Who Plays Chicken Little? The Complete Cast Behind Disney’s First Fully CGI Film

Ever found yourself watching that adorable little chicken running around screaming about the sky falling and wondered, “Who’s the voice behind that panicky fowl?” Well, I’ve been there too! After rewatching Chicken Little with my niece last weekend, I got super curious about the talented folks who brought these characters to life Let’s dive into everything you need to know about the cast of Disney’s 2005 animated hit

The Voice of Chicken Little: Zach Braff

The star of our show, the adorable little rooster who thinks the sky is falling, is voiced by none other than Zach Braff. Yep, the same guy from “Scrubs”! When I first learned this, I was like, “Wait, really? JD is Chicken Little?” But when you think about it, it makes perfect sense – Braff has that perfect blend of nervousness and determination that makes Chicken Little so endearing.

According to the production notes, Braff beat out around forty other actors for this role! Director Mark Dindal was impressed by how Braff “pitched his voice slightly to sound like a junior high kid” during auditions, which gave him that unique sound that was perfect for our feathered hero.

Fun fact: Chicken Little was originally conceived as a female character with Holly Hunter providing the voice for about eight months before Disney decided to change the character to male. Can you imagine how different the movie might’ve been?

The Supporting Cast: Chicken Little’s Friends and Family

Chicken Little wouldn’t be the same without his quirky group of friends and family members Here’s who played them

Buck “Ace” Cluck (Chicken Little’s Dad)

Garry Marshall voices Buck Cluck, Chicken Little’s widowed father and former baseball star. Marshall, known primarily as a director, brought a warm fatherly presence to the role. Interestingly, Marshall once mentioned in an interview, “I said I don’t do voices. You want a chicken that talks like me, fine.” And that straightforward approach worked perfectly!

Before Marshall was cast, several big names were considered including James Earl Jones, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Willem Dafoe. Just imagine Darth Vader as Chicken Little’s dad!

Abby Mallard (The Ugly Duckling)

Joan Cusack voices Abby Mallard, Chicken Little’s best friend (and eventual girlfriend) who’s nicknamed “The Ugly Duckling.” Cusack brings such wonderful awkward charm to the character with her buck teeth and unique personality.

The character was originally written as a male character named the Ugly Duckling and was supposed to be voiced by Sean Hayes, but was later rewritten as female. Other actresses considered for the role included Jamie Donnelly, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jodie Foster, Laura Dern, Geena Davis, and even Madonna!

Fish Out of Water

Dan Molina voices Fish Out of Water, the goldfish who wears a helmet filled with water so he can breathe on land. Molina wasn’t just the voice actor – he also served as the film’s editor! Talk about a multi-talented guy.

Runt of the Litter

Steve Zahn brings his signature nervous energy to Runt of the Litter, the large pig who, despite his size, is much smaller than the other members of his family. Zahn’s anxious, high-strung performance makes Runt one of the most memorable characters in the film.

Other Notable Voice Actors in Chicken Little

The talent doesn’t stop with the main characters. Check out these other amazing voice actors who helped bring Oakey Oaks to life:

• Amy Sedaris as Foxy Loxy, a mean fox who’s a baseball star and one of the “popular kids” at school
• Mark Walton as Goosey Loosey, a dimwitted goose and Foxy Loxy’s best friend
• Don Knotts as Turkey Lurkey, the not-so-bright turkey mayor of Oakey Oaks (this was actually one of Knotts’ final film roles before his passing)
• Patrick Stewart as Mr. Woolensworth, Chicken Little’s teacher
• Wallace Shawn as Principal Fetchit
• Fred Willard as Melvin – Alien Dad
• Catherine O’Hara as Tina – Alien Mom
• Patrick Warburton as Alien Cop
• Adam West as Ace – Hollywood Chicken Little
• Mark Dindal (the director himself!) as Morkubine Porcupine and Coach

Fun Facts About the Cast and Production

Here are some interesting tidbits I discovered while researching this article:

• Director’s Double Duty: Director Mark Dindal not only directed the film but also provided the voices for Morkubine Porcupine and the Coach.

• From 2D to 3D: For this film, Disney selected 50% of its 2D animation staff and put them through an intensive 18-month training program with Industrial Light and Magic to learn 3D animation.

• Changing Direction: The original concept for Chicken Little was dramatically different! It was initially about a female chicken (voiced by Holly Hunter) who went to summer camp to reduce her anxiety and repair her relationship with her father. At camp, she would uncover a nefarious plot that her camp counselor (who was to be voiced by Penn Jillette) was planning against her hometown.

• Milestone Movie: Chicken Little was Disney’s first fully computer-animated feature film. While Dinosaur (2000) had computer animation, it also used live-action backgrounds, making Chicken Little the first to be completely CGI.

• A Feathered Star: The final character design for Chicken Little featured an ovular egghead shape with oversized glasses, constructed of 5,600 polygons, 700 muscles, and more than 76,000 individual feathers (with 55,000 just on his head!).

The Box Office Success

Chicken Little opened at #1 at the box office, making it the first Disney animated film to do so since Dinosaur. It grossed $40 million in its opening weekend and went on to earn $314.4 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing animated film of 2005 (behind Madagascar).

This success was particularly important for Disney at the time because their partnership with Pixar was nearing its end, and they needed to prove they could create successful CGI films on their own.

Critical Reception

I gotta be honest here – critics weren’t exactly clucking with joy over Chicken Little. The film received mixed reviews, with many critics feeling that Disney put more effort into the technical aspects than the storytelling.

On Rotten Tomatoes, only 37% of critics gave positive reviews. However, audiences were more positive, giving the film an average grade of “A-” on CinemaScore. My personal opinion? It’s a fun, silly movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously – sometimes that’s exactly what you need!

Legacy and Impact

Chicken Little holds a special place in Disney animation history as their first fully computer-animated feature. It also marked a transition period for the studio, being the last Disney animated film produced under the name Walt Disney Feature Animation before the studio was renamed Walt Disney Animation Studios.

The film was released in Disney Digital 3D in some theaters, making it the first film to be released in this format.

Disney had planned to create a direct-to-video sequel titled “Chicken Little 2: The Ugly Duckling Story,” which would have involved Chicken Little getting into a love triangle between Abby and a beautiful newcomer, a French sheep named Raffaela. However, when John Lasseter became Disney Animation’s chief creative officer, he cancelled all the sequels that were in development at Disneytoon, including Chicken Little 2.

Additionally, Walt Disney Television Animation was developing an animated series based on the film for Disney Channel, but the project was passed over in favor of Phineas and Ferb.

Wrapping It Up

So there you have it – everything you wanted to know about who played Chicken Little and the talented cast behind this landmark Disney film. It’s fascinating to see how these actors brought their characters to life and how their performances contributed to this milestone in Disney’s animation history.

Whether you’re a long-time fan of the film or just discovered it recently, knowing the faces behind the voices adds a whole new dimension to the viewing experience. Next time you watch Chicken Little running around warning everyone that the sky is falling, you’ll know that it’s Zach Braff behind that anxious little voice!

Oh, and if you’re curious about other animated films and their voice casts, stay tuned to my blog – I’ve got tons more fascinating deep-dives coming up soon!

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The actor who voiced Ace, the “Hollywood” version of Chicken Little in the 2005 Disney film Chicken Little, was the late Adam West.

The voice actor for Runt of the Litter in the 2005 film Chicken Little is Steve Zahn. Zahn is a well-known actor who also voiced other characters and roles in various films.