Since its inception, from competing head-to-headwith Disney movieswith its earliest releases such asAntz,The Prince of Egypt,andThe Road To El Dorado, to its work in creating some of the world’s most successful movie franchises includingShrek,How To Train Your Dragon,Boss Baby,Trolls,MadagascarandKung Fu Panda,DreamWorks Animationhas managed to leave an indelible mark on the world of animation as it continues to put out hit movies.
Update July 10, 2025: With many new DreamWorks Animated film releases likePuss in Boots: The Last Wish,Ruby Gilman: Teenage Kraken, and the upcomingTrolls Band Together, this article has been updated with even more great voice performances from the animated studio.
Carving out its own niche early on, which involved cutting-edge animation and family-friendly movies that appeal to adults just as much as children, DreamWorks is one of the most highly regarded animation studios in the world. Arguably, one of the most successful aspects of the studio is the almost flawless ability to cast the perfect actors to bring its characters to life. From an extensive alphabet of actors that consists of Hollywood A-listers from Will Smith and Brad Pitt to Patrick Stewart and Ralph Fiennes, we’ve chosen the finest voice performances in DreamWorks Animation Movies and ranked them.
15Wanda Sykes – Stella (Over the Hedge)
Certainly not the most memorable DreamWorks movie, but a commercial and critical hit nonetheless, 2006’sOver the Hedgehad an all-star voice cast featuring Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, and William Shatner, among others. It wasWanda Sykes, however, and her portrayal of Stella, the short-tempered and sassy skunk, that really stood out. While not stepping too far out of her comfort zone, as Sykes can certainly be the queen of sass when she wants to, it was a great casting that suited her to a tee and resulted in some of the funniest moments of the movie.
Loosely based on a children’s book series of the same name written by Aaron Bradley,The Bad Guysis a movie set in a world where anthropomorphic animals and humans coexist together, and there, a notorious robber and pickpocket named Mr. Wolf and his crew comprised of ‘scary animals’ are infamous criminals who pull off heists. When a change of heart strikes the big bad wolf, he tries to sway his gang to become ‘good guys’ instead.
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The character of Mr. Wolf is voiced bySam Rockwell,who was really able to pull off his charming and suave persona. The other voice actors in the movie, such as Akwafina (Ms. Tarantula), Marc Maron (Mr. Snake), and Zazie Beetz (Diane Foxington), also did a great job in the movie but being the center of it all, Sam Rockwell’s voice as their leader and gateway driver Mr. Wolf really pulled it all together.
13Mel Gibson – Rocky Rhodes (Chicken Run)
DreamWorks teamed up with the creators ofWallace and Gromitto create this laugh-out-loud stop-motion masterpiece loosely based on the iconic 1963 movieThe Great Escape… except with chickens.Mel Gibsonperfectly voices Rocky, an uber-cool American circus rooster who crash-lands on the coop and agrees to help the imprisoned chickens escape. Universally acclaimed,Chicken Run’s meticulous attention to detail, clever humor, and thought-provoking plot make it not only one of Dreamwork’s best titles but one of the best animated movies of all time.
A sequel, titledChicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,is set to air on Netflix in December 2023. Yet Gibson will not be reprising his role due to his past controversy. He will instead be replaced by actor Zachary Levi.
12Sacha Baron Cohen – King Julien (The Madagascar Franchise)
One of the most iconic characters who has appeared in most of the movies in theMadagascarfranchise is King Julien, a ring-tailed lemur who is also the king of the jungle. He is an eccentric character and has been voiced by multiple actors across movies and series, all with their own unique flare. But the one actor who has left the most lasting impression in the hearts of the audience wasSacha Baron Cohen, who originally gave voice to the character. Cohen helped immortalize the character of King Julien not only in TikTok sounds but also in our hearts.
11Will Ferrell – Megamind (Megamind)
Filled with talented actors such as Brad Pit, Tina Fey, and Jonah Hill, the 2010 movieMegamindstands out among the other movies with the redeemed villain turns hero trope. But the main attraction of the movie is the character of Megamind, a supervillain who turns into a hero when the city needs him to, voiced by none other thanWill Ferrell.The character of Megamind is very lovable, even as a villain but especially as a hero. He is charismatic, smart, and dedicated. Not only did Will Ferrell bring such an iconic character to life, but he also immortalized him in the eyes of the audience.
10Anna Kendrick — Poppy (Trolls)
During the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, it seemed like every kid owned awhacky haired troll doll, but for many younger children, their first introduction into the world ofTrollswould have been via DreamWorks 2016’s animated musical comedy. Starring an eclectic mix of singers and actors, including Justin Timberlake, James Corden, Russell Brand, Gwen Stefani, and John Cleese, it wasAnna Kendrickin the lead role of Princess Poppy that really stole the show. The role gave her the perfect opportunity to showcase both her singing and acting abilities and perfectly matched the upbeat and fun vibe of the movie.
9Annie Murphy – Chelsea (Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken)
You might knowAnnie Murphyfrom the sitcomSchitt’s Creek,in which she played the role of the iconic Alexis Rose. But in the 2023 DreamWorks movieRuby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,she plays the role of Chelsea, also known as Nerissa, a deranged mermaid who at first appears to be a friend of Ruby the Kraken but reveals her true colors later in the movie.
The movie also stars Lana Condor in the role of Ruby, Toni Collette as Ruby’s mother, and Jane Fonda as Ruby’s grandmother, who also did a great job in bringing the movie to life. But Annie Murphy’s voice really stands out in the movie as she goes from a supportive friend to the main antagonist of the movie. She steals the show in thiscriminally underrated film.
8Antonio Banderas — Puss in Boots (Shrek Franchise)
Shrekwas somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, and a sequel was inevitable, but to keep it fresh, DreamWorks decided to throw in a few new characters, the most notable being Puss in Boots. Voiced byAntonio Banderas, Puss quickly became a fan favorite. He was inspired by the title character of the fairy talePuss in Bootsbut clearly based on Banderas’ own portrayal of Zorro fromThe Mask of Zorro, released six years prior.
Related:Best Voice Acting Performances from A-List Actors, Ranked
The character’s success led to a spin-off movie, naturally titledPuss in Boots, which focuses on Puss and his swashbuckling adventures in the land of Far, Far Away. The movie further developed Banderas’ character and gave us a thoroughly enjoyable action adventure comedy movie.
7Chris Rock — Marty (Madagascar Franchise)
TheMadagascarmovies have no shortage of talented voice actors to choose from when compiling a list of this nature, including Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac, and Alec Baldwin. All are worthy of honorable mentions, but it’sChris Rockand his high energy, laugh-out-loud portrayal of the hyperactive zebra Marty that really stole the show and provides many of the franchise highlights.
6Jude Law – Pitch Black (Rise of the Guardians)
One of the most iconic yet often forgotten movies from DreamWorks has to beRise of the Guardians, which came out in 2012 and had a star-studded cast comprised of Chris Pine, Hugh Jackman, Peter Ramsey, and Alec Baldwin. Even among all of this talent, the main antagonist of the movie Pitch Black, voiced byJude Law, stood out.
In the movie, Pitch Black is shown as a creature of the darkness who feeds on the fear of people and is able to threaten the existence of other mythical creatures such as the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus. Jude Law’s voice was able to cast a shiver down the spine of the audience and truly makes for a great villain.
