11 Actors Who Successfully Brought Disney Characters To Life

It can be difficult to successfully portray cartoon characters that were loved by millions of people. Luckily, there are always talented actors who look like they belong to fairy tales. Some examples of famous people who have excelled in this area include Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Helena Bonham Carter as Fairy Godmother, and Emma Watson as Belle.
Even though they are the most talented actors, portraying well-known cartoons always has some challenges. For example, Angelina Jolie admitted in an interview that it took her a long time to perfect Maleficent's voice; to do so, she tried 17 different accents with the support of her children. Or, since practicing laughing in front of people makes Emma Stone feel uncomfortable, she had to spend a lot of time practicing in the shower while playing Cruella.
We've compiled a list of 11 actors and actresses who excelled at portraying memorable cartoon characters and compiled some of their quotes regarding these significant parts. Which of these actors did you think did the best job of convincingly portraying a cartoon character?

#1 Alexander Skarsgård as Tarzan/John Clayton in The Legend of Tarzan

Source: © Tarzan/Walt Disney Pictures, © Dark Horse Entertainment/Jerry Weintreub prod/Riche Prod/Vil / A/East News

By taking on this role, the actor claimed he was trying to please his father. “That’s pretty much the only reason I wanted to do the movie — to make my father happy. That’s how I was introduced to Tarzan, kind of fell in love with the character and the jungle by watching those movies with my dad when I was a kid.”

#2 Angelina Jolie as Maleficent in Maleficent

Source: © Sleeping Beauty/Walt Disney Productions, © CAP/RFS/Capital Pictures/East News

The actress admitted in one interview that it took her a long time to perfect Maleficent's voice, and her children helped her in doing so. “The accent and everything about her was discovered when I was giving my kids baths. I think I tried 17 different things on them. They would say, ‘What are you doing? Mom, stop talking so weird.’ One day I just got really nutty and did [the voice] and they fell over laughing. I did it all night long and I finally found it.”

#3 Emma Stone as Estella/Cruella in Cruella

Source: © Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection/East News, © Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection/East News

Emma described how she practiced in the shower a lot because laughing in front of people is uncomfortable: “There was a lot of practicing in the shower because it’s actually embarrassing to practice laughing in front of people. [...] The laugh is a very vulnerable thing to do in front of anybody else because if it’s wrong, you don’t want someone to go like, ‘That’s your Cruella laugh?’ It’s a process!”

#4 Emma Watson as Belle in Beauty and the Beast

Source: © Beauty and the Beast/Walt Disney Pictures, © MANDEVILLES FILMS/WALT DISNEY PICTURES / Album/EAST NEWS

In one of her interviews, Emma said this about playing Belle: “I think that I just feel really lucky. For me, Belle was my childhood heroine; [the animated original] came out 2 days after I was born. And then, in my early teens, it was about idolizing Hermione. So to be given the chance to play my 2 childhood idols is probably a very unique and rare experience for an actress.”

#5 Helena Bonham Carter as Fairy Godmother in Cinderella

Source: © Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection/East News, © WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS / Album/EAST NEWS

The actress said, “Unfortunately I can’t transform things, like pumpkins into vehicles. But the scattiness and the absent-mindedness definitely. I mean she’s obviously magical and slightly not there — and a lot of the time I’m slightly not here.”

#6 Helena Bonham Carter as Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland

Source: © Alice in Wonderland/Walt Disney Productions, © East News

The actress admitted that it surprised her when Tim Burton suggested she take on this role: “It was like a proposal of marriage. [...] It was a complete surprise! I know people think it’s disingenuous when I say that, but it’s true. They won’t understand this, but each time [he has a film], I truly don’t expect Tim to ever want to work with me again.”

#7 Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland

Source: © Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection/East News, © East News

The actor replied, “Tim Burton and I, early on, were talking about how this guy was actually made up of different people and he would be the extreme sides of these people," when asked why his character occasionally speaks with a Scottish accent. ''So, I wanted to go extremely dark and dangerous with the Scottish accent. I hope I arrived at it. I like wearing skirts too [laughs]!” She added.

#8 Lily Collins as Snow White in Mirror Mirror

Source: © Album Online/East News, © Everett Collection / Everett Collection/EAST NEWS

Snow White was the actress' childhood favorite fairy tale, and when she first heard about the project, she immediately said, “Snow White was my favorite fairy tale [growing up], and when I first read about the project, I was like, ‘I have to get in on this.’ It’s such an iconic character.”

#9 Lily James as Cinderella in Cinderella

Source: © Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection/East News, © Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection/East News

The blue dress the actress wore on set made her fall in love: “I felt completely transformed. And that’s what fairytales are all about: transformation. When I put that dress on, I felt like I could be a princess.”

#10 Mia Wasikowska as Alice in Alice in Wonderland

Source: © Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection/East News, © 0070056/Reporter/East News

The actress said, when asked if she resembled Alice, “I hope so. I don’t know. [...] I feel like the things that she goes through are similar to what I’ve felt at some stage in my life and that I think a lot of people, young women, feel also.” Alice in Wonderland talking flowers are also extremely popular.

#11 Naomi Scott as Jasmine in Aladdin

Source: © Aladdin/Walt Disney Pictures, © CAP/RFS/Capital Pictures/East News

When she was younger, the actress admitted she enjoyed the character of Jasmine: “I loved that character. She was my favorite Disney princess and she made me feel empowered. She spoke up, she wanted to fight for the choice to marry. But in our movie, she’s way more active.”