Alan Tudyk's Voice Roles: Looking at Disney's Good Luck Charm

Alan Tudyk’s Voice Roles: Looking at Disney’s Good Luck Charm

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at how Alan Tudyk became a guaranteed casting choice for every modern Disney animated movie.

Before this talented actor was named as the mouse house’s good luck charm, he was filling up his resume with a variety of iconic roles that put him on everybody’s radar. Tudyk played Wat in one of his personal favorite films, “A Knight's Tale.” A few years later, he made audiences laugh with his silly part as Steve the Pirate in “Dodgeball”. But many sci-fi fans fondly remember Tudyk as the eccentric and loveable pilot Wash in “Firefly”. In each of these roles, he charmed audiences with his natural charisma and energetic performances. Fortunately, those great qualities translated to an unforgettable lead vocal role in 2004.

Shortly after the turn of the century, Tudyk provided the voice and motion capture for the robot Sonny. Despite looking artificial and unreal, he truly made us believe that the character was a lively being with emotions and soul. His staggering performance was followed by a few smaller vocal roles. After playing Simone in “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” and another robot in “Astro Boy”, Disney reps got in contact with Tudyk to ask a life-changing question:
Could he sound like the Mad Hatter from 1951’s “Alice in Wonderland”?

The reason why they wanted the actor to sound like the well dressed Lewis Carroll character boils down to “Wreck It Ralph’s” King Candy. Disney wanted the dangerous antagonist to sound like the silly and energetic version of Mad Hatter that the late Ed Wynn voiced in the 1951 film. When Tudyk’s agent found out what the studio needed, they told the Mouse House that the actor could do the voice…without actually asking him first. Fortunately, the performer was up for the challenge. Not only did Tudyk give Disney the King Candy they dreamed of, but he won an Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production. The studio would soon learn that his award winning work here wasn’t just a fluke.

Over the next few years, Tudyk was called back for each of their feature length animated films. He played the old and obnoxious Duke of Weselton in “Frozen”. A year later, audiences suspected that Tudyk’s Alister Krei would be revealed as the big bad of “Big Hero 6”. He followed that role by voicing an actual weasel in “Zootopia”. While all of Tudyk’s performances were great, his legend as Disney’s good luck charm wasn’t solidified until “Moana” debuted. There, he played the hilarious rooster Hei-hei. Although the character was originally going to be cut from the film, Tudyk was given a last minute rewrite where the rooster was dumbed down. The combination of a new script and the actor’s committed performance gave us a scene stealing bird that we couldn’t imagine leaving out of Moana’s story. Since that film marked the fifth Disney smash hit that Tudyk had been a part of, the studio wasn’t exactly ready to let him go.

The actor had a role in the next six animated films that the studio produced. In between parts, Tudyk lent his voice to Iago in the live-action “Aladdin” and the scroll in “Disenchanted.” And did we mention he played yet another robot named K-2SO in “Rogue One?” The actor’s sheer vocal variety ensured that no two characters sounded exactly the same. When asked how he developed the range that Disney has become fond of, Tudyk revealed that tv was key. He specifically shouted out the legendary Mel Blanc’s work on Looney Tunes as a major inspiration. Tudyk also credited watching Robin Williams on “Mork and Mindy” as another helpful step in developing his range. Thanks to all these influences and some traditional training, the performer could become anything from the expressive Tuk Tuk to the talkative KnowsMore. And just when you think you’ve watched a movie without him, you can check Imdb and be surprised that he played a role like Pico the toucan in “Encanto”. As a testament to his talent, fans wanted Tudyk to be recognized at a pivotal moment in Disney’s history.

When the studio was developing their “Once Upon a Studio” 100th anniversary special short, they asked their viewers who and what they’d like to see. There were reportedly a bunch of requests to include a room full of Tudyk’s Disney’s characters. While the studio ultimately passed on that suggestion, they did bring him for a spectacular moment. When Flounder needs to get into water quickly, the Mad Hatter’s hat is used as an impromptu fishbowl. The Wonderland character is perfectly voiced by Tudyk. Having the actor provide the voice he used to get his first role at Disney made it feel like his journey had truly come full circle. Thankfully, it wasn’t over yet.

After the special aired, Tudyk’s voice was still being heard in trailers for 2023”s “Wish”. His role as the talking goat Valentino let him flex his talent for animal sounds and over-the-top dialogue. Based on Tudyk’s history, this role won’t be his swan song for Disney. It seems highly likely that we’ll hear his voice in big and small studio parts for the rest of the decade and beyond.
Although Tudyk didn’t start his career as a voice actor, we think Disney will ensure he’ll get back in the booth to deliver more iconic performances for years to come.

What’s your favorite Alan Tudyk role? Shout it out in the comments.