Have you ever been curious who is the real life person behind the voice your favorite Disney villain? Now you can find out who they are, what they look like and much more about the actors who played these characters below.
Disney villain – Ursula in The Little Mermaid is: Pat Carroll
Did you know? Initially, The Golden Girls’ Bea Arthur was supposed to voice the part of Ursula. When she dropped out, Disney considered Roseanne Barr and Elaine Stritch for the role before ultimately selecting Carroll.
Disney villain – Hopper in A Bug’s Life is: Kevin Spacey
Disney villain – Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty is: Eleanor Audley
Disney villain -Captain Hook in Peter Pan is: Hans Conried
Did you know? Conried actually had a dual role in the 1953 classic: Not only did he voice the part of Captain Hook, he also voiced the part of Mr. Darling.
Disney villain – Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians is: Betty Lou Gerson
Disney villain – Gaston in Beauty and the Beast is: Richard White
Did you know? If you watch closely as Gaston and the Beast battle at the end of the movie, you’ll notice that Gaston mouths the words “Time to DIE!” while he actually says,”Belle is MINE!” The former line was cut in favor of a less graphic ending.
Disney villain – Jafar in Aladdin is: Jonathan Freeman
Did you know? Before selecting Freeman, Disney had offered the role of Jafar to Sir Patrick Stewart, who was forced to turn down the offer because of scheduling conflicts with Star Trek: The Next Generation. Freeman was also tapped to play Jafar in the 2014 Broadway production of the show.
Scar in The Lion King is: Jeremy Irons
Did you know? Irons developed vocal problems while recording the song “Be Prepared,” forcing producers to bring in Jim Cummings, who also voiced the part of Ed the Hyena, to finish out the song.
Lady Tremaine in Cinderella is: Eleanor Audley
Did you know? While making the animated classic, Disney actually filmed a regally outfitted Eleanor Audley performing the role of Lady Tremaine as reference material for animators.
Claude Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame is: Tony Jay
Did you know? Five years before taking on the role of Claude Frollo, Jay voiced the part of Monsieur D’Arque in Beauty and the Beast. Video game fans may recall his voice in X-Men Legends, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and Legacy of Kain, among others.
Hades in Hercules is: James Woods
Queen Grimhilde in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is: Lucille La Verne
Did you know? La Verne voiced the part of both the Evil Queen and the witch who offers Snow White the poisoned apple. However, before recording the lines of the later, La Verne took out her false teeth to make the witch’s voice coarser.
Governor Ratcliffe in Pocahontas is: David Ogden Stiers
Shan-Yu in Mulan is: Miguel Ferrer
Did you know? Ferrer is the first cousin of actor George Clooney. Ferrer was one of the lucky few to be invited to Clooney’s weddingto Amal Alamuddin in Venice last fall.
Yzma in The Emperor’s New Groove is: Eartha Kitt
Did you know? Kitt, whose career spanned more than six decades, recorded the popular Christmas song “Santa Baby” in 1953. Orson Welles once called her “the most exciting woman alive.”
The Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland is: Verna Felton
Did you know? Felton was a prolific Disney voice actor: She voiced the part of the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Aunt Sarah in Lady and the Tramp, and Flora in Sleeping Beauty.
Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog is: Keith David
Did you know? Animator Bruce Smith once described Dr. Facilier as “the love child of Captain Hook and Cruella De Vil.” See the resemblance?