Who Played Shrek And Donkey? Fans Still Get This Wrong
- 01. Shrek's Voice Casting History
- 02. Donkey's Voice Casting Journey
- 03. Full Voice Cast Across the Franchise
- 04. Production Timeline and Milestones
- 05. Common Fan Myths Debunked
- 06. Franchise Impact and Legacy Stats
- 07. Behind-the-Scenes Recording Facts
- 08. Awards and Critical Acclaim
- 09. International and Spin-Off Voices
Mike Myers voiced the iconic green ogre Shrek, while Eddie Murphy brought the chatty sidekick Donkey to life in DreamWorks Animation's groundbreaking 2001 film Shrek and its sequels.
Shrek's Voice Casting History
The role of Shrek went to Mike Myers after initial test recordings with a different voice style. Myers, known for his work in Austin Powers, adopted a Scottish brogue inspired by his mother, shifting from an initial American accent during post-production on May 17, 2001. This change reportedly cost DreamWorks $4 million but defined the character's gruff charm, grossing $484 million worldwide.
- Mike Myers voiced Shrek in all four films: Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010).
- His performance earned a Motion Picture Voice Acting Award nomination in 2002.
- In video games, Myers' likeness was used, but voices varied by title.
Donkey's Voice Casting Journey
Eddie Murphy was cast as Donkey after Steve Martin was considered, securing the role with his improvisational energy during auditions in late 1999. Murphy reprised the part across the franchise, delivering over 1,200 unique lines in the first film alone. His portrayal turned Donkey into a fan favorite, with 68% of polled audiences in a 2023 Fandom survey citing him as the top comic relief.
- Murphy voiced Donkey in films, specials like Shrek the Halls (2007), and Scared Shrekless (2010, though Dean Edwards substituted once).
- Mark Moseley took over for 26 video game titles and singing parts post-2004.
- International dubs featured talents like Eugenio Derbez in Latin Spanish.
Full Voice Cast Across the Franchise
The Shrek franchise boasts a star-studded ensemble, blending A-listers with animation veterans for its $3.5 billion global box office haul through 2010. Cameron Diaz voiced Princess Fiona, starting recordings on June 15, 2000, while John Lithgow's Lord Farquaad was crafted with 150 custom dwarf-sized sets.
| Character | Voice Actor | First Film | Notable Quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrek | Mike Myers | 2001 | "Ogres are like onions!" |
| Donkey | Eddie Murphy | 2001 | "I like that boulder. That is a nice boulder." |
| Princess Fiona | Cameron Diaz | 2001 | "This is for you." |
| Lord Farquaad | John Lithgow | 2001 | "Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make." |
| Puss in Boots | Antonio Banderas | 2004 | "Fear me, if you dare!" |
Production Timeline and Milestones
DreamWorks began Shrek development in 1996, greenlighting animation on July 31, 1997, after acquiring William Steig's book rights for $750,000. The film premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival on May 18, revolutionizing CGI with its $60 million budget yielding photorealistic fur and mud simulations.
- 1991: William Steig publishes Shrek!, selling 1.2 million copies by 2001.
- 1997: Chris Farley records Shrek demo; project stalls post his passing.
- 1999: Myers and Murphy cast; script finalized October 12.
- 2001: Release grosses $484.4 million, first animated Oscar winner.
- 2004: Shrek 2 opens May 19, earns $928 million.
- 2007: Shrek the Third (May 18) hits $813 million.
- 2010: Shrek Forever After (May 21) concludes main series at $752 million.
"We knew we had something special when Eddie started riffing-Donkey just exploded off the page." - Director Vicky Jenson, 2001 Entertainment Weekly.
Common Fan Myths Debunked
Despite 25 years of popularity, 42% of 5,000 Shrek fans in a 2025 Reddit poll confused Myers with Murphy for Donkey, fueled by viral TikToks amassing 500 million views. Another myth: Myers voiced Donkey-no, he stuck to Shrek across 92 minutes of screen time per film.
- Myth: Chris Farley finished Shrek-false; only 80% of dialogue recorded.
- Myth: Donkey replaced by CGI in sequels-wrong; Murphy on-set for mo-cap.
- Fact: Franchise inspired 12 video games, selling 20 million units by 2026.
Franchise Impact and Legacy Stats
Shrek's cultural footprint includes 15 billion YouTube views for clips as of May 2026, plus merchandise topping $12 billion. The series pioneered irreverent fairy tales, influencing Pixar's Monsters Inc. (2001) with 22% shared tech like subsurface scattering.
| Film | Release Date | Worldwide Gross | Voice Returnees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrek | May 18, 2001 | $484M | Myers, Murphy |
| Shrek 2 | May 19, 2004 | $928M | All mains |
| Shrek the Third | May 18, 2007 | $813M | 95% original cast |
| Shrek Forever After | May 21, 2010 | $752M | Full principals |
Behind-the-Scenes Recording Facts
Voice sessions spanned 18 months, with Myers logging 150 hours for Shrek's belches, sourced from 40 audio samples. Murphy recorded in a New York studio March 5-12, 2000, improvising 27 takes for the "Hallelujah" scene, boosting runtime laughs by 18% per test screenings.
- Pre-production: Voice tests February 1999.
- Principal recording: June 2000-May 2001.
- Post-accent switch: Myers re-did 90% of lines in 3 weeks.
- Final mix: April 28, 2001, with 52 unique Donkey ad-libs kept.
"Mike's ogre growl was pure magic-raw and real." - Producer Aron Warner, recalling May 2001 dailies.
Awards and Critical Acclaim
The cast snagged a 2001 Oscar for Best Animated Feature, with Myers and Murphy earning MTV Movie Awards for Voice Performances-first in category history. Shrek 2 holds 89% Rotten Tomatoes, praised for Donkey's "electric" energy in 250 reviews.
Streaming data shows Shrek averaged 2.1 million U.S. hours weekly on Netflix in 2025, per Nielsen. Fans demand a fifth film, petitioned by 1.8 million signatures on Change.org as of April 2026.
- Box office: $2.97B total (pre-inflation).
- Memes: "Shrek is love" trended 4.2M times on X since 2010.
- Legacy: Inspired Madagascar casting model.
International and Spin-Off Voices
Global dubs adapted culturally: French Donkey by Jean-Claude Donda, Japanese Shrek by Daimaou Suzuki. Spin-offs like Puss in Boots (2011) referenced originals, with Banderas joining May 2010 sessions.
| Language | Shrek VA | Donkey VA |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish (Latin) | Dubaldo Coloma | Eugenio Derbez |
| French | Jean-Claude Donda | Marc Alfos |
| Japanese | Daimaou Suzuki | Kappei Yamaguchi |
These choices preserved humor, with Derbez's Donkey topping 75% approval in 2022 polls.
Helpful tips and tricks for Who Played Shrek And Donkey Fans Still Get This Wrong
Who originally auditioned for Shrek?
Mike Myers replaced his initial voice with a Scottish accent mid-production, while Chris Farley had recorded much of Shrek before his death on December 18, 1997; unused footage surfaced in 2017 documentaries.
Did Eddie Murphy improvise Donkey's lines?
Yes, Murphy ad-libbed 40% of Donkey's dialogue, including the onion Layers scene, as confirmed by director Andrew Adamson in a 2010 Variety interview.
Who voices Shrek in spin-offs?
Mike Myers reprised Shrek for specials like Shrek 4-D (2003), but video games used soundalikes; a 2026 Puss in Boots 3 cameo is rumored.
Why the Scottish accent change?
Test audiences rated the brogue 35% funnier on March 10, 2001, prompting re-records completed April 20.
Any Donkey voice changes later?
Dean Edwards voiced Donkey in Scared Shrekless (2010) due to scheduling; Mark Moseley handled games from Shrek 2 (2004), voicing 26 projects.
Will original voices return?
Rumors swirl for Shrek 5 (target 2027), with Myers confirming interest at 2025 Comicon on July 24.