Worf as Weasel and other tidbits

Heavy Metal

I discovered two fun facts this weekend; two noteworthy actors, Micheal Dorn and Christian Bale, did a bit of voice acting for popular animated movies/series. In these cases, they were projects which were unexpected moves by both actors. It was not because the projects were bad or anything along those lines; rather, think of it as a fun surprise to see them involved in the movies/series. So, to complete this list, I looked around to find famous actors and their little known voice acting ventures.

Michael Dorn

WorfYou know him from a number of projects. After all, he was the president in Heroes. But, for hardcore fans, Dorn will always be known as Lt. Worf from the Star Trek: Next Generation series. Alright, so he was in other Trek series as well but, so far, I've only made my way through TOS and Next Gen. Can you guess the movie that featured a bit of voice acting by Dorn? Why, he was Weasel from the Cow and Chicken show!

Christian BaleChristian Bale

He needs no introduction; man was last seen as good old bat-ears. And he has done a number of voice-over bits for various projects. So why is this a big surprise, you ask? Well, did you know he was in Pocahontas? You know, the Mel Gibson love story with snippets of Colors of the Wind? Bale was making a name for himself in those days so he seemed to have a cameo in this movie. The American Psycho actor played Thomas, the 'I'll take a bullet for you' friend of Capt. John Smith.

John Rhys-Davies

You have to know him, come on! This one's for the sake of young ones out there – Rhys-Davies was none other than Gimli from Lord of the Rings. He has been part of several big Hollywood ventures and is certainly is a familiar face for the 30-plus folks. Scifi fans will also remember him as Prof. Arturo from Sliders. Now which animated show(s) am I linking him to, you wonder? Would you believe, Spongebob SquarePants? He did the voice of Manray in two episodes. But more to the point, I was pleasantly surprised that he did the voice of Aladdin's father in Prince of Thieves. How about that?

David Hyde Pierce

David Hyde PierceNo big surprise here either. Pierce has a distinct voice and was an absolute delight with his comic delivery on Frasier. Hence, is it a surprise to find him nabbing a few voice acting projects? The movie in question is not any of his recent ventures. Oh no, it's Bug's Life! Can you remember that cute, feel-good movie about a tiny creature making a difference in his community? Guess who was Slim?

Eugene Levy

If you don't know him, for shame! Alright, while he has done his part for a vast number of famous projects – some of which, I might add, are not exactly the most classy flicks – I would say that he is most famous, within niche groups, for his smaller ventures. Amongst other shows, I associate Levy with Greg the Bunny, that quirky comedy show which portrays the fluffier side of muppet life. And yes, I know Levy has been part of quite a few animated shows. But I am focusing on one in particular – Heavy Metal. Bet you didn't see that coming!