Before Mike Myers landed the role of the decade as Shrek, Dreamworks had its eyes on another celebrity, Chris Farley. The SNL star got the part and almost completed recording the dialogue for his character. Farley recorded 85 percent of his lines before his untimely passing in 1997. With the role incomplete, Dreamworks had to improvise.
In light of Farley's passing, the studio set out to recast him. They held auditions, eventually leading to Mike Myers sitting in the hot seat. We all know it ended with Myers taking on the role, later voicing the character in several installments, but it didn't happen as easily as one may think.
According to the Austin Powers actor, when he sat down with the Shrek team to discuss the part, he asked if Chris Farley originally had it. They vehemently denied as much, never admitting to the prior casting. Oddly enough, the team presented Myers with a bust—a clay mockup of Shrek—that gave away their original intention. Most of the early sketches have clear hints of Farley in them. There's also an unfinished animation of Farley's Shrek opposite Eddie Murphy's Donkey, and even the incomplete art in that clip looks like Farley. The studio team probably refrained from showing Myers the unfinished animation. Of course, in the years since, he's likely watched it.
The video features Shrek and Donkey having one of their late-night chats by the fire. Donkey is trying to get his friend to open up, except Shrek has zero intention of talking about his emotions. He wants Donkey to "drop it," but the latter persists until he makes a breakthrough. Shrek finally opens up, dropping some serious knowledge. He reveals that his parents created a sheltered view of the world for him—one that came crumbling down after leaving the swamp.
There's a bit more in the unfinished animation, though the important takeaway is the design was obviously molded to Farley. You can check it out below.
For anyone interested in the Shrek that never came to be, he was also distinctly different from Mike Myers' incarnation. While the two versions evolved from repressed individuals to more emotionally mature individuals, Farley's take seemed to feel the brunt of his past more. Myers' Shrek always carried himself with a sense of aloofness, which allowed for levity. Farley, though, gave the impression that he constantly endured emotional pain, hiding it to protect his feelings. And, said inclination explains why Donkey getting Shrek to speak up is a breakthrough for him.
Differences aside, the fact that Dreamworks tried to sell Myers on Shrek after molding the character around Farley is a little humorous. The studio team should've known that word would get out about who initially landed the role, especially since the pair are SNL alums. Being cast on the same show doesn't mean they would've been talking, but comedians are known for staying in touch, and with SNL being a bridge, there's an even greater chance that Myers brought up the character in conversation. Even if the pair was never in contention for the part simultaneously, it's not farfetched to think they'd talk about auditions, castings, movie roles, etc.
Shrek is currently streaming on Peacock.