Mike Myers is known for his expansive film career, including “Austin Powers,” “The Cat in the Hat,” and, of course, “Shrek.” However, in a new interview, the esteemed actor said that he was initially turned off to the idea of voicing the iconic big green ogre.
Speaking with Vulture about his decades-long career, Myers told the publication that he was pitched the idea of “Shrek” after watching Tom Hanks’ “Saving Private Ryan.”
“I went to the premiere of ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ and Jeffrey Katzenberg comes up to me afterward in the lobby and brings his daughters, who then do the dance sequence from ‘Austin Powers,’” he said. “This was after such a heavy movie, and I was in tears because my parents were in World War II. I was shell-shocked, and then they’re doing the dance, and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s great. Read a room!’”
According to Myers, Katzenberg, a staple at Disney and DreamWorks, asked him if he’d consider doing an animated film called “Shrek,” a movie about an ogre who falls in love with a princess, to which Myers replied, “Well, that’s the worst fucking title I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Mike Myers Had A Change Of Heart About ‘Shrek’ The Movie After Learning More About The Film
Myers joked that the name of the movie reminded him of a sound he’d make after “drinking too many Molson Canadians.”
But after some time, he agreed to meet with Katzenberg and the rest of the DreamWorks team about the film. After learning more, his mindset completely shifted.
“So I saw it, and I liked that it turned fairy tales on its head,” he said. “I thought that was really, really smart.”
“The fairy tale is a Eurocentric form, dealing with class, right? To say, ‘Yes, we know it’s Eurocentric, but it can be more inventive and inclusive. And to have an African American voice in Donkey in it, I thought it was brilliant,” he continued.
Mike Myers Asked The Producers To Make A Critical Change To His Character In The Middle Of Production
Elsewhere in the interview, Myers opened up about the time he asked producers to change the character’s direction mid-production. According to reports, Myers initially voiced Shrek in a Canadian accent; however, he took a bold chance after filming began and switched to a Scottish one.
The team making the film, however, wasn’t on board with the idea at first. Myers explained that he then called Steven Spielberg, saying that he believed his idea was the right choice.
Spielberg reportedly told Myers, “It’s gonna cost millions” to change the accent, to which Myers shot back, “I’m not getting paid more to do this. Let’s do it.”
By now, everyone knows that the accent was changed, and according to Myers, it was the best thing for the film. “We did it, and later on, I got a letter from Steven Spielberg saying, ‘Thank you so much for caring.’ It’s framed in my house,” Myers said.
“[Spielberg] said, ‘You were absolutely right. You were 100 percent more connected to it.’ And Jeffrey came to like it, which is fine. Now here we are,” he continued.
‘Shrek’ Has Grossed Over $2 Billion Globally
“Shrek” debuted in 2001 and spawned three sequels: “Shrek 2,” “Shrek the Third,” and “Shrek Forever After.”
According to Variety, the franchise has grossed more than $2 billion worldwide, with a fifth installment set to hit theaters in 2027.
The upcoming film will see Myers return as Shrek alongside Eddie Murphy as Donkey and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona.
Murphy Spills Some Tea About The ‘Shrek’ Franchise
Speaking of “Shrek 5,” Murphy told ScreenRant in 2025 that the cast began production on the movie in 2023 and were “still in the booth” at the time.
Amid that, Murphy said he was also working on a movie about his character, Donkey.
“We’re doing a Donkey one, and that’ll be three years from now, but we’re about two years into Shrek 5. Still in the booth and about to start Donkey in September,” he said.
While details about the spin-off remain under wraps, Murphy teased fans about what they can expect.
“Donkey’s going to have his own movie, own little story with his dragon wife and his kids that are half-dragon and half-donkeys,” he said. “They’ve written this funny story. We’re doing that, starting that in September.”
