Shrek has become a cultural touchstone for multiple generations, as viewers of varying ages continue to be charmed by the gruff but lovable ogre’s adventures. Moviegoers may not have known what to expect from the franchise’s inaugural installment from 2001, and that was also true of cast member John Lithgow. The veteran actor was indeed impressed when he was pitched his character, Lord Farquaad. But it turns out the Hollywood heavy hitter had one thing pegged incorrectly about the film.
John Lithgow’s been busy as of late, promoting his 2025 movie schedule release, The Rule of Jenny Pen, following awards season. He’ll also remain booked, as he’s been cast as Dumbledore in Max’s Harry Potter series, . Ahead of that, though, the star caught up with Variety (via YouTube) to reminisce about his career highlights, starting with the villainous ruler of Duloc. And, right off the bat, he revealed the major misconception he had about the DreamWorks production:
I thought it was like a Saturday morning cartoon or something. Not a big deal. I read my dialogue. They showed me a maquette of this little character, Lord Farquaad. And they showed me a lot of storyboards, animated storyboards. And I thought, well, this looks like fun. These writers were all there, and they sort of pitched what was funny about this character.
While I think a Shrek TV show could be a lot fun, I’m glad it just exists as a movie franchise. It’s honestly surprising to hear that Lithgow didn’t think he was working on a movie, especially given the studio involved. Still, Lord Farquaad does give off the vibes of a classic Saturday morning villain. On a side note, I also wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall for those pitch meetings.
Of course, in time, John Lithgow realized what he’d become a part of. However, he still had a to learn a thing or two when it came to being part of an animated production. The Old Man alum went on to explain that he became somewhat overwhelmed by the behind-the-scenes logistics, specifically just how long the work lasted in total:
The curious thing was that was, like, four years before we ever saw Shrek. And 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?’
Animated movies take a while to produce for more than a few reasons, such as script rewrites, character design tweaks and more. In the case of this film, Chris Farley originally voiced the titular ogre and recorded lines before his tragic death in 1997. Mike Myers then stepped in to take the role and, as John Lithgow recalled, Myers had to end up re-recording the entire film, because the producers preferred he use a Scottish accent.
The cast and crew’s work paid off, though, as the franchise is still going strong over 20 years later. Fans were just recently treated to a Shrek 5 first look, which revealed new character designs for the main character, Donkey and Princess Fiona. Shrek and Fiona’s now-teenage daughter, Felicia (voiced by Zendaya), also appeared in the footage. Fans debated the animation style, with one even “fixing” it and being praised for the tweaks.
It remains unclear as to whether (the deceased) Lord Farquaad will return, though John Lithgow is open to reprising the role. And, should Lithgow rejoin the franchise at some point, I’m sure he’ll be fully aware he’s working on a film — and one that could take years to complete.
Relive all the Shrek fun by streaming the first three films with a Peacock subscription and the fourth with a Max subscription.