Top 10 Stars You Forgot Were in DreamWorks Movies

“Despicable Me’s” star-studded cast made being bad look really good. You might recall that British comedian Russell Brand voiced Dr. Nefario. And before being cast as Lucy Wilde in the sequel, Kristen Wiig provided the voice for Miss Hattie. But do you remember who voiced Gru’s goofy but destructive nemesis Vector in the first movie? Underneath the character who invented those wild gadgets was Jason Segel. This actor is known for many comedic films as well as “How I Met Your Mother.” Segel said that his background in puppetry helped him identify the right voice for his character. He also called the experience “freeing” and, at the time, that he’s “more proud of this movie than anything else he’s ever done”.

Despite its predominantly positive reception, this animated biblical adaptation remained in the shadows of its predecessor. Not even the combined efforts of the voice of Luke Skywalker and the A-Lister behind its protagonist, Ben Affleck could help. Yes, you heard us correctly. Affleck of “Good Will Hunting” and “Gone Girl” fame provided the speaking voice for the “King of Dreams.” One review praised the actor’s ability to illustrate the character’s growth from “feckless youth to wise adult” using his voice alone. He definitely gave a captivating and charismatic performance that definitely deserves more love. It’s about time more people rewatched this movie and showed Affleck’s voice-acting the appreciation it deserves.

Affleck's "Good Will Hunting" writing partner and childhood bestie also has a notable DreamWorks role. Originally, Damon wouldn’t have even been necessary because there was a version of “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” where the animals didn’t have any spoken lines. But the filmmakers later decided to include a narrator to capture and share their title character's innermost thoughts. Although Robert Redford and Tom Hanks were also considered for the role, Matt Damon ultimately stepped up. The film follows Spirit, a Kiger Mustang stallion who gets captured during the American Indian Wars but is later freed by a Native American man named Little Creek. Damon's narration provided additional and beguiling nuances to an already stirring and compelling story.

Even though you could fish plenty of famous voices out of this ensemble, the celeb talent didn’t prevent the film from tanking. For instance, did you even remember that Robert DeNiro voiced Don Lino? Did you also catch that Angelina Jolie lent her voice to Lola? This wasn’t the actresses’ only venture in DreamWorks animation,e ither. Jolie has served as the voice of Tigress, one of the Furious Five and master of the Tiger Style of kung fu in the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise. As in her live-action movie credits, you can tell that Jolie’s drawn to strong and powerful female characters. And they suit her perfectly well.

Julie Andrews is known as a stage and screen icon, international treasure, and Queen of Genovia (as well as our hearts). But did you know that her reign also extends to the Kingdom of Far Far Away? She plays Queen Lillian in “Shrek” two through four. In the third installment, she even treats us to some musical nods that shout out a couple of her most famous characters. Additionally, “Shrek 3” introduces us to her musically inclined nephew, Arthur. He’s fittingly voiced by Justin Timberlake. Outside of the “Shrek” franchise, Andrews is sneakily present in another Dreamworks staple. While she might hide it well under that accent, she’s the voice behind Marlena, Gru’s brassy and badass mom.

The idea of “Die Hard’s” John McClane playing a cute little raccoon with a mischievous streak might sound too ridiculous to believe. But it definitely happened. In “Over the Hedge”, Bruce Willis provides the voice for the plucky raccoon RJ. While the actor took on some pretty daring roles throughout his career, he singled this animated role out as being “nerve-wracking.” With no props, set, or costume, and with each actor recording separately, he only had his voice and imagination to rely on. But we still feel like he nailed it and was a perfect fit for the voice of RJ. It’s just a shame that the sequel was canceled and Willis couldn’t show off more of his vocal talents.

This dynamic actress has been seen in everything from “Molly's Game” to "Interstellar”. But you may have missed her role in "Madagascar 3." During that film, Chastain plays Gia, the stunning Italian jaguar who's fiercely devoted to her circus friends. She also becomes a love interest for Alex. Chastain hit all the right spots as the sassy jaguar with a heart of gold. Additionally, she's the perfect provocative character to both make Alex's mane stand on edge and challenge him. Despite being a newbie to the "Madagascar" crew, Chastain's voice acting is so alluring and inviting that we can't help but love her. We honestly can't understand why DreamWorks hasn't yet released a spin-off starring Gia in a central role.

Lord Shen is one of the most diabolical villains in the DreamWorks world. And he just so happens to share the voice behind iconic antagonists from films like “True Romance,” and “Léon: The Professional.” Or if you’re a “Harry Potter” fan, you might’ve heard tinges of Sirius Black. This multi-award-winning actor took a break from his usual serious and intense movies to play the, well, serious and intense evil White peafowl instead. And all we can say is that he makes villainy sound pretty smooth. When his voice combined with the stunning animation, Oldman became one of DreamWorks’ greatest, most elegant, and most fearsome bad guys.

Remember when the internet went wild over Cumberbatch’s pronunciation of “Penguin?” It was brought to attention during an interview with Graham Norton. Incidentally, he was promoting his upcoming movie “Penguins of Madagascar.” He plays Classified, the leader of the North Wind task force. Perhaps DreamWorks saw the BBC documentary and decided it was best to steer him clear of “Pengwings.” Even without the word, the actor gave a funny, endearing, and highly entertaining performance. We wouldn’t say no to a North Wind spin-off with Classified in the spotlight. After all, that’s where he loves to be. Plus, we might actually learn his real name as an added bonus.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Sharon Stone, “Antz” (1998)
She Voices Princess Bala in Dreamworks’ Own Bug Story

Renée Zellweger, Various
She’s Katie in “Monsters vs. Aliens,” Vanessa Bloome in “Bee Movie” & Angie in “Shark Tale”

Will.i.am, “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” (2008)
He Voiced Moto Moto, Melman’s Love Rival for Gloria’s Affection

Seth Rogen, Various
He’s Mantin in “Kung Fu Panda” media, A Captain in “Shrek the Third” & B.O.B in “Monsters vs. Aliens”

Brad Pitt, “Megamind” (2010)
Pitt Plays the Movie’s Antagonist, Metro Man

1998 saw DreamWorks “Deliver Us,” this underappreciated classic inspired by the book of Exodus. However, did you ever realize how overwhelmingly A-List its speaking voice cast is? While Val Kilmer voices Moses and God, Ralph Fiennes can be heard as Ramses. Their parents, Pharaoh Seti and Queen Tuya, are played by Patrick Stewart and Helen Mirren. They’re also joined by Michelle Pfeiffer as Tzipporah, Sandra Bullock as Miriam, and Jeff Goldblum as Aaron. We also couldn’t forget Danny Glover as Jethro or Ofra Haza as Yocheved. Oh, and Steve Martin’s Hotep and Martin Short’s Huy are great too. Did we mention James Avery lent his voice too? With a compelling story, fire soundtrack, and an unbelievably impressive ensemble, it’s “All [We] Ever Wanted” and more.