10 Voice Actors Who Look Like Their Characters
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A good actor can transform into many characters, but one with a strong vocal personality can make a cartoon really come to life.
The voice of the cartoon character can make a character look completely different and it differentiates as much as the animation does.
With millions of animated characters, from Disney classics of our childhood to the modern creations of current animated films, actors have a good variety to choose from.
Anyone can borrow his/her voice to make a character come to life, yet there are some characters that look very well with their real-life counterparts.
How is that possible? Because sometimes, animations are made with a voice actor ready in mind, the appearances of the characters can be very similar with the actors.
These are the actors who look like the cartoon characters they played!
10. Elijah Wood as Mumble from ‘Happy Feet’
Released in 2006, the Australian-American computer-animated musical family film is directed, produced and co-written by George Miller.
Produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros., the film was the first animated film produced by Kennedy Miller.
Happy Feet incorporates motion capture of live action humans in certain scenes.
Among the stars who voiced the characters is actor Elijah Wood. He is the lead of both Happy Feet films where he voices Mumble, the toe-tapping leader of the dance.
The resemblance between the actor and the character is striking. They look so similar, don’t you think?
9. Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Simba from ‘The Lion King’
The Disney film was released in 1994 and was the highest grossing release of that year. Some of that success is attributed to Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
His portrayal was perfect, and even had that light-hearted rebellious attitude that Simba had and Jonathan captured.
It makes sense that the slightly sassy attitude of the to-be king of the jungle would be played so perfectly by a to-be teen idol and child star. And everything went great.
The beautiful face, irresistible smile and rogue boyish charm are not the only featured Simba and Thomas have in common.
8. John C. Reilly as Ralph from ‘Wreck-It Ralph’
When it was released in 2012, the Disney film was one big hit. It earned $471 million worldwide and had both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.
Reilly, who isn’t such a massive guy like Ralph, is an acclaimed comedian actor. He and his character have a lot in common.
Both are quite mischievous, with quirky smiles and rowdy hair.
Reilly however, admitted to the Telegraph that he didn’t want to voice the film at first. Mainly because animation didn’t seem like too much fun, he explained.
He was quickly won over by the character though and was excited to work with Disney, who had made so many of his childhood films.
7. Ed Asner as Carl from ‘Up’
Another Disney/Pixar Film, Up was a huge success, grossing $731 million when it was released in 2009.
But it also received 5 Academy Award nominations, including the one for the Best Picture.
The film tells the story of the main character, Carl, a 78-year old curmudgeonly man who has lost his beloved wife.
The character was partially influenced by Lou Grant, a fictional character played by Ed Asner.
Both the character and the actor have a stunning resemblance, and one might think they are brothers. However, the actor doesn’t seem to see it.
The thick white eyebrows, the square glasses, round noses and kind eyes are features that make Ed and Carl similar looking men.
6. Rowan Atkinson as Zazu from ‘The Lion King’
The famous British actor, Rowan Atkinson has a vast resume. Besides giving life to iconic character Mr. Bean, Atkinson is also known for his performance as Blackadder.
However, he may not be so recognized as the dignified blue bird in The Lion King.
Atkinson’s expressive eyebrows and mouth are two features that make him particularly distinct.
The bird is proper and dignified, though a little nervous and jumpy, and has a dry sense of humor.
Originally Nathan Lane auditioned for the part of Zazu, but we are thankful that the part went to Rowan Atkinson who really brought the character together.
5. Kristen Wiig as Lucy from ‘Despicable Me 2’
Wiig’s character from Despicable Me 2 is an agent from the Anti-Villain League who teams up with main character Gru to catch a bad guy.
Kristen Wiig was once an SNL cast member, and also made an appearance in the first Despicable Me as Miss Hattie, a mean and short lady, quite unlike Wiig.
Both Kristen and Lucy are slim, enthusiastic and quirky ladies, with reddish hair.
Wiig’s comedic talent added greatly to the film’s success and as Chicago Tribune writer Michael Phillips put it:
“Wiig’s clever hesitations and comic timing help save the day.”
Wiig shares many personality traits as well as physical traits with her character Lucy and both are nice, happy and offbeat ladies who have won many hearts.
4. Danny DeVito as Philoctetes from ‘Hercules’
Philoctetes, Phil for short, was a half man, half goat, satyr who trained heroes, including Hercules, in ancient Greek mythology.
In the Disney film Hercules, the short hairy, round creature was played by an equally short and rotund actor Danny DeVito.
The supervising animator, Eric Goldberg, said he took his inspiration from Grumpy, a character from Show White and Bacchus from Fantasia, when he created Phil.
Initially, Danny DeVito declined the audition, but something made him change his mind.
He signed on only after being asked a second time, and created the life force behind this character with a big heart and a short temper.
3. Angelina Jolie as Lola from ‘Shark Tale’
Among the actors who voiced the characters from Shark Tale are Will Smith, Bruce Willis, Jack Black, Rene Zellweger, Robert De Niro, and Angelina Jolie.
Shark Tale had total grossing of $47.6 million and remained at number one for the second and third week after opening, and was nominated for Best Animated Feature.
However, for this animated film, all the characters look like their voice actors and most of these characters could have their own entry on this list. But we are focusing our attention towards Angelina Jolie.
She voiced Lola, a beautiful lionfish who seduces the main character Oscar.
The animators purposely made the fish resemble Jolie, both physically and in personality. Lola has big lips, long flowing hair, a bombshell body and a smoldering look.
2. Irene Bedard as Pocahontas from ‘Pocahontas’
The actress, who voiced Pocahontas in the film with the same name, may not be as famous as some of the other characters featured here, but her character definitely is.
Released in 1995, the classic Disney film was another big success.
The character of Pocahontas and the movie itself was based on Native American folklore that surrounds the real person of Pocahontas.
And she is one of the 10 actors who look like the cartoon characters they played.
1. Robin Williams as Genie from ‘Aladdin’
This is the last actor who looks like the cartoon character he played, and perhaps is the one who looks like it the most.
Aladdin was one of the first films that boasted seasoned actors when it was released in 1992. The cast included Gilbert Gottfried and Frank Welker apart from Robin Williams.
At first, Williams was unsure of taking the role, but he changed his mind after the animators showed him a few clips of Genie animated to fit some of Williams’ stand up, he was convinced.
Apart from Genie’s blue skin, the two of them are so much alike. Even their facial features are similar their round cheekbones, square jaws and huge smiles.
Who do you think it looks more alike? Who is your favorite? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
Also Visit: Highest-Paid Disney Voices | | Animated Films | Actors Who Look Like The Historic People They Played
