The 90s provided a golden age of voice acting. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most remarkable vocal performances in animated films of the 1990s.
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00:00 I ain't worth my time, chicken boy.
00:03 Chicken boy?! Say that to my face, ya limp noodle!
00:06 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the top 10 best voice acting performances in 90s movies.
00:14 Three wishes to be exact, and ixnay on the wishing for more wishes.
00:18 For this list, we'll be looking at the most remarkable vocal performances in animated films of the 1990s.
00:25 If we missed any of your favorites, let us know in the comments below.
00:30 Number 10. Jason Alexander as Hugo, the hunchback of Notre Dame.
00:36 Quasi. What's going on out there, a fight? A flagging?
00:38 A festival. You mean a feast of fools?
00:40 Uh-huh.
00:40 Alright, alright! Pour the wine and cut the cheese!
00:44 Jason Alexander made a name for himself on Seinfeld in the early 1990s, playing Jerry's insecure best friend, George Costanza.
00:52 My name is George. I'm unemployed and I live with my parents.
00:56 One of the things that made his character so recognizable was his distinctive voice,
01:00 which you might have noticed pops up in a very famous 90s Disney movie.
01:05 In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Alexander voices Hugo,
01:09 one of the magical stone gargoyles who Quasimodo befriends on top of Notre Dame.
01:14 Ah! Oh, man! I thought he'd never leave. I'll be spitting feathers for a week.
01:19 Though Alexander is typically sullen as George, his Hugo is quite a bright spot in the film,
01:24 providing advice and comfort for Quasimodo in equal measure.
01:28 Paris, the city of lovers, is glowing this evening.
01:32 True, that's because it's on fire, but still there's l'amour.
01:41 With Hunchback, Alexander proves that he can be an affectionate friend, even if it's just with his voice.
01:47 Somewhere out there in the night, her heart is also alight,
01:53 and I know the guy she just might be burning for.
02:00 Now here's one you might have forgotten about.
02:07 1999's Tarzan was the final film released during Disney's Renaissance era.
02:12 While it certainly wasn't the most memorable from that crop of movies,
02:15 it still has an excellent score and wonderful work from its voice cast, which includes Minnie Driver.
02:22 I'm in a tea with a man who talks to monkeys. I can't do this.
02:28 Driver plays Jane, the adventurous Englishwoman who falls in love with Tarzan during her travels.
02:33 No, no, no. I'm Jane.
02:38 No, no, no. I'm Jane.
02:42 Not only did the Oscar-nominated actress give life to Jane with her voice,
02:47 some of her mannerisms were also used in animating the character.
02:50 We'd have a lot of exaggeration, the mouth shapes,
02:52 and her eyebrows would, you know, really drop down to show concern.
02:56 So she was really expressive. So we took that and put it into the design.
03:00 At this point in Driver's career, she's already had tons of charisma and romantic leading lady experience,
03:06 which she brings in abundance to the role of Jane.
03:09 I suppose we should say goodbye.
03:11 Number eight, Meg Ryan as Anastasia Romanoff, Anastasia.
03:16 Anastasia features one of the most stacked casts of any animated film of the 1990s.
03:22 From John Cusack to Kelsey Grammer to Hank Azaria, it's really a who's who.
03:27 By the unholy powers vested in me, I banish you with a curse.
03:35 While we can't deny the comedic evil power of Christopher Lloyd's Rasputin,
03:40 in this case, we've got to go with the titular role.
03:43 Why are you circling me? What were you, a vulture in another life?
03:46 I'm sorry, Anya.
03:47 It's Anya.
03:49 Meg Ryan's performance of the Anastasia character
03:52 feels like it could have been pulled straight from any of her live action romantic comedies.
03:56 Dimitri, do you really think I'm royalty?
03:58 You know I do.
03:59 Then stop bossing me around.
04:02 Ryan's Anastasia is feisty, funny, and strong.
04:06 In short, she's everything a young girl could want in a leading lady.
04:10 I found what I was looking for.
04:12 I found out who I am.
04:14 I found you.
04:16 Pair that speaking performance with Liz Calloway's incredible singing stylings,
04:20 and you've got yourself a princess for the ages.
04:23 Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an ember,
04:31 things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember.
04:49 1998's The Prince of Egypt has a way more star-studded cast than you might remember.
04:55 Be still.
04:55 Pharaoh speaks.
04:58 Beyond Val Kilmer as Moses himself,
05:01 you've got Sandra Bullock and Jeff Goldblum as Moses' siblings, Miriam and Aaron, respectively.
05:06 Please Moses, you must believe.
05:08 That's enough.
05:08 You were born of my mother, Yocheved.
05:10 Stop it.
05:11 You are our brother.
05:12 Now you go too far.
05:14 Not to mention Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart, Danny Glover, and Michelle Pfeiffer.
05:19 We could go on, but among that incredible lineup,
05:22 one actor stands out for his impeccable embodiment of the villain, and that is Ralph Fiennes.
05:28 I am the morning and the evening star.
05:31 Ramesses, it shall be as I say.
05:34 Fiennes voices Ramesses, Moses' adoptive brother and eventual adversary.
05:39 The English actor is menacing in the role,
05:42 but also brings a certain empathy to his performance that might be lost with a lesser-skilled actor.
05:48 I bear the weight of my father's crown.
05:51 Do you still not understand what said he was?
05:53 He was a great leader.
05:57 And to think he does all of that with just his voice.
06:00 I do not know this God.
06:02 Neither will I let your people go.
06:05 Ramesses, please, you must listen.
06:08 I will not be the weak link.
06:10 Number six, Susan Egan as Megara, Hercules.
06:14 Hercules is another one of those Disney movies.
06:17 Where it seems like every name involved is a big one.
06:20 So instead of subtracting two years from your sentence,
06:22 hey, I'm gonna add two on, okay?
06:24 Give that your best shot.
06:26 James Woods brings just the right amount of sleazy villain to Hades.
06:30 And who doesn't love Danny DeVito as grumpy old Phil?
06:33 Yeah, I had a dream once.
06:35 I dreamed I was gonna train the greatest hero there ever was.
06:39 So great, the gods would hang a picture of him in the stars.
06:43 But for as many household names as were in the cast,
06:46 there were actors like Susan Egan, who may have had lesser recognition,
06:50 but even more skill.
06:51 Let's see, what could be behind curtain number one?
06:54 Meg.
06:55 Egan was primarily a Broadway actress before landing the role of Meg.
06:59 And that probably explains the professional level of theatrics in her performance.
07:03 I'm no hero.
07:05 Sure you are.
07:06 Everybody in Greece thinks you're the greatest thing since they put the pocket in PETA.
07:09 With more than enough sass to go with that Disney princess sweetness,
07:13 Egan proves that she's indeed the belle of the voice acting ball.
07:17 Congratulations, Wonder Boy.
07:19 You'll make one heck of a god.
07:21 By the late 90s, Eddie Murphy was already one of the biggest stars in the world.
07:30 From his run on Saturday Night Live to a slew of hilarious 80s comedies,
07:34 he certainly was a gift to viewers around the world.
07:37 Did you hear someone ask for America?
07:40 Let me hear you say "Ahh!"
07:42 Ahh!
07:43 That's close enough!
07:44 But in 1998, a Disney movie introduced him to a whole new audience.
07:48 Of course, I'm travel-sized for your convenience.
07:51 If I was my real size, your cow here would die of fright.
07:54 Down, Betsy.
07:56 In Mulan, Murphy voices the role of Mushu,
07:59 a small dragon who attempts to prove his worth by guiding the titular character
08:03 as she joins the army under a guise.
08:05 Punch him.
08:06 It's how men say hello.
08:08 Murphy provides some great comedic relief,
08:10 but also showcases a softer side as Mulan's helper.
08:13 You risked your life to help people you love.
08:15 I risked your life to help myself.
08:17 At least you had good intentions.
08:20 Mushu is, without a doubt, one of the best sidekicks in the Disney canon.
08:24 Just remember, dragon, not lizard.
08:27 Ready, Mushu?
08:28 I am ready, baby!
08:31 Like me!
08:38 In 1994, a host of Hollywood and theater legends
08:42 joined forces to bring us one of the greatest animated films of all time.
08:46 What am I going to do with him?
08:47 He'd make a very handsome throw rug.
08:50 Sazul.
08:50 The Lion King features a slew of amazing performances
08:54 from the likes of Rowan Atkinson to Nathan Lane.
08:57 If you live with us, you have to eat like us.
08:59 And James Earl Jones.
09:01 We are all connected in the great circle of life.
09:05 But if there's one thing this phenomenal cast proves,
09:08 it's that good guys really never win
09:11 because it's the villain who completely steals the show.
09:14 Long live the king.
09:16 Even Darth Vader himself will be impressed with Jeremy Irons as the evil Scar.
09:23 What have you done?
09:27 They were wildebeest and tried to save me.
09:31 It was an accident.
09:33 The character design of Scar is slinky and suspicious,
09:37 and Irons perfectly matches his vocal tics to that blueprint.
09:40 It's voice acting at its finest,
09:43 and we couldn't be more grateful to be spectators of it.
09:46 Did it so they can hear you.
09:48 I killed Mufasa.
09:52 When you have such wonderful songs from the likes of Howard Ashman
10:02 and Alan Menken, you need the vocal talent to match.
10:05 We'll be human again by midnight.
10:07 Oh, it's not that easy, Lumiere.
10:09 These things take time.
10:10 So it makes sense that so many of the cast members of Beauty and the Beast
10:15 come from the world of Broadway.
10:16 Theater legend Jerry Orbach certainly proves his worth
10:20 during Lumiere's rendition of Be Our Guest.
10:23 ♪ Go on, unfold your men ♪
10:25 ♪ You take a glance and then you'll be our guest ♪
10:28 ♪ We are guest, be our guest ♪
10:31 But the inherent warmth Angela Lansbury brings to Mrs. Potts
10:35 cannot be overstated.
10:36 ♪ With dessert, she'll want tea ♪
10:38 ♪ And my dear, that's fine with me ♪
10:40 Her jovial British accent and motherly demeanor
10:43 bring just as much comfort to us as they do to Belle.
10:46 That was a very brave thing you did, my dear.
10:48 We all think so.
10:50 But I've lost my father, my dreams, everything.
10:54 Cheer up, child.
10:55 It'll turn out all right in the end.
10:58 And Beauty and the Beast would be nothing
11:01 without her masterful delivery of the titular song.
11:04 ♪ Tale as old as time ♪
11:06 ♪ Song as old as rhyme ♪
11:09 ♪ Beauty and the Beast ♪
11:11 Number two, Tom Hanks as Woody.
11:15 Toy Story, a buddy comedy but make it animated.
11:18 Toy Story broke barriers when it premiered in 1995.
11:22 However, we don't think it would have been quite as successful
11:25 if it wasn't for the stars at its helm.
11:28 My fault?
11:29 If you hadn't pushed me out of the window in the first place.
11:30 Oh, yeah.
11:31 Well, if you hadn't shown up your stupid little cardboard spaceship
11:35 and taken away everything that was important to me.
11:37 Tim Allen is perfect as Buzz Lightyear,
11:40 but Tom Hanks as Woody took whatever expectations we had
11:43 and just outright shattered them.
11:45 Hey, a laser.
11:46 How come you don't have a laser, Woody?
11:48 It's not a laser.
11:49 It's a little light bulb with blinks.
11:52 What's with him?
11:52 Laser envy.
11:54 Hanks is such an important piece of casting in the movie,
11:57 partly because of his uncanny ability to make us root for characters
12:00 we might otherwise dislike.
12:02 Why would Andy want me?
12:04 Why would Andy want you?
12:05 Look at you.
12:07 You're a Buzz Lightyear.
12:08 Any other toy would give up his moving parts just to be you.
12:12 Woody's particular brand of orneriness somehow adds to his charm
12:16 and we all have Hanks to thank for it.
12:18 You just can't help but love that grouch,
12:20 no matter how much he grinds your gears.
12:23 I've set my laser from stun to kill.
12:25 Oh, great, great.
12:26 Yeah, and if anyone attacks us, we can blink them to death.
12:29 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
12:33 Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Princess Atta, a Bugs Life.
12:38 This comedy queen shows her vocal prowess as the miniature princess.
12:42 Battle stations, everyone.
12:43 This is common ground.
12:45 Come on, everyone.
12:46 You know your job.
12:47 Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington, the Nightmare Before Christmas.
12:52 He's the mayor of our hearts.
12:54 And Halloween Town, of course.
12:55 Ha, ha, fantastic.
12:57 Now, why don't you all practice on that and we'll be in great shape.
13:01 Sally, I need your help more than anyone.
13:05 Susan Sarandon as Miss Spider, James and the Giant Peach.
13:09 Sarandon spins an intricate web of a performance using just her voice.
13:14 Everything we did was part of the brilliant plan of James.
13:18 It really did work, didn't it?
13:21 Tim Curry as Hexus, Fern Gully, The Last Rainforest.
13:26 Leave it to Tim Curry to bring life to an evil pollutant.
13:29 Vin Diesel as the Iron Giant, The Iron Giant.
13:48 Vin Diesel has always had a heart of gold.
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14:19 Number 1. Robin Williams as the Genie, Aladdin.
14:23 Throughout the 1990s, there were only so many projects that didn't feature Robin Williams,
14:28 from live action to the world of animation.
14:31 And while he might have lent his voice to other animated films,
14:42 such as 1992's Fern Gully, The Last Rainforest, nothing can top him as the Genie in Aladdin.
14:49 10,000 years will give you such a crick in the neck.
14:53 Williams lays the blueprint of how vocal acting should be.
14:57 Just be yourself.
14:58 And this is not just the nostalgia talking.
15:01 Everything about the performance is just downright amazing.
15:04 The way he delivers comedic gem after comedic gem,
15:12 combined with his genuine warmth, make this an all-time great,
15:15 especially for a family-friendly movie.
15:17 "And what better way to make your grand entrance on the streets of Agrabah,
15:21 than riding your very own grand little camel!"
15:24 We certainly will never forget how special Williams was,
15:27 as he immortalized himself with performances like this.
15:31 "Wish for something outrageous. Say, 'I want the Nile.'
15:33 Wish for the Nile. Try that."
15:34 "Uh, I wish for the Nile."
15:36 "No way!"
15:36 Do you agree with our picks?
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15:50 [music]