Enchanted is packed with Disney references, and some lesser-known Easter eggs include cameos by actors who formerly voiced Disney princesses.
Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey nailed the leading roles in Enchanted, but the film also featured some discreet cameos from former Disney voice actors. Part parody and part tribute to iconic princess tropes, Enchanted premiered in 2007 as a blend of musical, fantasy and rom-com genres, featuring both live-action and traditional Disney animation. The film was generally well-received, and an Enchanted sequel is now in the works, titled Disenchanted.
Enchanted is centered around Giselle (Adams), an archetypal princess who is forced out of her animated fairytale land of Andalasia into real-life New York City. Though Giselle was infatuated with her classic prince charming, Edward (James Marsden), she is cared for and eventually falls in love with a divorce lawyer named Robert (Dempsey). After overcoming the villain, a sorceress from Andalasia who pursues Giselle into the real world, Giselle and Robert begin their happily ever after by the film’s conclusion.
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Enchanted made Adams a leading lady and gave fans another reason to swoon over Grey’s Anatomy’s “McDreamy” star Dempsey, but the rest of the cast list includes some familiar names who lent their voice acting skills to classic Disney films. The film contains endless Disney references; some surface-level allusions include a poisoned apple (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) and the sorceress transforming into a dragon (Sleeping Beauty), whereas other details are less noticeable, such as a restaurant being named Bella Notte in reference to the song from Lady and the Tramp. The cameos, however, may be the film’s best Easter eggs.
The Little Mermaid
Jodi Benson, who is the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, has an on-camera role in Enchanted. Benson plays Sam, Robert’s secretary at the law firm. Giselle is introduced to Sam when Robert brings the stranded princess to work and enlists the help of his secretary to get her back home. In a follow-up scene where Giselle is admiring the office fish tank and Sam explains to Robert that she can’t figure out where Giselle came from, the melody from “Part of Your World“ from The Little Mermaid can be faintly heard in the background.
Beauty and the Beast
There is a scene where Edward is flipping through TV channels in the hotel room, and a former Disney voice actor is portraying a soap opera star. Paige O’Hara voiced Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and she plays Angela in the soap opera that Edward pauses to watch. The soap opera music is also the song “Beauty and the Beast” rearranged. In a more obscure Beauty and the Beast reference, Angela is arguing with a character named Jerry, and Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach voiced Mrs. Potts and Lumiere, respectively, in the animated classic.
Pocahontas
Judy Kuhn provided the singing voice to Pocahontas in the animated film, and she also has a brief cameo appearance in Enchanted. Kuhn’s character is a pregnant mother and a tenant in Robert’s apartment building, and Edward accidentally stumbles upon her door instead of Robert’s as he searches for Giselle. In a subtly humorous moment, Kuhn answers the door with her three children, sees Edward’s lavish prince outfit, and tells him that he’s “too late,” implying that prince charming and a happily ever after aren’t in the cards for her.
Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty
In addition, Ilene Woods (the voice of Cinderella) and Mary Costa (the voice of Aurora in Sleeping Beauty) both make a brief appearance as guests at the ball. Idina Menzel, who played Robert’s girlfriend Nancy, later went on to lend her voice acting and singing talents to the iconic role of Elsa in Frozen and Frozen 2. With so many Easter eggs in Enchanted, Disney fans are undoubtedly eager to see what Disenchanted will have to offer.
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