Nicolas Cage missed out on a very profitable animated film series when he turned down the chance to voice Shrek in the 2001 computer-animated comedy. DreamWorks studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg began developing Shrek in 1995 and initially offered the role of its lead protagonist to his friend Nicolas Cage. The frightful appearance of the giant ogre led some to speculate that Cage ed on the role out of vanity, but Cage has since revealed the real reason for turning down what has become one of the most iconic animated characters of all time.
Shrek, which parodies a number of fairy tale adaptations, is loosely based on William Steig’s 1990 children’s picture book of the same name. The animated comedy tells the story of an embittered ogre who, with the help of Donkey, rescues a princess in order to regain control of his swamp from Duloc's tyrannical ruler and Shrek villain Lord Farquaad. The large, green-skinned ogre wallows in an unsightly swamp that, combined with his dirty, raggedy cloths, paints an unpleasant picture of a lonely figure detached from society. However, while this may have sounded like an unappealing prospect to Cage, the truth behind his Shrek rejection is actually more complex.
Nicolas Cage Was Concerned About How Children Would See Him
Family movies like Shrek are marketed toward children more than adults, something of which Nicolas Cage is well aware. Cage explained his decision during a 2013 interview (via TODAY): "Well, the news said it was because of vanity. I think that's a bit strong. But the truth is, I'm not afraid to be ugly in a movie.... When you're drawn, in a way it says more about how children are going to see you than anything else, and I so care about that." Cage has a son who was almost five years old at the time Shrek went into development in November 1995, something that undoubtedly swayed his decision.
It isn’t just Shrek’s appearance that turns away many of the characters with whom he comes into . Shrek is portrayed as bad-tempered and cynical while Donkey, on the other hand, is jubilant and friendly, characteristics in an animated character to which children usually gravitate. As the story progress, however, Shrek slowly opens up to the world and becomes a lovable hero while maintaining some of his rough, ogre-like tendencies. This is particularly evident in later Shrek sequels. Nevertheless, this underlying temperament may have also factored into Cage's decision.
How Cage’s Character In The Croods Differs From Shrek
Nicolas Cage accepted a voice-acting role in the 2013 animated, adventure comedy The Croods. Cage voices an overprotective caveman named Grug, who, like Shrek, is a large, intimidating figure with disproportionate features and a gruff attitude. However, Cage felt that Grug was someone with whom kids could connect more than Shrek (via TODAY): “I want kids to look at Grug (and think) 'well, he's a little scary, but he's a big teddy bear.’ And I wasn't sure I could do that with Shrek." The success of The Croods spawned a 2020 sequel, The Croods: A New Age, in which Cage reprises his role as the lovable Grug.
Since turning down the role of Shrek, Nicolas Cage has voiced some iconic characters including Superman/Clark Kent and a noir version of Spider-Man. Cage cares about the perception children have of him in the roles in which he voices more than the appearance of the characters; Grug in The Croods is a perfect example. Cage felt that at his core, Grug was really a big teddy bear. However, there is also more than meets the eye to Shrek, as demonstrated by the movies' nuanced portrayal.
Source: TODAY
