Puss In Boots: The Last Wish: Why Jack Horner Sounds So Familiar
"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" is chock full of cold-hearted characters who have quickly become fan-favorite baddies amongst DreamWorks' catalog. And one of the literal biggest within the film is none other than Big Jack Horner.
Horner may truly be an irredeemable monster, but that's precisely why fans love him so much. In the fairytale world of "The Last Wish," Horner, who is based on a character from the 18th-century nursery rhyme "Little Jack Horner," is regarded as a dreaded crime lord who seeks to gain all the world's magic for himself. The feared pastry chef and pie business owner has never been one to be afraid of playing dirty when he has to — or even when he doesn't. The character's complete lack of remorse for his never-ending list of atrocities makes him both an intimidating and hilarious antagonist at the same time, helping him further stand out from the other more straightforward threats within the film.
Much of Jack Horner's twisted appeal can be attributed to his voice actor John Mulaney. Mulaney is no stranger to making folks laugh, as the Chicago native has contributed his acting and writing talents to such shows as "Saturday Night Live" and "Kroll Show," as well as his own projects such as "Mulaney" and the Emmy-winning special "John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City." But if you have the ear for it, you're bound to catch his voice in some other notable animated projects.
Mulaney hopes to see more of Spider-Ham
Big Jack Horner could very well be described as a pig, but perhaps John Mulaney's first animated movie role deserves that title even more. Whether you call him Spider-Ham or Peter Porker, this Spider-Man variation, first introduced in the 1983 Marvel one-shot "Marvel Tails Starring Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham," became a beloved addition to 2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse."
Spider-Ham is one of several alternate Spideys to make their way to Miles Morales' (Shameik Moore) universe. Porker's past life saw him as a spider whose life was changed after being bitten by a radioactive pig. Since then, he's balanced life as a photographer for the Daily Deagle and a cartoony crime fighter. Mulaney's distinct vocals helped sell Porker's goofy personality in both "Spiderverse" and the short film "Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham," but the actor believes the character still has some more mileage.
While it doesn't appear that Spider-Ham will be back for the upcoming sequel "Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse," that hasn't stopped Mulaney from pushing for the pig's return elsewhere. "[Spider-Ham] is a fun guy who is capable of great rage," Mulaney told Variety in a 2018 interview. "To go see him back at the Daily Deagle — I could see a Watergate-like story at the Deagle where he's both a reporter and Spider-Ham by night." Similarly, "Spiderverse" producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller have also expressed interest in seeing more shorts featuring the character.
He helped bring back a nostalgic Disney character
Following his time on "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse," Mulaney lent his vocal talents to another fan-favorite franchise for the Disney + film "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers." The crime comedy acts as a continuation of the 1989 animated series of the same name, this time seeing the titular chipmunk duo reunite to investigate the bizarre kidnapping of a number of cartoon characters.
Mulaney voices Chip, who, following their show's end, works as an insurance salesman who is happy to leave his old days in the past. This leads to clashes with his former co-star throughout the film, as Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) attempts to get Chip to find the will to want to live on the edge once again. Mulaney's voice is unmistakable, but his silliness is replaced with a fittingly more snarky approach this go-around. The film itself went on to become a surprise hit for the streamer, garnering an 80% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes while also winning an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie.
He reunited with Nick Kroll for Big Mouth
Since 2017, John Mulaney's voice has given life to Andrew Glouberman in the far-less kid-friendly animated Netflix series "Big Mouth." Glouberman and Nick Birch (voiced by Nick Kroll) have been friends since childhood and are now experiencing dilemmas with their ever-changing bodies.
Glouberman's case is especially difficult. Puberty hit Glouberman like a truck, and Maury the hormone monster (voiced by Kroll), is constantly urging the growing teen to pleasure himself in even the worst scenarios. It doesn't help that what he finds attractive can range far and wide, from Nick's sister Leah (voiced by Kat Dennings) to butt-shaped tomatoes to cat clocks. On top of this, Glouberman doesn't reside in the most supportive of households. His father, Marty (voiced by Richard Kind), gives Andrew never-ending headaches with the nonstop complaining aimed toward his son.
Mulaney's energy matching so well with the outlandish nature of "Big Mouth" perhaps shouldn't be a surprise. Both he and show creator Nick Kroll have worked with each other extensively in the past on projects such as "Kroll Show" and the comedy act "Oh, Hello on Broadway."