John Lithgow is looking back on his role in “Shrek”, where he famously voiced the villainous Lord Farquaad in the 2001 animated hit. Despite the character’s demise in the first film, the actor has expressed genuine enthusiasm about returning to the role.
The “Shrek” franchise has grown into one of DreamWorks’ most successful projects, expanding to several sequels and spin-offs that attracted a global fanbase. Excitement is building for the fifth installment, which will bring its iconic characters back to the big screen.
John Lithgow was on “The Tonight Show” to talk about his latest projects, and the conversation touched on one of his most beloved roles, Lord Farquaad in “Shrek.” Jimmy Fallon mentioned that the first movie just celebrated its 25th anniversary, to which Lithgow said its popularity still endures.
“Well, unfortunately, I never got any sequels because I was eaten by a dragon in the very first one,” Lithgow said. The tyrannical, short-statured Lord Farquaad, indeed, met his demise on “Shrek” in the middle of his supposed wedding to Princess Fiona, when the dragon swallows him whole and spits out his crown.
“All the others went on and made millions just for spending five minutes,” Lithgow said. Fallon suggested that Lord Farquaad could return with a prequel that shows how he became a lord, to which Lithgow replied, “I’m available.”
The Actor Recalled The Gingerbread Scene
Lord Farquaad only had less than 10 minutes of screentime on “Shrek,” but despite that, he remains one of the most beloved villains. Lithgow explicitly recalls voicing the scene where Lord Farquaad tortures Gingerbread Man.
According to Lithgow, he did the scene with writer Conrad Vernon, who was helping him with cues and temporarily voiced the Gingerbread Man. “They went and looked and looked and looked for the right Gingerbread Man, and they ended up hiring him. And he became the Gingerbread Man for like, five ‘Shrek’ movies! Me? Eaten by that goddamn dragon,” Lithgow said in mock exasperation.
Not only did Vernon return as Gingerbread Man in all the “Shrek” films, but he also co-directed “Shrek 2” and will be co-directing the fifth installment in the franchise.
John Lithgow Expressed Interest In Past Interviews
This isn’t the first time the 80-year-old, award-winning actor has said that he wanted to revisit Lord Farquaad. In 2024, Lithgow said he would say “yes in a minute” if he were asked to return to the franchise. However, that was quite difficult since his character was dead. “It turns out it’s impossible to recover from being eaten by a dragon,” he added.
In the musical short film “Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party,” Lord Farquaad was briefly seen singing the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” while in the dragon’s stomach. Lithgow returned to voice Lord Farquaad’s ghost in “Shrek 4-D,” an attraction that debuted at Universal Studios in 2003, which was later released on TV, streaming, and home video.
The Actor Had Misconceptions About ‘Shrek’
In 2025, Lithgow revisited some of his most iconic roles for Variety, including Lord Farquaad. The actor admitted that while he thought the project looked “fun” to do, he didn’t think it was a “big deal.”
“I thought it was like a Saturday morning cartoon or something. Not a big deal,” Lithgow said. He also revealed that it took four years before “Shrek” was released, saying, “They would bring me back in once every eight months or so to record some new material. And it was like, ‘Oh, I gotta do this ‘Shrek’ thing again? What is this?’”
“Shrek” officially started production in late 1995 and was released in 2001, grossing more than $484 million worldwide on a budget of $60 million.
The ‘Shrek 5’ Release Was Delayed Twice
In July 2024, DreamWorks officially announced “Shrek 5,” announcing a release date of July 2026. However, the date was pushed back to December 2026, and then again to June 2027. It isn’t known what caused the setbacks.
The last movie in the franchise, “Shrek Forever After,” was released in 2010 and focused on Shrek, who was plunged into a dystopian alternate reality after signing a contract with Rumpelstiltskin.
“Shrek 5” will return with its ensemble cast, including Mike Myers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Fiona), and Eddie Murphy (Donkey), as well as newcomers Zendaya, Marcello Hernandez, and Skyler Gisondo, who will be voicing Shrek and Fiona’s triplets, Felicia, Fergus, and Farkle.
