10 Things You Didn't Realise Inspired Iconic Movie Voices
9. Shrek - Mike Myers' Mum
Chris Farley was initially cast as the stubborn but loveable ogre in the film, Shrek. Yet, after the treasured comedian's untimely death, Mike Myers was recast in the role. Originally, Myers decided to use his natural voice while recording his dialogue.
After watching a rough cut of the film, however, Myers was concerned Shrek's voice jarred with the character. In some scenes, Shrek was meant to sound vulnerable but came across as scary. To make the ogre more relatable, Myers believed that Shrek should have a working class voice and re-recorded his lines in a Scottish accent.
He got the idea for the voice from his mother, Alice Myers, who put on a Scottish accent while telling Myers bedtime stories as a child. Myers became so accustomed to hearing his mother speak like this over the years, he was able to perform the accent himself with little effort. He thought the voice sounded endearing and vulnerable, which were the qualities needed for Shrek to come across as a sympathetic character.