The 90s marked a major turning point for voice acting. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the iconic voice performances in animated films released between 1990 and 1999.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Well, let's go kick some honey bums.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:05And today, we're counting down our picks
00:07for the iconic voice performances in animated films
00:10released between 1990 and 1999.
00:13So sorry, The Little Mermaid and The Emperor's New Groove.
00:15When it all ends, I'll have old Buzz Lightyear
00:18to keep me company for infinity and beyond.
00:23Number 20, Vin Diesel as the Iron Giant.
00:27The Iron Giant.
00:28Cold War paranoia meets all the feels in this unfairly
00:31overlooked gem from 1999.
00:34The Iron Giant is a gigantic robot
00:36from outer space who crash lands on Earth
00:38and befriends a nine-year-old named Hogarth.
00:41The two form a bond that only works because
00:43of the giant's voice actor.
00:45I call no following.
00:56If you didn't already know, The Fast and the Furious actor
00:59Vin Diesel has a long list of voice acting credits.
01:02Although much of his dialogue is altered and edited
01:05to sound more mechanical, his deep and resonant voice
01:08gives the robot's metallic roars a lot of humanity.
01:12I've always wanted to be a part of the animation world.
01:14And the only way that I could do it
01:16was by lending my voice as an actor.
01:18And that's why it was like a dream come true for me
01:21to be the Iron Giant.
01:22Number 19, Mary Kay Bergman as Sheila Broflovsky
01:27South Park, Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.
01:29It says a lot in a movie where Satan and Saddam Hussein
01:33play major parts.
01:34Sheila Broflovsky is the villain who truly stands out.
01:38Mary Kay Bergman reprised the role
01:39she played on the controversial TV
01:41series for this big screen musical extravaganza.
01:45You saw that movie again?
01:47Yes.
01:48Well, Kyle, I have had it.
01:49You are grounded for the next two weeks.
01:52She didn't just voice Sheila either.
01:54Bergman actually provided the voice for several of the moms
01:57in South Park.
01:58So much of the Oscar-nominated song, Blame Canada,
02:01is really just her singing with herself.
02:03Blame Canada, Blame Canada.
02:06With all their beady little eyes,
02:08and flapping heads so full of lies.
02:10Blame Canada, Blame Canada.
02:13Bergman, who was nominated for an Annie Award for her work,
02:16tragically passed away a few months after the film's
02:18release.
02:19Number 18, Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington,
02:23The Nightmare Before Christmas.
02:25Voice duties for the central character
02:27of this morbid holiday classic were actually
02:29shared by two performers.
02:31Danny Elfman didn't just write all the songs for The Nightmare
02:34Before Christmas.
02:35He also provided the eerie singing voice
02:37of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, who becomes
02:40obsessed with the holiday.
02:41What's this?
02:42What's this?
02:43There's color everywhere.
02:44What's this?
02:45There's white things in the air.
02:46What's this?
02:47I can't believe my eyes.
02:48I must be dreaming.
02:49Wake up, Jack.
02:50This isn't fair.
02:51Later, actor Chris Sarandon was cast as Jack's speaking voice
02:55because of his similarity to the composer's voice.
02:57Together, they created Jack's unforgettable sound.
03:01Even when you know he's played by two people,
03:03you can't really tell the difference between them.
03:05They're both completely at home in the movie's dark universe.
03:09Forgive me, Mr. Claus.
03:11I'm afraid I've made a terrible mess of your holiday.
03:14Number 17, Tim Curry as Hexis, Fern Gully,
03:18The Last Rainforest.
03:20It's no stretch for the beloved British actor
03:22to portray a true monster.
03:24He's played his fair share of villains.
03:26Tim Curry left his unmistakable voice
03:28to the character Hexis, an evil entity who was
03:31trapped in a tree by a curse.
03:33Once he's freed, he's a sniveling, growling thing
03:36who's only interested in eating oil, smoke,
03:39and every other noxious material you can think of.
03:42Acid rain, pouring down like egg chow mein.
03:52He also gets a memorable music number,
03:54and Curry makes a five-course meal out of it.
03:57His voice is dripping with so much malice,
04:00it actually makes our skin crawl.
04:01Slime up above, ooh, you love my, oh, toxic love.
04:12Number 16, Tony Jay as Judge Claude Frollo,
04:20The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
04:21Yes, Disney has had some unforgettable villains,
04:25but how many of them actually got a song that invoked hellfire
04:29and eternal damnation?
04:30Judge Claude Frollo is a man driven mad
04:33by his own repressive beliefs and warped sense of justice.
04:36In other words, he is a nasty piece of work.
04:40It's not my fault. If in God's plan,
04:43he made the devil so much stronger than a man.
04:48It should be no surprise why this dastardly villain
04:51has such a regal air.
04:52His actor, Tony Jay, was a member of the Royal Shakespeare
04:56Company.
04:56Jay's nefarious purr of a voice is the essential ingredient
05:00that really makes us fear and hate the judge.
05:03You are making your bid for immortality.
05:06You are in a movie by Disney.
05:09Number 15, Ming-Na Wen as Fa Mulan.
05:13Mulan.
05:14The original plan was to have performer Lea Salonga do
05:17both the singing and speaking parts for Mulan.
05:20However, the filmmakers didn't find Salonga's high speaking
05:23voice suitable.
05:24After all, Mulan is disguised as a man for much of the movie
05:28and has to deepen her voice to pull it off.
05:31So they looked to Ming-Na Wen instead.
05:33I am Ming-Na Wen, a.k.a.
05:36the original Mulan.
05:38The actress had starred in the Joy Luck Club
05:40a few years earlier, where she provided effective voiceover
05:44narration and played another character who was afraid
05:46to disappoint her parents.
05:48She may not have gotten to sing Mulan's big songs,
05:51but Wen gives the character a heart and soul.
05:54Why else would I come back?
05:56You said you'd trust Ping.
05:58Why is Mulan any different?
06:01Number 14, Rowan Atkinson as Zazu, the Lion King.
06:06He's most known for bringing the legendary
06:08but mostly silent Mr. Bean character to life.
06:11It's kind of ironic, then, that Rowan Atkinson's voice
06:14is forever embedded in 90s kids' brains.
06:17He voiced Zazu, the put-upon hornbill bird
06:20who serves as King Mufasa's trusted advisor.
06:23You'd better have a good excuse for missing
06:25the ceremony this morning.
06:27Oh, now, look, Zazu, you made me lose my lunch.
06:29Ha!
06:30You'll lose more than that when the king gets through with you.
06:32He's as mad as a hippo with a hernia.
06:35Unfortunately for him, no one seems
06:37to give him half the respect he thinks he deserves.
06:40Zazu is constantly flustered by the other animal's
06:43lack of propriety.
06:45Atkinson makes this fussy bird annoying enough
06:48that you just have to laugh when he's
06:49getting playfully pounced on by lions
06:51and squashed under a hippopotamus.
06:54I can't be bothered to do it.
06:55And he said, oh, go on.
06:56It's Disney.
06:57Yes.
06:57You know, you may as well.
06:58And then, you know, I didn't realize
07:00that it would turn into the really very special film,
07:03which it did.
07:04Number 13, Joan Cusack as Jessie.
07:07Toy Story 2.
07:08Woody is kind of terrified of this cowgirl
07:11when he first meets her.
07:12She's initially the most enthusiastic and high energy
07:15toy you've ever seen.
07:17And then, within minutes, she's having an existential crisis.
07:21That could actually describe a lot of Joan Cusack's characters.
07:24Here, Cusack lends her expressive voice
07:27to Jessie, who gives Toy Story 2 a lot of its most
07:30heartbreaking moments.
07:32You never forget kids like Emily or Andy, but they forget you.
07:41Luckily, Cusack is an actor with an incredible range
07:44of emotions.
07:46Whether she's having a rollicking good time
07:48or is experiencing a full-blown panic attack about going back
07:51into storage, Cusack always makes Jessie's
07:54intense emotions believable.
07:57Anytime, you know, even me as a mom,
07:59I can exercise those muscles.
08:01You think, yes, that's, you got to believe
08:03in the Jessie in yourself.
08:05It's good.
08:06Number 12, Nathan Lane as Timon, the Lion King.
08:10The sarcastic meerkat Timon and his warthog friend Pumbaa
08:14had kids all over the world singing Hakuna Matata.
08:17Ernie Sabella deserves his flowers
08:19for voicing the lovable Pumbaa.
08:21But Timon is the real showman of the pair.
08:23Would you mind if Ernie read with me, since, you know,
08:26it was three people talking.
08:27So he came in, and we improvised a little.
08:29And then the decision was, we clearly
08:31had misthought the whole thing.
08:34And you were Timon and Pumbaa.
08:35Coming from Broadway, Nathan Lane's spirited theatricality
08:39makes his character's charm and self-serving behavior
08:42gut-bustingly funny.
08:43The mile-a-minute wisecracks told in the actor's hilariously
08:47out-of-place Jersey accent make the character
08:49feel like an old-school comic in an animated meerkat's body.
08:53Let me get this straight.
08:55You know her.
08:55She knows you.
08:57But she wants to eat him.
08:58And everybody's OK with this?
09:01Did I miss something?
09:03The whole performance has that touch of snark
09:05that only Nathan Lane can bring.
09:08Number 11, James Woods as Hades, Hercules.
09:12Generally, Disney villains have a grandeur about them.
09:15They speak slowly and methodically,
09:17chewing on every word with theatrical relish.
09:20James Woods threw out everything we know a Disney villain
09:23to be when he played Hades.
09:25The slick, fast-talking ruler of the underworld.
09:28You get her out.
09:29She goes.
09:30You stay.
09:34Oh, you know what's on my mind?
09:36You'll be dead before you can get to her.
09:38That's not a problem, is it?
09:39His performance was marked by quips,
09:41fired off at a breakneck pace, and often improvised
09:45by the actor on the spot.
09:46Whoa, is my hair out?
09:48This made him electrifying to watch,
09:50even if his approach meant it took animators weeks
09:53to render his character's subtle movements
09:55from second to second.
09:56Woods received significant praise from major critics,
10:00and it's not hard to imagine why.
10:02You auditioned for being in these movies.
10:03I guess everybody came in going, hello, I'm Hades.
10:06And I came in going, hey, Hades, how you doing?
10:08Nice to see a nice face.
10:09I wish you could see yourself.
10:10You look fabulous.
10:11Number 10, Jason Alexander as Hugo,
10:15the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
10:16Hey, Quasi, what's going on out there?
10:18A fight? A flogging?
10:19A festival.
10:20You mean a feast of fools?
10:21Uh-huh.
10:21All right, all right.
10:22Pour the wine and cut the cheese.
10:24Jason Alexander made a name for himself on Seinfeld
10:27in the early 1990s, playing Jerry's insecure best friend
10:31George Cosanza.
10:32My name is George.
10:34I'm unemployed, and I live with my parents.
10:37One of the things that made his character so recognizable
10:40was his distinctive voice, which you might have noticed
10:43pops up in a very famous 90s Disney movie.
10:46In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Alexander
10:48voices Hugo, one of the magical stone gargoyles
10:52who Quasimodo befriends on top of Notre Dame.
10:54I thought he'd never leave.
10:56I'll be spitting feathers for a week.
10:57Though Alexander is typically sullen as George,
11:00his Hugo is quite a bright spot in the film,
11:03providing advice and comfort for Quasimodo in equal measure.
11:07Paris, the city of lovers, is glowing this evening.
11:12Ah.
11:14True, that's because it's on fire.
11:17But still, there's love around.
11:21With Hunchback, Alexander proves that he
11:23can be an affectionate friend, even if just with his voice.
11:27Somewhere out there in the night,
11:31her heart is also alight.
11:34And I know the guy she just might be burning for.
11:41Number nine, Minnie Driver as Jane Porter, Tarzan.
11:45Now here's one you might have forgotten about.
11:481999's Tarzan was the final film released
11:51during Disney's Renaissance era.
11:53While it certainly wasn't the most memorable
11:55from that crop of movies, it still
11:57has an excellent score and wonderful work
12:00from its voice cast, which includes Minnie Driver.
12:03I'm in a tree with a man who talks to monkeys.
12:07Oh, I can't do this.
12:09Driver plays Jane, the adventurous English woman
12:12who falls in love with Tarzan during her travels.
12:15No, no, no.
12:16No.
12:18I'm Jane.
12:21No, no, no.
12:21No.
12:23I'm Jane.
12:24Not only did the Oscar-nominated actress
12:27give life to Jane with her voice, some of her mannerisms
12:30were also used in animating the character.
12:32She would have a lot of exaggeration in the mouth
12:34shapes, and her eyebrows would really
12:36drop down to show concern.
12:38So she was really expressive.
12:40So we took that and put it into the design.
12:43At this point in Driver's career,
12:45she already had tons of charisma and romantic leading lady
12:48experience, which she brings in abundance to the role of Jane.
12:52I suppose we should say goodbye.
12:54Number eight, Meg Ryan as Anastasia Romanoff.
12:58Anastasia.
12:59Anastasia features one of the most stacked
13:02casts of any animated film of the 1990s.
13:05From John Cusack to Kelsey Grammer to Hank Azaria,
13:09it's really a who's who.
13:10By the unholy powers vested in me, I banish you with a curse.
13:17While we can't deny the evil power of Christopher
13:20Lloyd's Rasputin, in this case, we've
13:22got to go with the titular role.
13:25What are you circling me?
13:26What are you, a vulture in another life?
13:28I'm sorry, Anya.
13:30It's Anya.
13:31Meg Ryan's performance of the Anastasia character
13:34feels like it could have been pulled straight
13:36from any of her live action romantic comedies.
13:39Dimitri?
13:40Do you really think I'm royalty?
13:41You know I do.
13:43Then stop bossing me around.
13:46Ryan's Anastasia is feisty, funny, and strong.
13:49In short, she's everything a young girl
13:52could want in a leading lady.
13:53Pair that speaking performance with Liz Calloway's
13:56incredible singing stylings, and you've got
13:58yourself a princess for the ages.
14:00Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an ember,
14:10things my heart yearns for.
14:13Number seven, Ralph Fiennes as Ramesses,
14:17the Prince of Egypt.
14:181998's The Prince of Egypt has a way more star-studded cast
14:22than you might remember.
14:23Be still.
14:25A pharaoh speaks.
14:27Beyond Val Kilmer as Moses himself,
14:30you've got Sandra Bullock and Jeff Goldblum
14:32as Moses' siblings, Miriam and Aaron, respectively.
14:36Please, Moses, you must believe.
14:37That's enough.
14:38You were born of my mother, Yocheved.
14:39Stop it.
14:40You are our brother.
14:42Now you go too far.
14:43Not to mention Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart, Danny Glover,
14:47and Michelle Pfeiffer.
14:48We could go on, but among that incredible lineup,
14:51one actor stands out for his impeccable embodiment
14:54of the villain, and that is Ralph Fiennes.
14:57I am the morning and the evening star.
15:00Ramesses, it shall be as I say.
15:04Fiennes voices Ramesses, Moses' adoptive brother
15:07and eventual adversary.
15:09The English actor is menacing in the role,
15:12but also brings a certain empathy
15:14to his performance that might be lost
15:16with a lesser-skilled actor.
15:18I bear the weight of my father's crown.
15:21Do you still not understand what said he was?
15:25He was a great leader.
15:28And to think he does all of that with just his voice.
15:31I do not know this god.
15:34Neither will I let your people go.
15:37Ramesses, please, you must listen.
15:39I will not be the weak link.
15:41Number six, Susan Egan as Megara, Hercules.
15:45Hercules is another one of those Disney movies
15:48where it seems like every name involved is a big one.
15:51Instead of subtracting two years from your sentence,
15:53hey, I'm going to add two on, OK?
15:55Give that your best shot.
15:56But for every celebrity cast member like Danny DeVito,
15:59there were actors like Susan Egan.
16:02She may not have had the name recognition,
16:04but she had plenty of skill.
16:06Let's see, what could be behind curtain number one?
16:10Meg.
16:10Egan was primarily a Broadway actress
16:12before landing the role of Meg.
16:14And that probably explains the professional level
16:17of theatrics in her performance.
16:19I'm no hero.
16:20Sure you are.
16:21Everybody in Greece thinks you're the greatest thing
16:23since they put the pocket in pita.
16:25With more than enough sass to go with that Disney princess
16:27sweetness, Egan proves that she's indeed the belle
16:31of the voice acting ball.
16:33Congratulations, wonder boy.
16:35You'll make one heck of a god.
16:37Number five, Eddie Murphy as Mushu, Mulan.
16:41By the late 90s, Eddie Murphy was already
16:44one of the biggest stars in the world.
16:46From his run on Saturday Night Live
16:48to his slew of hilarious 80s comedies,
16:51he certainly was a gift to viewers around the world.
16:53Did I hear someone ask for America?
16:57Let me hear you say, ah!
16:59That's close enough.
17:01But in 1998, a Disney movie introduced him
17:04to a whole new audience.
17:06I'm travel size for your convenience.
17:08If I was my real size, your cow here would die of fright.
17:12Down, Bessie.
17:13In Mulan, Murphy voices the role of Mushu,
17:16a small dragon who attempts to prove his worth by guiding
17:19the titular character as she joins the army under a guise.
17:22Punch him.
17:23It's how men say hello.
17:26Murphy provides some great comedic relief,
17:28but also showcases a softer side as Mulan's helper.
17:32You risked your life to help people you love.
17:35I risked your life to help myself.
17:37At least you had good intentions.
17:39Mushu is, without a doubt, one of the best
17:41sidekicks in the Disney canon.
17:43Just remember, dragon, not lizard.
17:47Ready, Mushu?
17:49I am ready, baby.
17:51Light me.
17:52Number four, Jeremy Irons as Scar, the Lion King.
17:57In 1994, a host of Hollywood and theater legends
18:00joined forces to bring us one of the greatest
18:03animated films of all time.
18:05What am I going to do with him?
18:07He'd make a very handsome throw rug.
18:09Sazu.
18:09James Earl Jones's booming voice gave King Mufasa gravitas.
18:14But if there's one thing this phenomenal cast proves,
18:17it's that good guys never win.
18:19In The Lion King, it's the villain
18:21who completely steals the show.
18:23Long live the king.
18:29Even Darth Vader himself will be impressed with Jeremy
18:32Irons as the evil Scar.
18:34Simba, what have you done?
18:39It will be, Zin.
18:40The character design of Scar is slinky and suspicious,
18:44and Irons perfectly matches his vocal tics to that blueprint.
18:48It's voice acting at its finest, and we couldn't be more
18:51grateful to be spectators of it.
18:53I did it so they can hear you.
18:57I killed Mufasa.
19:00Number three, Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts,
19:04Beauty and the Beast.
19:05When you have such wonderful songs
19:07from the likes of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken,
19:10you need the vocal talent to match.
19:12We'll be human again by midnight.
19:14Oh, it's not that easy, Lumiere.
19:16These things take time.
19:17So it makes sense that so many of the cast members of Beauty
19:20and the Beast come from the world of Broadway.
19:22Theater legend Jerry Orbach certainly
19:24proves his worth during Lumiere's
19:26rendition of Be Our Guest.
19:27Go on, unfold your men.
19:29You take a glance, and then you'll be our guest.
19:33We are guest.
19:34Be our guest.
19:36But the inherent warmth Angela Lansbury brings to Mrs. Potts
19:39cannot be overstated.
19:41With dessert, she'll want tea.
19:43And my dear, that's fine with me.
19:45While the cups do this, I'll shoo it.
19:47I'll be bubbling.
19:48I'll be brewing.
19:48Her jovial British accent and motherly demeanor
19:51bring just as much comfort to us as they do to Belle.
19:54That was a very brave thing you did, my dear.
19:57We all think so.
19:59But I've lost my father, my dreams, everything.
20:02Cheer up, child.
20:05It'll turn out all right in the end.
20:07And Beauty and the Beast would be nothing
20:09without her masterful delivery of the titular song.
20:12Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, Beauty and the Beast.
20:27Number two, Tom Hanks as Woody.
20:29Toy Story.
20:31A buddy comedy, but make it animated,
20:33Toy Story broke barriers when it premiered in 1995.
20:36However, we don't think it would
20:38have been quite as successful if it wasn't
20:40for the stars at its helm.
20:42My fault?
20:43If you hadn't pushed me out of the window in the first place.
20:45Oh, yeah.
20:46Well, if you hadn't shown up your stupid little cardboard
20:48spaceship and taken away everything
20:50that was important to me.
20:51Tim Allen is perfect as Buzz Lightyear.
20:53But Tom Hanks as Woody took whatever expectations we had
20:57and just outright shattered them.
20:59A laser?
21:00How come you don't have a laser, Woody?
21:02It's not a laser.
21:03It's a little light bulb that blinks.
21:05What's with him?
21:07Hanks is such an important piece of casting in the movie,
21:10partly because of his uncanny ability
21:12to make us root for characters we might otherwise dislike.
21:16Why would Andy want me?
21:17Why would Andy want you?
21:19Look at you.
21:20You're a Buzz Lightyear.
21:23Any other toy would give up his moving parts just to be you.
21:25Woody's particular brand of orneriness
21:27somehow adds to his charm.
21:29And we all have Hanks to thank for it.
21:32You just can't help but love that grouch,
21:34no matter how much he grinds your gears.
21:36I've set my laser from stun to kill.
21:39Ah, great, great.
21:40Yeah, and if anyone attacks us, we can blink them to death.
21:43Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
21:46and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
21:49You have the option to be notified for occasional videos
21:52or all of them.
21:53If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings
21:56and switch on notifications.
21:59Number one, Robin Williams as Genie, Aladdin.
22:04Throughout the 1990s, there were only so many projects
22:07that didn't feature Robin Williams,
22:09from live action to the world of animation.
22:11Human tails.
22:12Humans don't have tails.
22:13They have big, big bottoms that they wear with bad shorts.
22:16And while he might have lent his voice
22:18to other animated films, such as 1992's Fern Gully,
22:22The Last Rainforest,
22:23nothing can stop him as the Genie in Aladdin.
22:27Ah!
22:30Oy!
22:3210,000 years will give you such a crick in the neck.
22:37Williams lays the blueprint for how vocal acting should be.
22:41Just be yourself.
22:42And this is not just the nostalgia talking.
22:45Everything about the performance is just downright amazing.
22:48I'm in the mood to help you, dude.
22:51You ain't never had a friend like me.
22:54The way he delivers comedic gem after comedic gem,
22:57combined with his genuine warmth,
22:58make this an all-time great,
23:01especially for a family-friendly movie.
23:03And what better way to make your grand entrance
23:05on the streets of Agrabah
23:06than riding your very own brand-new camel?
23:10We certainly will never forget how special Williams was,
23:13as he immortalized himself with performances like this.
23:16Wish for something outrageous.
23:17Say, I want the Nile.
23:19Wish for the Nile. Try that.
23:20Uh, I wish for the Nile.
23:21No way!
23:23Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
23:24Oh, send me a card!
23:26Did your favorite 90s voice acting performance make the list?
23:29Tell us in the comments.
23:30I came back because I'm not quitting on you.
23:33I'm willing to go the distance.
23:35How about you?
23:36Do you agree with our picks?
23:37Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
23:40And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
23:42to be notified about our latest videos.
23:53♪♪