Top 10 Voice Acting Performances That Were Short but Iconic
#10: Michael Keaton as Ken
“Toy Story 3” (2010)
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You might know him better as Batman, or even the MCU’s Vulture, and he probably doesn’t seem like an obvious choice to play Barbie’s dreamy male counterpart. Yet Keaton perfectly captured the fashion-obsessed boy toy’s charm. Ken might not be the smartest toy in the box, but he has a wardrobe and Dreamhouse that are to die for. Though he starts out on the wrong side of the metaphorical toy aisle at Sunnyside Daycare, his love for Barbie convinces him to do the right thing. After all, they were made for each other, and every second of Keaton’s delivery proves it.
#9: Orson Welles as Unicron
“The Transformers: The Movie” (1986)
Let’s be honest: every time Orson Welles shows up, it’s iconic. Recorded in one sitting just five days before his death in October 1985, this “Transformers” flick was among Welles’ final movie parts. Despite reportedly being quite weak at the time of recording, Welles brings an incredible sense of gravitas to the character. This was important, since Unicron is the size of a planet and makes even the Transformers seem puny by comparison. The beloved film has earned the status of cult classic in the decades since its release. That means that, like many of Welles’ characters, Unicron will hopefully live on in fans’ hearts for generations to come.
#8: Betty Lou Gerson as Cruella de Vil
“One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)
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If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will. It takes a special type of villain to harm puppies. Though Cruella appears in countless Disney media, including sequels, reboots, and spinoffs, it was Gerson’s devilish vocal performance that first brought her to life on the silver screen. Since she’s arguably the most memorable part of the 1961 film, you might be surprised to learn that she’s only on screen for about 8 and a half minutes. But that’s long enough to terrify any impressionable young viewers in the audience, and to leave her mark on Disney history.
#7: Jemaine Clement as Tamatoa
“Moana” (2016)
Maui must get his magic hook from Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters, in order to regain his powers as a demigod. Unfortunately, the hook is in the possession of a giant coconut crab who loves shiny things and has no interest in giving it up. Anyone familiar with Clement’s distinctive voice probably recognized him pretty quickly as Tamatoa, especially once he started singing. In between bragging about himself and taunting Maui, the wild crab spends most of his time on screen singing his signature song – which, by the way, is a bop. Clement took a relatively minor character and made him nothing short of memorable.
#6: Christopher Walken as King Louie
“The Jungle Book” (2016)
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While Louis Prima’s performance was one of the catchiest parts of the original 1967 movie, this version of King Louie is no ordinary orangutan. In fact, he’s not technically an orangutan at all. He’s a Gigantopithecus who rules over every monkey in the jungle. Walken’s take on the character also turns him into sort of a mob boss. He has ears in every part of the jungle and he offers Mowgli protection – for a price. He’s not on screen much at all, but like many of Walken’s characters, he’s both funny and menacing, making his limited minutes of screen time unforgettable.
#5: Alan Tudyk as K-2SO
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016)
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K-2SO is an Imperial droid who has been reprogrammed to be useful to the Rebellion. But he’s not always enthusiastic about his job. The brilliantly talented Tudyk provides both the voice and the motion capture for this oversized droid. Even though he has no facial expressions, K-2SO still manages to convey an incredible amount of emotion thanks to Tudyk’s vocal performance and body language. His snarky demeanor and dry wit also give some much needed comic relief to a film that is, at times, quite dark. The droids are often the most lovable characters in any “Star Wars” story, and K-2 is no exception.
#4: Frank Oz as Yoda
“Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)
Speaking of beloved “Star Wars” characters. Yoda is such an integral part of the “Star Wars” universe, it’s easy to forget that back in 1980, he was just a mysterious green swamp dweller with a funny voice and surprising Force powers. In his first film appearance, he only had roughly 13 minutes of screen time, but thanks to Oz’s legendary performance, he manages to make just about every line iconic. A prolific voice actor and puppeteer, Oz brought Yoda to life in numerous “Star Wars” projects. But it all started with just a few scenes in the swamp of Dagobah.
#3: Owen Wilson as Coach Skip
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009)
Although this albino river otter only appears in one quick clip, he leaves quite the mark on the film. He coaches Whack-Bat, and he explains the bewildering rules to the new student, Kristofferson, in characteristically whimsical Wes Anderson style. Coach Skip serves as yet another reminder to Ash that the young Fox has a lot to live up to. Owen Wilson’s performance makes an impression, ensuring we don’t miss the significance of the moment. Skip isn’t the only unusual character who made an extremely brief but memorable appearance in this movie, either. Willem Dafoe’s cider-loving, knife-wielding Rat shows up just long enough to make a pass at Felicity and get electrocuted by Mr. Fox.
#2: Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom
“Toy Story 4” (2019)
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This melodramatic Canadian toy has some self-esteem issues. After he couldn’t live up to his TV commercial’s lofty promises, his kid Rejean abandoned him, and he’s been traumatized ever since. During his few short scenes, he goes through a range of emotions: sadness, bravado, fear, and courage. Ever the consummate professional, Reeves puts his whole heart into the performance of this silly but lovable little motorcycle man. He gives depth to a character that might otherwise have been nothing more than a quick punchline. No wonder Duke Caboom stuck with us long after the credits rolled.
#1: Brad Bird as Edna Mode
“The Incredibles” (2004)
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In many franchises, superheroes have to create their own supersuits, but the Incredibles have genius fashion designer Edna Mode. Many have theorized that Edna was inspired by the real-life celebrated costume designer Edith Head, although writer/director Brad Bird reportedly insists she wasn’t modeled solely on any one individual. Interestingly, it was reportedly difficult to find someone who could nail Edna’s speech patterns. Although Lily Tomlin was offered the part, she turned it down, feeling that Bird’s performance was more humorous. We’d never slander the great Tomlin, but in this case, we think she made the right call. There’s just something so magical about how Bird takes the technically minor character of Edna and makes her a scene-stealer in both “The Incredibles” and its sequel.
