Shrek: 15 Facts About the Green Meanie

In belated disrespect to the Irish and St. Paddy’s Day, we’re celebrating the true green icon of America, the Scottish giant, Shrek. Here’s hoping if we all kind of agree, we can make Shrek a St. Paddy’s Day character for next year, like leprechauns or drunk Bostonians.

As we all know, ogres are like onions – they have layers, and they can make us cry. And just as ogres like the green man himself have layers, so does the production behind the film. Many other actors were considered for the role before Mike Myers took it, from Chris Farley to Nic Cage (we can only imagine what a glorious film a Nic Cage led Shrek would have been). Then there’s the characterization of the, well, character. Initially, Shrek was a friendly chap, but thanks to Myers’ input, he was transformed into the grumpy frog monster who just wants his swamp left alone that we all know and love today. Here are some more fun facts about Shrek.