Disney movies are undoubtedly among the most popular and successful animated productions of all time. They have influenced the lives of audiences around the world, and established themselves as beloved stories that everyone has watched at least once. Probably two of the elements that set Disney productions apart from other animated films are their exciting and heartwarming storylines and, needless to say, their beloved characters. Over the years, the company has introduced the most colorful characters, ranging from heroes to villains, who have stolen the hearts of audiences. When creating these popular characters, the filmmakers must consider each and every detail: their story, how they look, the way they move and, most importantly, defining a voice that conveys their essence. This is where the actors step into the picture.
Over the years, Disney has cast hundreds of actors to give life to its animated characters, making them well-known or even more popular than they already were. Some of these characters became milestones in the actors' careers, such as the Genie for Robin Williams and Mrs. Potts for Angela Lansbury. At the same time, many other characters allowed promising young actors to shine and surprise the audience, as is the case of Auli'i Cravalho, the actress and singer who portrayed Moana. But there are so many movies and characters introduced by Disney every year that we tend to overlook the performances of some of the industry's biggest actors in their productions. Check out 15 of them here.
15 Mindy Kaling — Disgust (Inside Out)
In the 2015 film Inside Out, Mindy Kaling plays Disgust, one of the emotions that works inside Riley's mind along with Joy, Fear, Anger and Sadness. This character is in charge of protecting Riley from situations and people who might lead her to a bad experience, turning down anything from unpleasant vegetables to unfashionable activities and clothes. Despite being rather shallow and stubborn, Disgust wants the best for Riley, and tries to perform as best as she can while becoming an ever-present emotion in the girl's life. Besides Disgust, Kaling also brought another Disney character to life: Taffyta Muttonfudge in the 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph.
14 Joseph Gordon-Levitt — Jim (Treasure Planet)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was the actor cast to play Jim Hawkins, the main character in the 2002 film Treasure Planet. Jim grows throughout the film: at the beginning, he is a rebellious teenager who keeps getting into trouble, but he eventually leaves behind his troublesome attitudes to become a more mature and trustworthy young man, while still maintaining his passion for adventures. Two decades after playing this role, Gordon-Levitt voiced another Disney character in the live-action remake of Pinocchio.
13 Oprah Winfrey — Eudora (The Princess and the Frog)
Eudora is a very important person for Tiana, the main character in The Princess and the Frog: she is her mother and her deepest confidant. However, as she only has a couple of lines at the beginning of the film, most of the audience may not identify the artist who voices her, Oprah Winfrey. Eudora is a loving woman who supports her daughter in every project she undertakes, although she prioritizes her happiness and constantly makes sure that Tiana is not neglecting her life by devoting too much time to her work.
12 Willem Dafoe — Gill (Finding Nemo)
Iconic actor Willem Dafoe joined the cast of the 2003 film Finding Nemo to voice one of the production's most mysterious characters, Gill. This moorish idol fish is the leader of the Tank Gang, the group of fish and sea animals that live in the dentist clinic's fish tank. Gill is intimidating, but has very good intentions, and is constantly trying to escape from the tank and go back to the sea, although his plans never work out the way he wants them to. Dafoe reprised this character in the 2016 film Finding Dory.
11 Demi Moore — Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Demi Moore co-stars in The Hunchback of Notre Dame as Esmeralda, a character who was once part of Disney's official cast of princesses. Esmeralda works as a dancer and is always in the company of her goat Djali. This beautiful young woman stands out for her intelligence and great empathy, being one of the few characters who never treats Quasimodo badly because of his appearance, even if this gets her into trouble with powerful people. Although Moore was the actress cast to voice this young girl, Heidi Mollenhauer was the one in charge of her singing voice.
10 John Krasinski — Frank McCay (Monsters University)
2013 marked the release of Monsters University, a prequel to the 2001 film Monsters, Inc. following Mike and Sulley's journey towards becoming the best working team at the Monsters, Incorporated factory. In this production, John Krasinski plays a minor, but significant role to the story, Frightening Frank McCay. This monster is a legend among scarers, and the one who inspires Mike Wazowski to enroll in Monsters University to pursue his dreams of becoming a scarer.
9 Maya Rudolph — Daniela (Luca)
Luca is, hands down, one of the most outstanding animated films of 2021. In it, Maya Rudolph plays Daniela Paguro, the mother of the story's main character. Daniela is an extremely cautious and overprotective sea monster who tries by all means to keep her son away from the surface as she knows how dangerous it is to be among humans. However, by the end of the film Daniela understands Luca's need to explore the world and, after realizing that it is not as threatening as she thought, she allows him to move around on his own. This is the second Disney animated character Rudolph has played, as in 2014 she voiced Aunt Cass in the film Big Hero 6.
8 Joaquin Phoenix — Kenai (Brother Bear)
The 2003 film Brother Bear features Kenai, a young boy who vows to avenge his older brother's death by killing the bear responsible for it. But the Spirits intervene and turn him into a bear to help him understand all creatures and discover the true meaning of brotherhood. Only then can Kenai become a young boy again. Leading the cast of this production was Joaquin Phoenix, who was already well-known for his role in Gladiator.
7 Emma Thompson — Queen Elinor (Brave)
Emma Thompson is yet another of the many great actresses who played the role of a main character's mother. The actress played Queen Elinor in the 2012 film Brave. Elinor is Merida's mother and Dunbroch's queen, a very authoritarian figure who tries by all means to make her daughter follow in her footsteps, even though the young girl has no interest in doing so. Although Elinor and Merida have a complicated relationship at the beginning of the film, they eventually start to understand each other better once the queen grasps her daughter's true needs. This is not the only Disney character voiced by Thompson: she also played Captain Amelia in Treasure Planet.
6 Eddie Murphy — Mushu (Mulan)
Mushu is one of the most iconic characters in the movie Mulan and probably one of the best sidekicks in Disney history. And behind this funny Chinese dragon hides one of the most popular comedians in cinema: Eddie Murphy. After failing his mission as guardian of the Fa family, Mushu appoints himself as Mulan's guardian in order to regain his reputation. And although he initially comes across as a prideful and impulsive character, he refines his personality over the course of the film and proves that he actually has a kind heart.
5 Octavia Spencer — Mrs. Otterton (Zootopia)
In the 2016 film Zootopia, Octavia Spencer plays Mrs. Otterton, one of the supporting characters. She is an otter who approaches Judy Hopps with a heartbreaking request: to help her find her husband, who has been missing for ten days. She also has two small children who miss their father dearly. Despite some difficulties, Mrs. Otterton manages to find her husband again and achieve her happy ending. A few years after starring in Zootopia, Spencer joined the cast of Onward to voice Corey the Manticore.
4 Rowan Atkinson — Zazu (The Lion King)
Rowan Atkinson is known worldwide for playing the popular Mr. Bean, and a few years after making it big with this role, he landed the part of Zazu in the 1994 classic The Lion King. Zazu is a hornbill who serves as Mufasa's loyal steward, a small-sized character with a big personality. Zazu is very responsible, lives by the rules of the Pride Lands and tries to make everyone else follow them as well. When others don't behave as they should, he loses his patience completely, although he tends to adopt a softer attitude towards the members of his inner circle.
3 Angela Bassett — Dorothea Williams (Soul)
The 2020 film Soul is one of the latest masterpieces produced by Pixar for Disney. In this production, Angela Bassett plays Dorothea Williams, one of the most talented jazz musicians in New York City. Soul's main character's biggest dream is to play in her band, The Dorothea Williams Quartet and, despite having little faith in him, she gives him a chance and ends up discovering Joe's amazing talent. This was not Bassett's first appearance in a Disney film: she also voiced Mildred in the 2007 film Meet the Robinsons.
2 Christian Bale — Thomas (Pocahontas)
Christian Bale is known for the many excellent roles he has played over the years. However, a lot of people don't remember that one of his first roles was in a Disney classic. In 1995, he played Thomas, a supporting character in Pocahontas. He is John Smith's best friend and confidant. Since John saved him from dying in a sea storm, Thomas grew loyal to him, and follows him in every adventure. Although the young man lacks experience and has poor skills, he tries to put his heart into everything he does and to take care of his family and friends in the best way possible.
1 Whoopi Goldberg — Shenzi (The Lion King)
Closing this list is actress Whoopi Goldberg, who in 1994 joined the cast of The Lion King as Shenzi. This female hyena is the leader of her clan, and is usually seen hanging out with Banzai and Ed. Unlike her friends, Shenzi is much more intelligent, focused and critical. She is able to sense the real intentions of others, which is why she decides to distance herself from Scar when she understands that he is only looking out for himself. Shenzi is not the only Disney character Goldberg played: over the years, she also voiced Stretch from Toy Story 3 and Miss Mittens from the 2008 film Snow Buddies.