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For Sale Mar 28, 2026 at 3:06 PM

Name an actor in an animated film who blew your mind, you didnt even realize it was them

Posted by Shaiziin

I'll start with Gary Oldman in Kungfu Panda 2. I mean dude was a terrifying genocidal maniac, i was not expecting anything like that in a kid's movie. His character had this calm type of fury that would've made me sit up straighter when he walked into the room. He had the strategy of a chessmaster, taking 30 years to plan his attack...and when one of his henchmen defied his orders-- he did not hesitate to kill him and take control of the situation. Truly an incredible villain imo. His downfall wasn't even him making a "mistake", it was just something no one could've predicted (vague to not spoil it)
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DigitalBackpack Mar 28, 2026 +102
James Avery (Uncle Phil) was the Shredder in the original TMNT. Blew my mind when I found this out.
102
Shaiziin Mar 28, 2026 +14
No freaking way. That is incredible
14
deadspacekillers Mar 28, 2026 +11
My mind is currently being blown by this information.
11
stitchface80 Mar 29, 2026 +3
I found out by way of a “Carmen Sandiego” episode. Anyone else?
3
nowhereman136 Mar 28, 2026 +64
Not an animated film but Bradley Cooper is not only great as Rocket Raccoon, but nearly unrecognizable
64
Needless-To-Say Mar 29, 2026 +8
Watch the flying tank scene from the A-Team and you’ll hear it In the first 10s of this: https://youtu.be/rTBkVOYzVZA?si=54v_Jpw6z-gzKOMz
8
nowhereman136 Mar 29, 2026 +5
He does the voice in Abbott Elementary, although this is on purpose https://youtu.be/vSzNtsDl_e0?si=NHprmyf61PtoT6rP
5
RC1172 Mar 29, 2026 +5
I don’t think enough is said about Rocket. No one ever talks about him as an effect. Rocket sounds like Rocket, not Bradley Cooper. He is a whole character that stands on its own.
5
DBones90 Mar 29, 2026 +3
Really loved his Abbott Elementary cameo when one of the kids was like, “You just used your regular voice,” and then he switched to Rocket and the distinction was night and day.
3
PseudoLucian Mar 28, 2026 +143
Mark Hamill playing the Joker in the Batman animated TV shows & films. Best Joker ever.
143
_ButtholeConnoisseur Mar 28, 2026 +22
Mark Hamill as Skips in Regular Show too. Had no idea it was him for a long time. Guy is an incredible good voice actor.
22
undead_tortoiseX Mar 28, 2026 +10
Also Finn’s Fear of the Ocean in Adventure Time!
10
sharrrper Mar 28, 2026 +18
Don't forget Fire Lord Ozai
18
Chaosmusic Mar 29, 2026 +6
He's also The Trickster. "Got me again, Flash!"
6
zaminDDH Mar 29, 2026 +8
And there's one episode where he plays Joker, Trickster, *and* Mark Hamill in the same car together.
8
Chaosmusic Mar 29, 2026 +3
I need to get around to watching Justice League Action.
3
blood_kite Mar 28, 2026 +4
[He’s only expanded from there.](https://youtu.be/EL-VHe_4GmE?si=9w_pxHrlnCbMlHad)
4
AbsoluteRubbish Mar 28, 2026 +47
Vin Diesel as The Iron Giant. I grew up loving that movie and never knew it was him till I was much older
47
Shaiziin Mar 28, 2026 -4
Mind blown again! That movie was fantastic, what you mean that's Vin Diesley? Lmao i love the downvotes for the nickname. Sometimes i call him Vin Dizzle
-4
PrayForMojo_ Mar 28, 2026 +24
Princess Mononoke had an AMAZING voice cast. Billy Crudup (Ashitaka), Claire Danes (San), Minnie Driver (Lady Eboshi), Billy Bob Thornton (Jigo), Gillian Anderson (Moro), and Jada Pinkett Smith (Toki). The script was adapted by Neil Gaiman.
24
deadspacekillers Mar 28, 2026 +14
Billy Bob Thornton is easily the worst part of Princess Mononoke. Every time he opens his mouth, I get pulled out of the magic of the movie. It's so blaringly him, I can hardly watch the dubbed version.
14
Saisei Mar 29, 2026 +3
It’s obviously him but i actually think that makes it fit the role even better. The character is a greedy blasphemous profiteer. It should take you out of the rest of the story when you hear Jigo, he is an unnatural being.
3
deadspacekillers Mar 29, 2026
Disagree. The Arkansas accent is just so out of place.
0
droidtron Mar 28, 2026 +5
But that goes for all the Disney dubbed Ghibli honestly. Top name talent. Christian Bale was chomping at the bit to play anything in a Ghibli film and he got Howl.
5
The_Schwy Mar 28, 2026 +19
# Alan Tudyk: Clayface • The Joker • Condiment King - Harley Quinn TV Series
19
Starrr_Pirate Mar 28, 2026 +4
Wait... He did the Joker in that series too? Damn Clayface being a diva and stealing the spotlight, I never even noticed, lmao.
4
MissingLink101 Mar 28, 2026 +2
Most of his Disney animated roles (he's in all of them over the past decade or so) are pretty unrecognisable too, especially the chicken in Moana
2
droidtron Mar 28, 2026 +2
That show is just endless "that person is in this? And killing it."
2
GuildensternLives Mar 28, 2026 +28
You didn't know Gary Oldman could be a good villain?
28
Cyanide_Revolver Mar 28, 2026 +12
Him being a good villain is a big reason Christopher Nolan cast him as Jim Gordon, oddly enough
12
RiffyWammel Mar 28, 2026 +6
Bob Smith- Gary Oldman is just the part he’s been playing successfully since birth, truly a dedicated method actor who immerses himself in the character 😄
6
Ekoldr Mar 29, 2026 +1
EVERYONE!!!
1
Shaiziin Mar 28, 2026 -2
I've only seen him as Sirius Black!
-2
Kuildeous Mar 28, 2026 +11
Oh man, you have a great opportunity to be blown away. This could be very fun for you.
11
GuildensternLives Mar 28, 2026 +29
So this revelation is just about a complete lack of knowledge his acting history? Go watch The Professional/Leon immediately! And then go watch True Romance. And then watch Bram Stoker's Dracula. And then The Fifth Element.
29
unixfool Mar 28, 2026 +3
Book of Eli, too.
3
Jet-Let4606 Mar 28, 2026 +2
Also 'Lost In Space (1998)'.
2
Jkelley393 Mar 28, 2026 +3
The Fifth Element is the perfect movie!! I bet OP’s seen it and never even knew it was him! 😆
3
blood_kite Mar 28, 2026 +2
Zorg: My favorite.
2
Shaiziin Mar 28, 2026 +1
I've seen Book of Eli! Whoa i didn't even recognize him!
1
opermonkey Mar 28, 2026 +10
That's Gary oldmans secret power. I guarantee you have seen him in things you just don't know it's him. Hell, I *know* it's him in certain roles and still forget.
10
JCDU Mar 28, 2026 +3
You could be Gary Oldman right now and not even realise.
3
MissingLink101 Mar 28, 2026 +1
His most unrecognisable role is in Hannibal for me
1
schattentanzer Mar 28, 2026 +1
And “Immortal Beloved” as Ludwig von Beethoven. One of my favorite movies with him.
1
DigitalBackpack Mar 28, 2026 +1
It ain’t white boy day
1
Jet-Let4606 Mar 28, 2026 +3
Before Gordon and Sirius he was often type cast as the villain because he was so good at it.
3
res30stupid Mar 28, 2026 +2
The whole point of casting Oldman in that role was dramatic irony - Oldman was exclusively known for his villains until that point.
2
Channel250 Mar 28, 2026
My ex wife and I used to play a game while watching movies. It was called "Hey, Is That Gary Oldman?" There was a *surprising* amount of times that it was.
0
Chaosmusic Mar 29, 2026 +3
Sid and Nancy was the first thing I saw him in.
3
Channel250 Mar 29, 2026 +1
Now that's a throwback for me. This is why I love the guy.
1
YujiroDemonBackHanma Mar 28, 2026 +33
James Woods as Hades in the Hercules (Disney) movie was hilarious.
33
SfcHayes1973 Mar 28, 2026 +6
I love the "I know you know..." scene the best, with the Fates ;)
6
Ekoldr Mar 29, 2026 +2
If... If is good...👹
2
GoldAd9127 Mar 28, 2026 +13
Jim varney as slinky dog
13
heidismiles Mar 28, 2026 +25
I didn't realize that Disney's Lilo was also Samara in *The Ring*.
25
Shaiziin Mar 28, 2026 +8
What??? 🤯
8
res30stupid Mar 28, 2026 +3
Yeah, aside from the direct-to-DVD sequel *Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has A Glitch* where she's voiced by Dakota Fanning, she's been played by Daveigh Chase who starred in The Ring after recording her lines for the first film.
3
Technical-Outside408 Mar 29, 2026 +2
And the youngest darko kid in Donnie Darko.
2
arclightrg Mar 28, 2026 +20
George Clooney voiced a dog in South Park back in the day. As in he just made barking noises 😂
20
ZarquonLoC Mar 28, 2026 +9
Sparky! And Big gay Al’s big gay animal paradise! Super! Thanks for asking!
9
Timmace Mar 29, 2026 +3
I think Seinfeld wanted to do a voice but then Matt and Trey offered him the part of Turkey #2 so he declined.
3
icecream1973 Mar 28, 2026 +16
Bryan Cranston - Macross Plus - 1994 - as Isamu Dyson Christian Bale - Howl's Moving Castle - 2004 - as Howl Gillian Anderson - Princess Mononoke - 1997 - as Moro Billy Bob Thornton - Princess Mononoke - 1997 - as Jiro
16
Spiritual_Bet3955 Mar 28, 2026 +7
Bryan Cranston has also voiced supporting characters in Family Guy.
7
Brick_Mason_ Mar 29, 2026 +2
And had a part in the short-lived *Clerks* animated series.
2
Frito_Penndejo Mar 29, 2026 +1
I love that damn series so much, I still quote it all the time.
1
Ok-Two-5429 Mar 28, 2026 +6
Also, Bryan Cranston as Fei Long in Street Fighter 2: the Animated Movie from 1994
6
icecream1973 Mar 28, 2026 +2
You gotta be f-in kidding me!?!? Seen that movie too many times too count & remember the fight scene between Ryu & Fei Long very well (I still have the original VHS tape). Thanks for sharing!
2
Ok-Two-5429 Mar 29, 2026 +2
"So long. See you again my friend"
2
Shaiziin Mar 28, 2026 +3
Bryan Cranston is so incredible, just wow! Christian Bale as Howl...i wouldn't have believed if i didn't look it up myself
3
icecream1973 Mar 28, 2026 +3
Christian Bale has a true fondness for Miyazaki's work, he voices also the lead in the Eng version of The Boy and the Heron - 2023.
3
deadspacekillers Mar 28, 2026 +2
Billy Bob Thornton is easily the worst part of Princess Mononoke. Every time he opens his mouth, I get pulled out of the magic of the movie. It's so blaringly him, I can hardly watch the dubbed version.
2
librariainsta Mar 28, 2026 +1
Christian Bale in Pocahontas - 1995 - as Thomas
1
Flyerastronaut Mar 29, 2026 +1
Wasnt Bryan Cranston using the pseudonym Lee Stone for Macross too?
1
icecream1973 Mar 29, 2026 +1
Don't know, on imdb it says only Bryan Cranston
1
zirky Mar 28, 2026 +7
alan tudyk as hei hei
7
EngineeringDevil Mar 29, 2026 +3
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaGYXjMwS60](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaGYXjMwS60)
3
Plekuz Mar 28, 2026 +11
I am going to cheat, because it is not an animated film, but his character is kind of animated (CGI): Sylvester Stallone as King Shark in Suicide Squad.
11
Starrr_Pirate Mar 28, 2026 +4
Honestly, I'd never have guessed it was him if I hadn't known going in.
4
Altruistic_Fury Mar 29, 2026 +5
Me book read! Soooo smart, me.
5
joe12321 Mar 28, 2026 +15
Matthew McConaughey as Buster in Sing. I'm SO glad when a celebrity engages in traditional animated voice acting instead of just using their voice and maybe turning it up a bit.
15
Shaiziin Mar 28, 2026 +5
Oh yes! There were a lot of good actors in that one too!
5
montresor42 Mar 28, 2026 +6
I loved Mr. Gristle in The Boxtrolls, and when watching the credits I was not expecting to see it was Tracy Morgan. Did not recognize his voice at all!
6
res30stupid Mar 28, 2026 +5
Beauty and the Beast surprised me a few times, like Mrs Potts being Angela Lansbury, Lumiere being Jerry Orbach... Recently, having heard his acting in the game Death Stranding, I looked up past roles by voice actor Jesse Corti and was surprised he played LeFou.
5
ElectricalDark8280 Mar 28, 2026 +5
Hei-Hei, the scene stealing star of Moana was actually Alan Tudyk. There is a funny clip out there of him voicing the iconic character and laughing at himself saying “I went to Juliard”. It’s hilarious
5
EngineeringDevil Mar 29, 2026 +2
this one [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaGYXjMwS60](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaGYXjMwS60)
2
-KFBR392 Mar 28, 2026 +8
Phil LaMarr as Vamp in Metal Gear Solid 2. Read the name, heard the voice, and figured ha that guy must have the same name as the guy from Mad TV. Turns out same guy and he basically just does voice over work, which kind of sucks cause he was easily one of the best on Mad TV.
8
davegammelgard Mar 28, 2026 +7
He also does several characters on Futurama. He's great.
7
voivoivoi183 Mar 28, 2026 +2
He's also the guy that gets his head blown off in the back of Jules and Vincent's car in Pulp Fiction!
2
BTJPipefitter Mar 28, 2026 +1
“Ah man, I shot Marvin in the face”
1
Shaiziin Mar 28, 2026 +1
This has to be the biggest mind eff of all! A black man voicing a bisexual vampire from Romania. Like what???? Amazing, ty
1
droidtron Mar 28, 2026 +3
He's Samurai Jack, he's versatile.
3
droidtron Mar 28, 2026 +1
Futurama poached some of the best first cast of Mad TV for their cast.
1
JackBurton___Me Mar 28, 2026 +4
I loved Nic Cage as the mole in G-Force. “Nodes.”
4
Jarita12 Mar 28, 2026 +3
Tom Hiddleston in Early Man. I watched it randomly and couldn´t tell it was him until I saw end credits
3
Shaiziin Mar 28, 2026 +2
Maisie Williams too!
2
Jarita12 Mar 28, 2026 +1
I later went on check them on youtube and they had some fun interviews together :)
1
BaltIndyNash Mar 28, 2026 +5
Chloe Grace Moretz in Nimona.
5
Crater_Animator Mar 28, 2026 +4
Pedro Pascal - Fink in "The Wild Robot"
4
Walkupandout Mar 28, 2026 +11
Oldman does an amazing job in Kung Fu Panda 2, he manages to chew the scenery but also deliver a nuanced and believable character. The look on his face at the end, chefs kiss 💋
11
Shaiziin Mar 28, 2026 +2
His face was so expressive! Also loved his moments of comedy
2
gunslinger_006 Mar 28, 2026 +11
Tina Fey in Ponyo. The entire English cast of Princess Mononoke.
11
Shaiziin Mar 28, 2026 +4
I did not know Tina Fey was in Ponyo! What a surprise
4
gunslinger_006 Mar 28, 2026 +1
She was the mom!
1
square3481 Mar 28, 2026 +3
Henry Rollins as Zaheer in Korra. His non-actor delivery really works for an evil airbender.
3
DruHarry Mar 29, 2026 +2
Omfg yep, now I hear it and see him as it. Jeebus.
2
AverageGatsby91 Mar 28, 2026 +5
Robert Pattinson in The Boy and The Heron This man went all out and was clearly cast for his voice acting ability and not just being a known name and nice voice
5
DirtyChito Mar 28, 2026 +2
Not a film, but George Clooney played a gay dog in one of the early seasons of South Park.
2
Brick_Mason_ Mar 29, 2026 +2
Ned Beatty in *Toy Story 3*. He could always play a mean villain.
2
b2thec Mar 29, 2026 +2
Brad Bird directed The Incredibles. And he's Edna Mole.
2
thegooniegodard Mar 28, 2026 +3
Suzanne Pleshette as Yubaba/Zeniba in 'Spirited Away'. Easily, one of my favorite voice-acting performances.
3
crookeddicktickle Mar 28, 2026 +1
Paul Shenar plays Jenner in “The Secret of NIMH”. Most know him as Alejandro Sosa in Scarface.
1
themlasvegas Mar 28, 2026 +1
Pedro Pascal in the Wild Robot
1
Duneking1 Mar 28, 2026 +1
The whole cast for Rise of the Guardians.
1
echosynth Mar 28, 2026 +1
Miguel Ferrer as Shan-Yu in Mulan (1998)
1
ChasseGalery Mar 29, 2026 +1
John Candy in Heavy Metal. I saw his name in the credits and then rewatched and laughed so much.
1
blokedog Mar 29, 2026 +1
Den
1
sofacouchmoviefilms Mar 29, 2026 +1
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Mary and Max”
1
Tranesblues Mar 29, 2026
Had no idea that was Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder until the credits.
0
tallperson117 Mar 29, 2026 +1
Kenneth Branagh as Abijah Fowler in Blue Eye Samurai. The dude freaking killed it and was obviously having a blast playing the character. I had no idea it was Inspector Poirot.
1
blokedog Mar 29, 2026 +1
There's a lot of great voicework in Invincible. Awesome show. I honestly can't name just one name. It's that stacked and always changing. I'm really enjoying it. Good fuckin' stuff. [Invincible (TV Series 2021– ) - Full cast & crew - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6741278/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cst_sm)
1
GoredonTheDestroyer Mar 29, 2026 +1
Not necessarily a movie character, but I always thought Laserbeak in *The Transformers* was voiced by Frank Welker. Makes sense, right? I mean, half the fuckin' show is voiced by him. Nope, turns out it was Chris Latta, who voiced ***Starscream***, making Laserbeak's goofy bird sounds.
1
Hatedpriest Mar 29, 2026 +1
Man, Gary Oldman is cheating. Some say there's one particle that goes back and forth through time, making up everything. That particle's name: Gary Oldman I've seen so many movies with him where I didn't know he was in the movie till the credits rolled. Absolutely melts into every role he takes.
1
Corsair4U Mar 29, 2026 +1
For me it was Brad Pitt in Megamind, I had no clue it was him at all. Same with Scarlett Johansson as Kaa in Jungle Book, that voice threw me off completely.
1
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