Fun Facts about Classic Disney Villains

Courtesy: Disney via screenrant.com

Importance, often, is given only to the hero, even in animated movies. But what is a hero without a worthy villain? Disney has given us not just some memorable heroes & princess, but also some unforgettable villains. Be it Scar from The Lion King or Ursula from The Little Mermaid, we love to hate these classic villains.

Here are 10 fun facts about some of your favourite Disney villains.

#1 The Evil Queen had the first words

Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs was Disney’s first full-length animation production. But the first animated character to speak was neither Snow White nor one of the Dwarfs. It was her stepmother, The Evil Queen. Her first line was, “Slave in the magic mirror, come from the farthest space, through wind & darkness I summon thee. Speak! Let me see thy face.”

Bonus fun fact: Legendary actress of the silent era, Lucille La Verne gave the voice for both The Evil Queen & the old woman she turns into. She simply removed her teeth to bring the difference in voice.

Courtesy: Kelgar Hendrix via YouTube

#2 The favourite voice of Disney villains

American legend, Eleanor Audley gave her voice to not just one but two Disney baddies. She was both Lady Tremaine in Cinderella, and Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty. Interestingly, she had initially turned down the role of Maleficent, but later took it at the insistence of the film’s animators, Frank Thomas & Marc Davis.

Bonus fun fact: To match her voice, the animators designed the facial features of both the characters to match that of Audley.

Courtesy: Lindsay Koski

#3 ‘Be Prepared’ by two singers

One of The Lion King’s most memorable songs is Be Prepared, sung by Scar. But did you know that the song was sung by two different singers? Jermey Irons, the voice of Scar, lost his voice during the recording of the song. Jim Cummings, voice of Ed (the hyena), stepped in, and finished the recording. The final was such a great job that no one can tell the difference. Can you?

Courtesy: Kovu

#4 The bad guy specialist

Andreas Deja is known as somewhat of a villain specialist in the animation circle, and not without reason. He is the character animator of Scar (The Lion King), Jafar (Aladdin), Gaston (The Beauty & the Beast), and Queen Narissa (Enchanted).

Bonus fun fact: Not all’s bad. Deja is also the character animator of Roger Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit), King Triton (The Little Mermaid), Hercules (Hercules), Lilo (Lilo & Stitch), and Tigger (Winnie the Pooh).

#5 One man army

Animation is a team effort. However, Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmations) was the work of one man. Marc Davis single-handedly, animated the supervillain. His other unforgettable creations include Snow White, Bambi, Alice, Aurora, Tinker Bell & Maleficent.

#6 Same voice, different men

Keeping with the tradition of J.M. Barrie’s stage play, the same actor voiced both Captain Hook & George Darling in Peter Pan. Hans Conried is not the only actor to have voiced two characters in one movie. As mentioned earlier, Lucille La Verne gave her voice to both The Evil Queen & the old woman, and Jodi Benson voiced both Ariel & Vanessa (Ursula’s human form) in The Little Mermaid.

#7 Oogie Boogie wasn’t there…almost

The famous song from Nightmare Before Christmas wasn’t part of the original plan. It was only after Tim Burton, the director of the film, sketched a creepy-looking portrait of a potato sack guy, that the song was conceived.

Bonus fun fact: Animators continue to call it the ‘ultimate Halloween nightmare’.

Courtesy: MovieClips via YouTube 

#8 She was inspired by a song

When creating Mother Gothel in Tangled, animators were a little confused about how to balance maternal & evil. But after they heard the song ‘Mother knows best’, they instantly knew what she would look like. Mother Gothel got the personality of a dramatic actress, complete with bright coloured dresses, lipstick & thick mascara. Director, Byron Howard, created the final design.

Courtesy: DisneyMusicVEVO via YouTube

#9 A dream come true

Mostly known for funny & nice characters, American actress, Pat Carroll changed her image with The Little Mermaid. She was the voice of Ursula, the evil sea witch. In fact, Carroll calls the role of Ursula her favourite, and a ‘dream come true’.

Courtesy: Disney via YouTube   

#10 Hades, a fast-talking car salesman

Not literally, but that is exactly what inspired the character animators. When James Wood, the voice of Hades, auditioned for the role of the main antagonist of Disney's 1997 animated feature film, Hercules, he gave the character a fun, fast-talking car salesman persona. And the writers liked it so much that it stuck.

Courtesy: Gerardo Lanci Via YouTube 

Who is your favourite Disney villain? Tell us in the comments below.

If you adore animated movies and have a passion for it, why not consider a career in animation? Checkout some rewarding animation career courses. With the right skills, you could be the one to create the next animated mega villain.