The dwarfs are an important part of Disney’s Snow White, although how they have been handled in the live-action remake has proven to be controversial. Directed by Marc Webb, the live-action Snow White cast is led by Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. Between what Rachel Zegler said about Snow White and what has been shown in the trailers, it has been teased that the new version will update certain elements of the classic animated film, particularly when it comes to the titular character’s journey.
With Snow White’s character being updated for the remake, this led to questions about how the movie would approach the seven dwarfs. Disney’s decision to primarily rely on CGI for the depiction of the dwarfs instead of casting actors with dwarfism has been heavily criticized and has become one of the controversies around Snow White. Several well-known actors were cast to voice the dwarfs who will interact with Zegler’s version of the iconic princess.
The Live-Action Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs Actors Include Ted Lasso, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, & No Hard Feelings Stars
There Are Several Familiar Faces Among The Voice Cast
Jeremy Swift, who plays the loyal, humble, and kind Leslie Higgins in the hit Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso, was cast to voice Doc. Bashful is voiced by the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Titus Burgess. In addition to singing in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Burgess has also performed on Broadway and starred in season 2 of the Apple TV+ musical comedy series Schmigadoon!, making him well-suited to the musical elements of the Snow White remake.
Related
When & Where To Stream Snow White
Snow White hits theaters first, but Disney will release it on streaming later. Here’s when and where you’ll be able to stream the live-action remake.
Andrew Barth Feldman, known for his leading role alongside Jennifer Lawrence in the romantic comedy No Hard Feelings, is voicing Dopey. While Dopey does not have dialogue, he does make other sounds, which Feldman will do. Feldman is also the narrator of the Disney live-action remake. The rest of the voice cast for the dwarfs includes Martin Klebba as Grumpy, Jason Kravits as Sneezy, George Salazar as Happy, and Andy Grotelueschen as Sleepy.
Snow White Only Cast One Actor With Dwarfism To Play The Seven Dwarfs
Martin Klebba Is The Only One
Klebba, who is voicing Grumpy, is the only actor with dwarfism cast as one of the seven dwarfs in the live-action Snow White. One of Klebba’s most prominent roles is as Marty, who is a member of Captain Jack Sparrow’s crew in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Marty has been in four of the franchise’s five films so far, with 2011’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides being the only exception. Klebba more recently worked on The Electric State, where he did motion-capture work for the robot Herman, who was voiced by Marvel Cinematic Universe star Anthony Mackie.
The controversy is furthered by the decision to portray the dwarfs via CGI when actors with dwarfism could have been cast alongside Klebba.
Klebba being the only actor with dwarfism cast as one of the seven dwarfs has been controversial. This is largely because the other dwarfs could have been played by other actors with dwarfism and offered powerful representation instead of going to actors like Swift, Burgess, Feldman, Kravits, Salazar, and Grotelueschen. The controversy is furthered by the decision to portray the dwarfs via CGI when actors with dwarfism could have been cast alongside Klebba.
Related
Disney Nearly Made A Very Different Live-Action Snow White Movie 9 Years Ago
As Disney’s live-action Snow White is on the horizon of being released, now is a perfect time to look back on the Snow White film Disney never made.
The controversy of not casting actors with dwarfism has been the subject of discussion prior to Snow White, with another prominent example from recent years surrounding the release of Wonka. The Paul King-directed movie featured Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa. This decision was criticized by George Coppen, who discussed how difficult it is for him and other actors with dwarfism to be offered any roles within the entertainment industry.
How Snow White Made The Seven Dwarfs For Live-Action
CGI Is Only Part Of The Process
As teased in the images and trailers released prior to Snow White‘s theatrical debut, the movie relies heavily on CGI when it comes to the dwarfs. However, CGI is not the only filmmaking technique being used when it comes to bringing the dwarfs into a live-action format. The film also uses a combination of motion capture and puppetry in addition to the CGI, with individuals other than the voice actors doing the majority of this work. As shared by @:iveaction_SnowWhite on Instagram, the voice actors did do some motion capture, though.
The post specifically shows behind-the-scenes images of Swift doing motion capture to play Doc, including an image of motion-tracking dots on his face. There is also an image of Swift kneeling behind the Doc puppet, who is an integral part of translating the character into live-action as well. The images capture the level of detail incorporated into the puppets and solidify how the movie is going beyond traditional CGI. Even though the seven dwarfs are not included in the title of the live-action Snow White, they are still an essential part of the movie.
Source: Instagram
Disney’s Snow White
- Release Date
-
March 21, 2025
- Director
-
Marc Webb
- Producers
-
Callum McDougall, Marc Platt
