As a four-film franchise, Shrek is one of Disney’s most successful and classic movie sequences. The first Shrek was released by DreamWorks in 2001. As with any DreamWorks film, there was enchantment, excitement, and unexpected surprises. Shrek's budget was only $60 million, so with its $491.8 million gross at the box office, the movie proved to be very successful.

Having fans wait in anticipation for three years as the first sequel was being made, Shrek 2 received an even better reception than the first film, earning nearly $1 billion at the box office. The film was DreamWorks’ highest-grossing film for six years before Toy Story 3 surpassed it by a shy fraction. Shrek the Third was released again three years after the first sequel, and was just as successful as the first two films, grossing over $800 million. The fourth and final film, Shrek Forever After premiered in 2010 and received $756.2 million worldwide. Hoping to have a fresh take on the storyline and characters, Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri has confirmed that a fifth Shrek film is in the works, but it has not gone into production.

Shrek may be a big and green ogre, but he has qualities unlike any other man that Princess Fiona adores and accepts. He’s loud, yes, but he is no monster. Though his defense mechanism is to display himself as a scary ogre, Princess Fiona sees past his hard exterior, as does Donkey.

As the story of Shrek unfolds through the four films, we see him overcome his insecurities, find love, engage in friendships, rescue a Princess, get married, and have a family. He is soon accepted by his family-in-law, but not until he accepts himself. In doing so, he influences Fiona to accept herself as is, despite not being the picture-perfect Princess that her village of Far Far Away at first expected.

Mike Myers as Shrek

Having lived alone in the swamp for a great deal of his life, Shrek was okay with being alone, so when Donkey follows him home in the first Shrek movie, Shrek is quick to try and get rid of him. However, the two become friends in what seems like an instant. The two act as sidekicks throughout the whole franchise and have each other's back through every up and down.

Shrek may have hidden his identity from Princess Fiona initially, as he was embarrassed by his ogre appearance, but she eventually gets him to take off his steed helmet to see his true nature. To Shrek’s surprise, she isn’t afraid. As the franchise progresses, Shrek has the chance to rescue Princess Fiona from Far Far Away. After doing so, the two fall in love and stay together through each film. They embark on life inside the swamp, having not traded Shrek’s comfort for riches.

Related: Shrek: Every Movie in the Franchise, Ranked by Box Office Results

Though being a Prince wasn’t on his to-do list, Shrek risks it all to be whatever Princess Fiona decides, whether it be an ogre forever or a human. The two spend their lives as ogres after Princess Fiona’s curse is broken. Luckily they are still accepted by the King and Queen, as they had gone through a similar transformation from animal/beast to human. However, it seemingly wouldn’t have mattered if they were welcomed in by anyone but each other, as the two are deeply in love and even create a family of little ogre babies.

As the voice of Shrek, Mike Myers has kept fairly busy over the years. Some of Myers’ other work includes multiple Austin Powers films as well as The Love Guru, and Bohemian Rhapsody. Myers has also been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona

Born a human princess, Fiona would have never imagined what was to come of her life. When she was about to be chosen by Lord Farquaad as a mate, Fiona instead gets placed in a locked tower. He, however, doesn’t know that she has a curse that turns her into an ogre at night, making her perfect for Shrek. When Shrek goes to Far Far Away to reclaim his swamp, he inadvertently rescues Princess Fiona. She mistakes him for the knight who is meant to be with her and reverse the curse and is unaware of him being an ogre sent by Lord Farquaad. When Shrek reveals he’s an ogre, Princess Fiona is at first upset, but she soon begins to bond with him, knowing what it’s like to be an ogre as well.

Donkey is the first to see Princess Fiona’s true identity as an ogre when he runs into her at night. She explains that it only happens when the sun goes down, but only until she finds “love's true kiss.” Before she can kiss Lord Farquaad, Shrek objects to their wedding and reveals his love to her. She then escapes back into the swamp with Shrek, Donkey, and Dragon, only after turning into an ogre. She then marries Shrek and the two have a bunch of ogre babies.

Being the voice actress of Princess Fiona, Cameron Diaz adds to her versatile acting ability. She’s starred in plenty of movies including Something About Mary, Charlie’s Angels, Vanilla Sky, The Mask, and many more. She is also considered a “bankable star,” meaning that any film she appears in is sure to be successful at the box office. Diaz’s films have also reached $3 billion in revenue, making her the fifth highest-paid actress in the guild.

Eddie Murphy as Donkey

When Donkey was up for sale for being able to talk, he escapes far into the swamp and runs into Shrek who protects him. The two begin their friendship and slowly, Shrek allows Donkey into his home and heart. When Shrek decides to rescue Princess Fiona, Donkey meets the love of his life, Dragon who woos him with her flaming hot attitude. In Shrek 2, Donkey and Dragon become married and he impregnates her. The two welcome six “Dronkeys” and have their own happily ever after.

Donkey is also the one who reveals to Shrek that Princess Fiona just may love him. The two then go to Far Far Away to retrieve her before she can get married to Lord Farquaad. In order to get there quickly enough, the Dragon flies them there in no time. Donkey continues to be Shrek’s best friend throughout the franchise and accompanies Shrek and Princess Fiona when they visit Far Far Away to meet Fiona’s parents, the King and Queen. He’s by their side through everything, and both Shrek and Donkey wouldn’t have it any other way.

Though Donkey is a standout role for Eddie Murphy, he has plenty of experience in film, comedy, and television. He’s ranked number 10 on Comedy Central’s Greatest All-Time Standup Comedians and has continued his comedy in films like The Nutty Professor, Dr. Dolittle, Coming 2 America, and Norbit. Murphy has also brought his voice acting to other Disney films like Mulan. He is a recipient of both a Grammy and Emmy and in early 2023 he was given the honor of receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Golden Globe Award for an outstanding contribution to entertainment.

John Lithgow as Lord Farquaad

In order to receive his swamp back without squatters or terms, Lord Farquaad sends Shrek to rescue Princess Fiona after he sees how strong he is, knowing that he could finish the task. Though Lord Farquaad is the Prince of Far Far Away and is supposed to win the heart of Princess Fiona, she sees no attraction to him after having fallen for Shrek. Since Lord Farquaad is not a royal by blood, he needs to marry Princess Fiona to become the King.

When Shrek overhears Princess Fiona and Donkey talking about how ugly ogres are, Shrek mistakes the conversation as trash talk towards him, as he doesn’t know that Princess Fiona is an ogre by night. The next day, he wakes up early to bring Princess Fiona together with her Prince, Lord Farquaad, and they plan to marry by sunset that night. However, when Donkey explains to Shrek the truth of how Princess Fiona feels, the two go to Far Far Away to rescue her once again before it’s too late. Before Lord Farquaad can detain Princess Fiona for being an ogre, Dragon and Donkey save both Shrek and Princess Fiona. Lord Farquaad is then killed, and his legacy is no longer.

As the voice of Lord Farquaad, John Lithgow has added to his already acclaimed acting persona. He began his career in 1979 and has continued in plenty of films, earning six Emmys, three Screen Actors Guilds, two Golden Globes, two Tonys, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Some of his work includes the 1984 film Footloose, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Miss Sloane, and the hit sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.

John Cleese as King Harold

When Shrek and Princess Fiona return from their honeymoon, the King and Queen, as Fiona’s parents, invite the two to Far Far Away. To their surprise, their daughter shows up as an ogre. However, the King and Queen choose to invite them to their castle anyway.

When the Fairy Godmother shows up, she reminds the King of their deal. He assured her that her son, Prince Charming would be Princess Fiona’s husband. In turn, she would break the King’s own curse, as he was initially a frog when he fell in love with the Queen. Finally, once the King is turned back into a frog, much like how Princess Fiona turned into an ogre, the King chooses to accept their similarities and love as it is.

Though the voice of King Harold is a big role for John Cleese, he’s taken on many roles over his long acting career. Cleese began acting in the 1966 series The Frost Report. He continued in shows like Doctor Who, Cheers, Entourage, and Speechless. Some of his films include Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Rat Race, and Charlotte's Web. Cleese is also a film writer, having worked on many movies and television series like the show Fawlty Towers and the film Fierce Creatures.

Julie Andrews as Queen Lillian

Though the King is hesitant to invite Princess Fiona and Shrek into their lives, the Queen persuades him to do so. Though there would be some clashing between the four of them, the Queen initiates peace between everyone for the sake of her daughter’s happiness. When she notices how unhappy Princess Fiona is with Prince Charming, the Queen urges the King to make it right. Luckily, their love is strong enough to withstand righteousness and the two then band together to bring Shrek and Fiona back as husband and wife.

Shrek isn’t the only film where Julie Andrews stars as a Queen, as she worked in The Princess Diaries films as Queen Clarisse Renaldi. Andrews began her acting career in 1950, having starred in the comedy sitcom Educating Archie for two years. She’s worked in many musicals including My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, and The Sound of Music. Andrews has also been awarded six Golden Globes, three Grammys, two Emmys, an Academy Award, and a BAFTA Award. However, her most prominent recognition is that of a dame when Queen Elizabeth II anointed her in 2000.

Rupert Everett as Prince Charming

After attempting to rescue Princess Fiona from the tower, just to see that she was already rescued, Prince Charming angrily returns to Far Far Away where he finds out that she is already married. After Shrek drinks a happily ever after potion, Princess Fiona and he turn into human form. Prince Charming then pretends he is Shrek in order to steal Princess Fiona away as his own. He gets away with impersonating Shrek, but not for long. At the Far Far Away Ball, Prince Charming’s identity as Shrek comes to a demise when Princess Fiona chooses to kiss the real Shrek instead of him, making her realize who she truly loves.

Working in nearly 80 films and television series, Rupert Everett has kept himself busy. He earned his first Golden Globe nomination for his role in the 1997 film My Best Friend’s Wedding alongside Julia Roberts. Everett went on to work in films including a voice in The Wild Thornberrys Movie as well as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He has also worked in television shows like Black Mirror, Adult Material, and most recently the British drama series Funny Woman.

Jennifer Saunders as Fairy Godmother

When Princess Fiona cries on the balcony of the King and Queen’s castle, Fairy Godmother appears to turn her tears into a magical wish. However, Fairy Godmother has her own intentions, as her son Prince Charming is the one she believes should be with Princess Fiona. Though she didn’t know of Princess Fiona’s marriage to Shrek, she still tries to break them apart after finding out.

Fairy Godmother is essentially the biggest antagonist of the franchise because, without her power, there would be no reverse of the curses. Shrek also would have never lost his wife to Prince Charming had she not gotten involved.

Related: Shrek 5: Examining the Appeal of Serial Animation and the Rationale for a Sequel

Though Shrek 2 would be one of her most successful films, Jennifer Saunders has worked in a great deal of films since her debut role in the 1985 movie The Supergrass. Saunders’ other films include voices in Coraline, Minions, and Sing 2. She also had a cameo in the popular rom-com Isn’t It Romantic and worked in television series like Friends, Mirrorball, and The Simpsons.

Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots

After the King is approached by Fairy Godmother about Prince Charming and Princess Fiona getting married, he goes to a local bar in Far Far Away to find Puss in Boots who he pays to kill Shrek. To the King’s surprise, Puss in Boots couldn’t complete the task and instead tells Shrek who sent him there to kill him. Puss in Boots then becomes friends with Shrek and Donkey and the three take Far Far Away head-on when they again have to save Fiona from Prince Charming.

With two spin-off films based on Puss in Boots, Antonio Banderas has had great success with his role in Shrek. He’s received numerous award nominations over the forty-year course of his career. Some of his work includes Desperado, The Mask of Zorro, and the three Spy Kids films.

Justin Timberlake as Artie

When nobody is left to rule Far Far Away, Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots journey to Worcestershire where Fiona’s cousin Artie is living. Shrek breaks the news to Artie, who is quite young at only 16 years old, that he is the only living heir that may become King of Far Far Away. Though he was hesitant at first, Artie takes on the responsibilities of King and begins his rule as soon as he is crowned. Artie also helps defeat Prince Charming when he attempts to kill Shrek, making him even more confident of becoming King.

Having begun his acting career with Disney’s The Mickey Mouse Club, Justin Timberlake was set up for a very successful career. Most prominently, Timberlake was a part of the music group NSYNC. However, he’s contributed to plenty of films like Model Behavior, The Social Network, Friends With Benefits, and Palmer.

Shrek is full of intriguing characters. Some other roles include The Three Blind Mice, Pinocchio, The Wolf, Gingerbread Man, and Rumpelstiltskin. Everyone acts in accordance with who they believe should be the heir of Far Far Away as well as the husband to Princess Fiona. Mostly, everyone helps Shrek, as everyone sees the true love between him and Princess Fiona. However, Rumpelstiltskin is an antagonist who is involved with magical deals, making him one for Shrek to not lose focus on.

Though the fourth film, Shrek Forever After released in 2010, there is a lot of discussion about a fifth film in the franchise. The highly anticipated movie is said to be in the works with a written and finished script, however, it does not have a release date or start of production. An additional spin-off is also being worked on where DreamWorks will center the film around Donkey.