Chris Farley originally voiced Shrek in newly unearthed story reel...but role was recast due to his untimely death
In addition to being a towering green swamp monster, Dreamworks' Shrek is known for his cynical Scottish accent, voiced by Mike Myers.
But Myers and his ogre voice, which is so familiar to fans of the franchise today, wasn't the studio's first choice for the job.
An unearthed clip surfaced on Wednesday, showing a story reel of the late Chris Farley in the titular role as he has a heartfelt conversation with Eddie Murphy's Donkey.
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What could've been: Chris Farley, who died at the age of 33, was originally tapped to play Shrek as shown by a newly surfaced clip; the actor is seen here in 1997 just months before his lethal overdose
Rough sketch: The clip shows a story reel of Farley interacting with the film's other lead character Donkey, who is voiced by Eddie Murphy
The video was released shortly after the debut of the documentary I Am Chris Farley, which charts the life and career of the late actor.
In 1997 Farley died of a drug overdose while at the peak of his career and working on the animated film Shrek.
Kevin Farley, Chris's brother who appears in the documentary, spoke to Yahoo about the unearthed clip: 'Originally the Shrek character was a little bit more like Chris, like a humble, bumbling innocent guy.'
Although rough and merely a sketch, the clip was the first time that Kevin Farley (and most of the world) had heard Chris's take on the giant green ogre.
The poignant scene depicted in the clip remained very similar as it made its way into the 2001 Shrek film; the main difference being Meyers' voice rather than Farley's.
It shows the unlikely duo sitting by a fire and having an intimate chat. After Donkey's prodding, Shrek opens up, revealing that while he may be a monster, he has feelings, too.
Taking the reins: After Farley's death, Mike Myers took over the role of Shrek with a Scottish brogue
Chris had recorded nearly all of the dialogue necessary for the film before his 1997 overdose. But the studio had planned on making the film into a series, so they re-casted, choosing Farley's fellow SNL alum, Meyers.
'I understand why [they replaced him],' Chris's brother told Yahoo with no lingering resentment towards Dreamworks.
'The studio needed to do what they needed to do,' Kevin continued. 'It was a bad time, bad timing… a tragedy. Mike did a great job with Shrek. He knocked it out of the park.'
Legendary: Farley is remembered as one of comedy's greatest and most vibrant personalities; the actor is seen here with his Tommy Boy co-star David Spade in 1995 on Jay Leno
Tragic: Farley is seen here in 1993 with his SNL co-star Phil Hartman, another comedian who met a tragic end
Along with archived footage, the recently released documentary features interviews with family and fellow industry elite.
Everyone from Chris's brothers to his co-stars – Adam Sandler, David Spade, Mike Myers, and more – honor the legendary comedian.
I Am Chris Farley is in theaters now and premieres on August 10 on Spike TV at 9 pm.
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