Shrek: Fun Facts You Didn't Know

Shrek is a big green ogre who lives alone in a swamp. He is not a typical hero, but people all over the world love him. The first Shrek film came out in 2001. Here are some fun facts about it.

It Started as a Book

Before Shrek was a film, he was the hero of a picture book for children. The American writer and artist William Steig made it in 1990. The book is very short, and the Shrek in it is much uglier! The film tells a new and much longer story.

Two Voices for Shrek

At first, the comedian Chris Farley was the voice of Shrek. He recorded almost all of the lines, but he died in 1997, before the film was finished. Then Mike Myers got the role. He recorded all the lines, watched the film and had a new idea: Shrek should speak with a Scottish accent. So he recorded everything again, and some scenes had to be animated again too.

Donkey and Fiona

Eddie Murphy is the voice of Donkey, Shrek's funny friend who never stops talking. Cameron Diaz is the voice of Princess Fiona. Fiona has a big secret: every night, she turns into an ogre.

The First Oscar of Its Kind

In 2002, the Oscars had a new prize: Best Animated Feature, for the best animated film of the year. Shrek was the first film to win it. It beat two other films, Monsters, Inc. and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

What Does "Shrek" Mean?

The name comes from Yiddish, a language of Jewish people from Central and Eastern Europe. In Yiddish, "shrek" means "fear". In German, the word "Schreck" means almost the same. It's a good name for a monster, but this monster has a kind heart.

Shrek became so popular that more films, a musical and a lot of memes followed. Not bad for an ugly green ogre!