The voice talents that brought this memorable movie to life.

	Tony Goldwyn - Tarzan Tony Goldwyn, the talented actor/director (who directed Miramax's, A Walk on the Moon), enjoyed doing the part of Tarzan.  He found it to be one of the most  interesting and challenging of anything he's done in his career.  "Doing an animated voice like this is an acting experience like no other and a great exercise for an actor," he commented, "you don't have sets or costumes so you have to really let your imagination take over."
	Minnie Driver - Jane Minnie Driver (Circle of Friends, The Governess and Good Will Hunting) says doing the voice of Jane has been one of her all-time favorite jobs.  "I knew what I wanted Jane to be from the start," she said, "She's [Jane] very adventurous, funny and gutsy and I like those qualities in women."  Driver gave a whole new spin to the traditional role of the Jane character, and directors let her improvise and create her.
	Rosie O'Donnell - Terk Rosie O'Donnell, one of the most popular television talk show hosts (The Rosie O'Donnell Show), brings Terk, Tarzan's playful prankster and loyal gorilla friend, to life.  When she read the script she was thrilled with the touching story about family and adoption, and loved Terk's tough yet heart-warming character.  Being a life-long fan of Disney's animation, it didn't take too much to talk her into accepting the part. "I'm thrilled!  It's great fun to finally be in one," she said.
	Rosie insisted that she have a song to sing.  Luckily Phil Collins had already written, Trashin' the Camp, which is made for Rosie's character.  "I love the Disney musical legacy and really wanted to be a part of it," recalls Rosie.  "Recording with Phil was fun and a bit overwhelming. After the first take, Phil said, 'Alright Rosie, it's very nice but it's a bit under and we've got to get it in pocket.' I said, 'Okay, sure' but I didn't have a clue what he meant. Where's the pocket? It was like a foreign language to me.  I just kept saying "yes", and doing it over and over again for about 45 takes."
	Glenn Close - Kala Actress Glenn Close is best known for her Disney role as Cruella De Vil in the live action movie, 101 Dalmations.  Providing the tender and loving voice of Kala, the gorilla who adopts Tarzan, was a new and rewarding experience for Close.  "What's lovely about Kala is that she's a strong mother figure," she explains.   "The twist here is that the child is an aberration, but she still protects him and teaches him that his worth is on the inside.  That's a beautiful message for any child."
	Lance Henriksen - Kerchak Actor Lance Henriksen (The Terminator, and Aliens) has an excellent voice for the powerful and protective patriarch of the gorilla family, Kerchak.   He recalls, "After they showed me a drawing of the character, I felt compelled to try to do the physical movements.  And I quickly realised that I was a very weak gorilla." Henriksen added, "There's nothing quite like doing an animated film. It's a beautiful process filled with exciting surprises."
	Wayne Knight - Tantor Comedian actor Wayne Knight (3rd Rock From the Sun, Jurassic Park, and Space Jam) is the voice and personality of Tantor, Tarzan's nervous elephant pal.  Knight loves doing animations and has a solid animation career.  "As an actor, you're always critiquing how you perform and how you look.  Here, it's not me at all and I can watch it without worrying about things and saying 'Why did you do that?'"  Listen for Knight in Disney's upcoming animation, Toy Story 2, as the evil toy.
	Brian Blessed - Clayton Real-life adventurer Brian Blessed (scaled Mt. Everet and Mt. McKinley), and actor, gives the villian, Clayton his intimidating voice.  His dimples, big teeth and great smile had an influence on supervising animator Randy Haycock as he was designing the character.  "This project has been pure magic," Blessed commented. "Seeing Randy draw me as Clayton was the most magical moment of my life. The animation becomes a gateway to an inner reality."
	Nigel Hawthorne - Porter Actor Nigel Hawthorne (The Madness of King George) gives the giddy voice to Professor Porter, Jane's good-natured and dotty daddy.  He's always loved Africa and wildlife so putting these qualities into Porter was not too difficult for him. "My responsibility on the film was to try and create a believable character. The only way to do this is to press the boundaries as far out as you can possibly go. If you don't exeriment, you end up with something rather dull," Hawthorne advises.
	Alex D. Linz - Young Tarzan One of the most sought after young actors, Alex D. Linz (One Fine Day, and Home Alone 3), gives the 5-year-old Tarzan, who tries to fit in with his animal pals, his energetic voice. "I especially liked having to make all those animal sounds when Tarzan is trying to imitate jungle noises," Linz says. "And the storyboards help you picture what the action is going to be like."  When he's not acting or doing voices Linz enjoys what other 10-year-old kids like - football and playing video games.

[Tarzan] [Production] [Gallery] [Review] [Cast] [Creators] [Artists]

Vicki Tracy is editor of Animation Artist magazine. Joe Tracy is the publisher and director of marketing for Animation Artist magazine.

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