Before Mike Myers took on the role of big green ogre Shrek, funnyman Chris Farley was set to voice the character. In newly surfaced audio tapes, the late comedian can be heard voicing the popular character prior to his 1997 death, along with Eddie Murphy, who voices Donkey.
Farley’s Shrek resurfaced after it was featured in the new documentary I Am Chris Farley.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the Tommy Boy star was attached to the DreamWorks feature and the role was written specifically for him. He recorded almost 90 percent of the voice work before he died from an overdose in December 1997.
The video, which features illustrations as well, was originally uploaded on Vimeo two years ago but recently found its way onto Reddit.
The animated film, which also starred Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona, has grossed $484 million globally since it’s 2001 premiere. The success of the film has led to three sequels, two television specials, and the spinoff Puss in Boots, with Antonio Banderas reprising the role of the sassy cat.
