Since its inception, from competing head-to-head with Disney movies with its earliest releases such as Antz, The Prince of Egypt and The Road To El Dorado, to its work in creating some of the world’s most successful movie franchises including Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, Boss Baby, Trolls, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda, DreamWorks Animation has managed to leave an indelible mark on the world of animation as it continues to put out hit movies.
Carving out its own niche early on, which involved cutting edge animation and family-friendly movies that appeal to adults just as much as children, DreamWorks is one of the most highly regarded animation studios in the world. Arguably one of the most successful aspects of the studio is the almost-flawless ability to cast the perfect actors to bring its characters to life. From an extensive alphabet of actors that consists of Hollywood A-listers from Will Smith and Brad Pitt to Patrick Stewart and Ralph Fiennes, we’ve chosen nine of the finest voice performances in DreamWorks Animation Movies and ranked them.
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9 Wanda Sykes – Stella (Over the Hedge)
DreamWorks Animation
Certainly not the most memorable DreamWorks movie, but a commercial and critical hit nonetheless, 2006’s Over the Hedge had an all-star voice cast featuring Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, and William Shatner among others. It was Wanda Sykes, however, and her portrayal of Stella, the short-tempered and sassy skunk that really stood out. While not stepping too far out of her comfort zone, as Sykes can certainly be the queen of sass when she wants too, it was a great casting that suited her to a tee and resulted in some of the funniest moments of the movie.
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8 Mel Gibson – Rocky Rhodes (Chicken Run)
Aardman Animations / DreamWorks Animations
DreamWorks teamed up with the creators of Wallace and Gromit to create this laugh out loud stop-motion masterpiece loosely based on the iconic 1963 movie The Great Escape… except with chickens. Mel Gibson perfectly voices Rocky, an uber cool American circus rooster who crash-lands on the coop and agrees to help the imprisoned chickens escape. Universally acclaimed, Chicken Run’s meticulous attention to detail, clever humor, and thought-provoking plot makes it not only one of Dreamwork’s best titles, but one of the best animated movies of all time. Fans will also be excited to hear that after what seemed a lifetime, apparently a Netflix sequel is in the works, titled Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.
7 Anna Kendrick — Poppy (Trolls)
During the 70s, 80s and 90s, it seemed like every kid owned a whacky haired troll doll, but for many younger children, their first introduction into the world of Trolls would have been via the DreamWorks 2016’s animated musical comedy. Starring an eclectic mix of singers and actors including Justin Timberlake, James Corden, Russell Brand, Gwen Stefani and John Cleese, it was Anna Kendrick in the lead role of Princess Poppy that really stole the show. The role gave her the perfect opportunity to showcase both her singing and acting abilities, and perfectly matched the upbeat and fun vibe of the movie.
6 Antonio Banderas — Puss in Boots (Shrek Franchise)
Shrek was somewhat of a cultural phenomenon and a sequel was inevitable, but to keep it fresh, DreamWorks decided to throw in a few new characters, the most notable being Puss in Boots. Voiced by Antonio Banderas, Puss quickly became a fan favorite. He was inspired by the title character of the fairy tale Puss in Boots, but clearly based on Banderas’ own portrayal of Zorro from The Mask of Zorro, released six years prior. The character’s success led to a spin-off movie, naturally titled Puss in Boots, which focuses on Puss and his swashbuckling adventures in the land of Far, Far Away. The movie further developed Banderas’ character and gave us a thoroughly enjoyable action adventure, comedy movie.
5 Chris Rock — Marty (Madagascar Franchise)
The Madagascar movies have no shortage of talented voice actors to choose from when compiling a list of this nature, including Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac, and Alec Baldwin. All are worthy of honorable mentions, but it’s Chris Rock and his high energy, laugh out loud portrayal of the hyperactive zebra Marty that really stole the show and provides many of the franchise highlights.
4 Emma Stone — Eep Crood (The Croods)
Emma Stone’s instantly recognizable husky voice lent itself perfectly to the wayward, teenage daughter Eep Crood in 2013 hit prehistoric-based comedy The Croods. Interestingly, Stone has since revealed that despite the difference in character traits, she was slightly inspired by Monica from Friends, being quoted as saying “Because I realized sometimes my cadence goes a little bit into, ‘I know!’ Like that kind of, sort of sound,” refererring to Monica’s catchphrase.
3 Mike Myers — Shrek (Shrek franchise)
Shrek is one of the most well known and iconic animated characters of all time, known for his large green appearance and his distinctive Scottish accent provided by Mike Myers, but the Shrek we all know and love could have been very different had DreamWorks studio had their way. Upon the studio’s request, Myers had delivered the lines in his natural Canadian accent, but felt something was missing. Myers, who is of Scottish heritage, suggested a Scottish accent as he said, “It’s a working people accent.” The actor noted that as someone who grew up working class, he felt that Shrek, an ogre, is more of a working class being. Reportedly, it was producer Steven Spielberg that gave Myers the green light to re-record in the accent, and the rest, as they say, is history.
2 Jack Black – Po (Kung Fu Panda franchise)
Dreamworks Animation/Netflix
Another franchise chock-a-block full of fantastic voice performances, including the likes of Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, and the inimitable Jack Black in the lead role of Po. It’s Jack Black’s nuanced blend of high energy comedy and endearing naivety that brings Po to life so beautifully in Kung Fu Panda, and makes him such a lovable character that has been so monumental in the franchise’s continued success.
1 Eddie Murphy – Donkey (Shrek franchise)
Eddie Murphy has one of the most recognizable voices in the industry, full of character and energy, with perfect comic timing. With his trademark high-speed, high-energy delivery, it would seem the role of the affable but clueless and annoying talking donkey in Shrek is a role Murphy was born for. After a string of box office flops and critical failures in the 90s, Donkey brought Murphy back into the limelight, and with the countless quotable lines, hilarious improvisations and the unforgettable annoying ‘popping sounds’, Donkey and Murphy’s performance is regarded by many as the highlight of the entire franchise.
