Everyone knows who played Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona, but the voice of Prince Charming in Shrek 2 is provided by one of Britain's most acclaimed actors.

The voice of Prince Charming in Shrek 2 is provided by one of Britain’s most acclaimed actors. Released in 2004, Shrek 2 was one of the best-received sequels ever made, with universal critical acclaim to match its predecessor and even more success at the box office. The Shrek sequel also continued to subvert the expectations of fairy tale traditions: after Prince Charming embarked on a daring quest to free the princess from the tower, he was shocked to learn she’d already been rescued by and married her savior – an ogre. Whereas Prince Charming is typically depicted as a hero, he's one of the villains of the Shrek franchise.

The Shrek movies have one of the most star-studded voice casts of any animated franchise. It’s headlined by a trio of A-list icons – Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey, and Cameron Diaz as Fiona – with just as much talent and star power rounding out the supporting cast. Shrek 2 added some new renowned actors to the roster, like Antonio Banderas as the swashbuckling outlaw Puss in Boots and Mary Poppins star Julie Andrews and Monty Python alum John Cleese playing Fiona’s parents. The sequel also brought in a famous British actor to voice the role of Prince Charming.

Prince Charming Is Voiced By Rupert Everett In Shrek 2

Rupert Everett provided the voice of Prince Charming in Shrek 2. It was appropriate to cast a rom-com mainstay in the role of Prince Charming because Shrek 2’s love triangle storyline is ripped straight from a classic romantic comedy plot. Everett reprised the role in Shrek the Third, in which Shrek and Fiona inherit the throne from Fiona’s father and Prince Charming plots to overthrow them and seize the kingdom for himself. Prince Charming is vain, entitled, and self-obsessed, and Everett hilariously leans into all the character’s worst qualities in his vocal performance.

Everett Is Best Known For His Role In My Best Friend’s Wedding

Rupert Everett first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with his role as a gay student at an English public school in Julian Mitchell’s 1930s-set play Another Country, reprising the role for its film adaptation. The movie earned Everett a BAFTA Film Award nomination. He then gained international attention in 1997 for his turn as Julia Roberts’s fake fiancé in the unconventional romantic comedy My Best Friend’s Wedding, which earned the actor a second BAFTA nomination and a Golden Globe nomination. He scored another Golden Globe nod for his performance in 1999’s An Ideal Husband, based on the Oscar Wilde play.

Everett is no stranger to eccentric comedic roles, having played Camilla Fritton in the St. Trinian’s movies and Dr. Claw in Inspector Gadget, but the part of Prince Charming in Shrek 2 marked a departure from his usual type. He tends to play likable, sympathetic characters. His turn as the protagonist’s supportive and compassionate friend in My Best Friend’s Wedding helped to define the “best friend” rom-com archetype. As a reprehensible — albeit very funny — villain, Prince Charming is the polar opposite of the kind of role that Everett is known for. Rather than helping other people, Charming is just interested in helping himself.