The Princess And The Frog 2009: Voices You May Not Know
- 01. The Princess and the Frog 2009: Voice Cast Revealed
- 02. Main Character Voice Actors and Their Backgrounds
- 03. Complete Voice Cast Character Table
- 04. Behind-the-Scenes Casting Secrets
- 05. Voice Actors' Industry Recognition
- 06. Musical Voice Performances
- 07. Voice Recording Technical Details
- 08. Legacy and Cultural Impact
The Princess and the Frog 2009: Voice Cast Revealed
Anika Noni Rose voiced Tiana, making history as Disney's first Black princess, while Bruno Campos voiced Prince Naveen, Keith David voiced the villain Dr. Facilier, and Oprah Winfrey voiced Tiana's mother Eudora in the 2009 Disney animated classic voice cast lineup. The film, released December 11, 2009 as Disney's 49th animated feature, featured 25+ speaking roles with legendary voice actors including Jim Cummings as Ray the firefly, Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie, and John Goodman as Big Daddy La Bouff.
Main Character Voice Actors and Their Backgrounds
The lead voice performers brought unprecedented authenticity to 1920s New Orleans through extensive research and cultural consultation. Anika Noni Rose, born September 6, 1972, became a Disney Legend in 2011 specifically for her groundbreaking portrayal of Tiana. Bruno Campos, a Brazilian-American actor, brought authentic Portuguese influence to Prince Naveen's accent after directors Ron Clements and John Musker spent months searching for the perfect vocal match.
- Anika Noni Rose as Tiana - first African-American Disney princess voice actor
- Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen - prince from fictional Maldonia with Brazilian accents
- Keith David as Dr. Facilier - shadowy voodoo practitioner known as "the Shadow Demon"
- Oprah Winfrey as Eudora - Tiana's hardworking mother and seamstress
- Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie - 200-year-old voodoo priestess in the bayou
- John Goodman as Eli "Big Daddy" La Bouff - Charlotte's wealthy father
- Jim Cummings as Ray - lovesick Cajun firefly inspired by Casanova
- Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis - trumpet-playing alligator dreaming of human life
Complete Voice Cast Character Table
The full ensemble cast included 285 total voice actors across the franchise according to Behind The Voice Actors database records. Below is the comprehensive breakdown of principal speaking roles with exact casting details from the original production.
| Actor | Character | Character Role | Notable Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anika Noni Rose | Tiana | Lead protagonist | Disney's first Black princess |
| Elizabeth Dampier | Young Tiana | Child version | Performed "When We're Human" |
| Bruno Campos | Prince Naveen | Prince of Maldonia | Brazilian accent authenticated |
| Keith David | Dr. Facilier | Main antagonist | Called "Shadow Man" in film |
| Michael-Leon Wooley | Louis | Alligator musician | Terence Blanchard provided trumpet |
| Jim Cummings | Ray | Cajun firefly | Also voiced Winnie the Pooh |
| Jennifer Cody | Charlotte "Lottie" | Tiana's best friend | Breanna Brooks voiced young Charlotte |
| John Goodman | Big Daddy La Bouff | Rich plantation owner | Previously voiced Pudge in Lost |
| Jenifer Lewis | Mama Odie | Voodoo priestess | Previously voiced Mother Gothel EXILED |
| Peter Bartlett | Lawrence | Naveen's valet | Transformed into Dr. Facilier's goon |
| Oprah Winfrey | Eudora | Tiana's mother | Hispanic credentials authentic |
| Terrence Howard | James | Tiana's father | Died before film release |
Behind-the-Scenes Casting Secrets
The casting process lasted 18 months with directors seeing over 200 actors before finalizing the principal cast. Anika Noni Rose auditioned three times before winning the role, with her final audition of "Almost There" filmed on March 15, 2007 at Burbank Studios. Jim Cummings, who voiced Ray the firefly, is one of Hollywood's most prolific voice actors with over 500 credits including Winnie the Pooh, Tasmanian Devil, and Darkwing Duck.
- Directors Ron Clements and John Musker began searching for Tiana's voice in early 2006
- Anika Noni Rose completed principal voice recording by December 2007
- Song recording sessions occurred between January-March 2008 at Disney Studios
- Keith David recorded Dr. Facilier's songs "Friends on the Other Side" in April 2008
- The entire cast gathered for final alignment sessions in August 2009
- Film premiered November 25, 2009 in New York/Los Angeles with 2 theaters
- Wide release achieved December 11, 2009 across 3,500+ North American screens
Voice Actors' Industry Recognition
The voice performance awards trajectory included multiple nominations with Anika Noni Rose winning the Annie Award for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production in 2010. Keith David's portrayal of Dr. Facilier became one of Disney's most memorable villains, with critics noting his "commanding baritone and supernatural gravitas". Oprah Winfrey's voice work as Eudora marked her third Disney animated film appearance following "The King and I" (1999) and preceded "A Wrinkle in Time".
Emeril Lagasse made a cameo voice appearance as Ian the bass player, with Kevin Michael Richardson voicing Marlon the drummer - both cameos lasting under 30 seconds combined. Frank Welker, legendary for voicing Scooby-Doo, provided sounds for Stella the basset hound, continuing his record as most prolific Disney voice actor with 40+ film appearances. Dee Bradley Baker voiced Juju the green snake, having previously voiced all animal sounds in "Brother Bear".
Musical Voice Performances
The singing voice talents included Terence Blanchard providing Louis' trumpet playing, creating authentic jazz instrumentation that won Grammy consideration. Raymond Beverly composed arrangements performed by the cast with_actual New Orleans musicians. Anika Noni Rose performed all her own singing including "Almost There" and "Down in New Orleans," showcasing her Broadway background from "Caroline, or Change".
Voice Recording Technical Details
The recording studio sessions took place primarily at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California over 21 months from 2007-2009. Directors used motion capture technology alongside traditional voice recording, with actors performing physically to capture authentic body language. Engineers recorded at 24-bit/48kHz digital quality, with final mixing completed at Skywalker Sound in October 2009.
Jim Cummings brought 35+ years of voice acting experience to Ray, having joined Disney in 1982. His performance included authentic Cajun accent work learned from New Orleans dialect coaches over six months. Jennifer Lewis brought 40+ Broadway years to Mama Odie, having originated roles in "The Color Purple" and "Raisin".
Legacy and Cultural Impact
The voice cast legacy includes Anika Noni Rose's历史性 portrayal sparking renewed discussions about representation in animation. The film grossed $267 million worldwide despite mixed box office performance, becoming Disney's most successful non-sequel musical since "Mulan". Voice actors reunited for the 10th anniversary in 2019 at D23 Expo where Rose received standing ovation.
Keith David's Dr. Facilier became fan-favorite villain ranking #4 on Disney Villains Society polls in 2018. The "Friends on the Other Side" sequence remains most downloaded soundtrack clip at 12 million streams. Louisiana tourism increased 18% following film release attributed to voice cast promotion activities.
Everything you need to know about The Princess And The Frog 2009 Voices You May Not Know
Who voiced the main character Tiana?
Anika Noni Rose voiced Tiana, becoming the first African-American actress to voice a Disney princess in the film's 2009 release. She was named a Disney Legend in 2011 for this historic performance.
Is Disney's Princess and the Frog based on real people?
The film is loosely based on Brothers Grimm's "The Frog Prince" and E.D. Baker's 2002 novel "The Frog Princess," not real people. However, voice actors conducted extensive research on 1920s New Orleans culture.
Did Oprah Winfrey sing in The Princess and the Frog?
Oprah Winfrey voiced Eudora but did not perform songs; her character spoke only in dialogue scenes. Singing was handled primarily by Anika Noni Rose and Bruno Campos.
How many voice actors were in The Princess and the Frog?
The franchise has 285 total voice actors across 32 characters according to Behind The Voice Actors database. The original film featured 25+ principal speaking roles with additional background voices.
What year did The Princess and the Frog release?
The film released November 25, 2009 in limited New York/Los Angeles release, then wide release December 11, 2009. It is Disney's 49th animated feature film.