Every now and then, a voice actor will bear an absurd resemblance to the cartoon character he or she plays. Although we’re aware that the characters at hand were likely animated with the voice actors’ features in mind, we still enjoyed discovering how much Snow White looks like the woman who provides her voice, Adriana Caselotti, and how much Up’s Carl Fredricksen looks like Ed Asner with glasses. After the jump, we’ve placed a collection of famous cartoon characters side by side with their voice actor twins. Check ’em out, and hit the comments to add any other character and actor combinations that you’ve found to be similarly fascinating.
Adriana Caselotti and Snow White
In 1937, 21-year-old Adriana Caselotti made her debut as the very first leading Disney lady in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In the years following the film’s success, Caselotti was under contract with Walt Disney and prohibited from accepting other leading roles, as they might “spoil the illusion of Snow White.” As a result, her post-Disney appearances were few. You know the voice that sings, “Wherefore art thou, Romeo” during “If I Only Had a Heart” in The Wizard of Oz? That’s Caselotti, and so is the singer in Martini’s bar as George Bailey prays in It’s a Wonderful Life. Both roles were uncredited. Life’s hard when you’re a Disney princess.
Rowan Atkinson and Zazu (The Lion King)
Here we have Rowan Atkinson and his feathery counterpart, Zazu. Who rocked the eyebrows better? This is definitely one of those cases where they added a few extra features to the animated character in order to mimic the voice actor, but we think Zazu is especially spot-on.
Robby Benson and Beast (Beauty and the Beast)
Ah, the piercing blue eyes, the shaggy hair, the beard — all Robby Benson’s missing are some gnarly canines, some questionable table manners, and a hostage.
Will Smith and Oscar (Shark Tale)
Okay, every character in Shark Tale sort of looks like its voice actor, but Will Smith’s fishy equivalent even has the Fresh Prince’s ears appropriately protruding as adorable little fins. Precious!
Ed Asner and Carl (Up)
Despite a little discrepancy in their hairlines, these two are pretty perfect. Honorable mention: Christopher Plummer and Charles Muntz.
Danny DeVito and Philoctetes (Hercules)
Danny DeVito is pretty much as close as one can get to a real-life cartoon character, so it’s no surprise that he’s often chosen for the voices of short, stubby animations. We had a hard time picking which character to include in this list because, well, DeVito generally bears a resemblance to all of his cartoon counterparts. Philoctetes? The Lorax? Swackhammer from Space Jam? Tough call, but we’ll go with Philoctetes.
Mary Costa and Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)
Mary Costa, best known as the voice of Princess Aurora, emerged from her role as a Disney princess with a fate unlike that of Adriana Caselotti. She went on to have an extensive opera career, and was even asked by Jackie Kennedy to sing at John F. Kennedy’s memorial service in 1963.
Mrs. Potts and Angela Lansbury (Beauty and the Beast)
Who doesn’t love a nice, cheerful cup of Angela Lansbury? We think Mrs. Potts captures her features quite nicely.