Everybody knows that Mike Myers gave Shrek his unmistakable voice, complete with a Scottish accent.
But did you know that before Myers landed the role, Chris Farley was originally cast as the big green ogre? This was much earlier in the production – and obviously before Farley's untimely death in 1997 – back when the story had some differences and DreamWorks was working on a different vision of what Shrek would be like.
So what was Farley's take on Shrek? A rare story reel has been unearthed from those early production days that shows storyboards of a scene from the script, in which Farley voices Shrek in the studio alongside Eddie Murphy as Donkey. Farley gives his Shrek a bit more of an everyman vibe: a guy who's embittered by his lot in life but still has a heart of gold underneath. You can watch the video below.
The finished Shrek film wasn't released until 2001, but before his death four years earlier, Farley had recorded about 90 percent of his dialogue for the movie. The film's story and tone gradually changed as the movie was developed to the point that Farley's work was no longer viable. Myers was enlisted when it became clear that a new voice actor would be required, and it was the actor's own idea to make Shrek Scottish.
It's hard to imagine anyone else as Shrek today, but as you'll hear in the video, Farley did a great job. His take was no less valid than his successor's.
h/t Collider
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