13 Facts About Famous Animals Actors (That We Didn't Know That We Needed To Know)
![13 Facts About Famous Animals Actors (That We Didn't Know That We Needed To Know)](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/7/1/789171_320x180.jpg)
An old Hollywood piece of advice for actors is “Never work with animals or kids.” Well, sometimes the animal actors are more beloved and better behaved than their human costars. Say what you want about animals, at least they have an excuse if they decide to ruin a scene by yelling at their fellow castmates. Hell, the dog from Frasier got more fan mail than Kelsey Grammer (which, honestly, isn't too surprising given Grammer's reputation).
But many animal actors have become heavy hitters in Tinsel Town. Some of them even have careers spanning nearly 20 years, working with Hollywood legends such as Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant. Other animal actors got paid better than many of their human costars!
Finding a dog, cat, horse, or monkey that can speak on command, stay still for a shot, or somehow play basketball is a gold mine for various films and TV shows. Here are some facts about some of the most long-standing working animal actors in Hollywood.
![You might recognize Crystal the Monkey from George of the Jungle, Night at the Museum, or The Hangover Part II. The monkey reportedly earned $12,000 per episode of Animal Practice. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/6/4/789164.jpg)
Source: New York Magazine
![Jimmy the Raven was in many famous movies, from The Wizard of Oz to It's a Wonderful Life. the and Any actor would be jealous of his prolific career spanning almost twenty years, sharing the screen with Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/6/3/789163.jpg)
Source: Washington Examiner
![Orangey the Cat had over a decade of acting experience before he was in Breakfast at Tiffany's. The cat was in demand for his ability to sit still. However one executive called him the world's meanest cat, known for attacking human costars. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/6/2/789162.jpg)
Source: Woman's World
![Rin Tin Tin was found by an American solider in France during WWI The puppy was one of only a few dogs to survive the shelling of a kennel. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/6/1/789161.jpg)
Source: NPR
![Mister Ed was played by a horse named Bamboo Harvester YOU AND YOUR There's a gravestone for Mister Ed in Oklahoma that's actually for the body double of Mister Ed, Pumpkin. Bamboo Harvester's ashes were spread in an unknown location. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/6/0/789160.jpg)
Source: KGOU
![The Taco Bell Chihuahua played Bruiser's mom in Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, & Blonde The (arguably insensitive) mascot became a cultural icon, but Taco Bell saw a dramatic loss of sales during the advertising campaign. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/7/0/789170.jpg)
Source: Snopes
![David Schwimmer and Marcel's monkey trainer are in a long-standing feud Schwimmer said the trainer didn't let him bond with the monkey while the trainer accuses the actor of being jealous of the laughs his animal costar got. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/9/789159.jpg)
Source: EW
![The dog who played Toto in The Wizard of Oz earned $125 a week For comparision, the Munchkins were reportedly paid $50 a week. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/8/789158.jpg)
Source: NPR
![The nine dogs who played Lassie all had their own pet dogs so they didn't get lonely All the Lassies have been male descendants of the original Lassie, Pal. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/7/789157.jpg)
Source: Orlando Sentinel
![Eddie from Frasier received more fan mail than any of his human costars Moose the dog also played Skip in 2000's My Dog Skip. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/6/789156.jpg)
Source: BBC
![The whale who played Willy in Free Willy was released back into the wild in 2002. Keiko the whale died from pneumonia a year after his release. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/4/789154.jpg)
Source: NBC
![Buddy, the titular star of Air Bud, was still able to shoot hoops after one of his legs was amputated In addition to Air Bud, the former stray was also in America's Funniest Home Videos and Full House. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/0/789150.jpg)
Source: The Spokesman-Review
![The real name of the cat who played Mr. Bigglesworth in Austin Powers? Ted Nudegent NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/9/789149.jpg)
Source: Telegraph