Australia at that point. He has since appeared in several more awards-season contenders, such asThe King’s SpeechandShakespeare in Love,buthe’s probably most famous for playing Hector Barbossa in thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise.
