Movie Musings: Disney and More

Shakespeare’s Love for Disney

On December 11th, 1998, Miramax Studios and Universal Studios released the movie, Shakespeare in Love, to limited theaters. The film was nationally released on January 8th, 1999. The movie was a success critically, publicly and financially, and won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Several of the cast members of “Shakespeare in Love,” have intriguing connections to the Walt Disney Studios. 

Gwyneth Paltrow received the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance as Viola De Lesseps in “Shakespeare in Love.” Prior to that, Paltrow starred in the Touchstone Pictures film Duets (1995) and she currently plays Virginia “Pepper” Potts in Marvel’s Iron Man Franchise (2008-2013) and The Avengers (2012).

Geoffrey Rush received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination for his performance as Philip Henslowe in “Shakespeare in Love.” In 2003, Rush portrayed Captain Hector Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and voiced Nigel the Pelican in Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo. Rush has reprised his role as Barbossa for each of the “Pirates,” sequels Dead Man’s Chest (2006), At World’s End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011), and will do so again for the upcoming 5th installment in the “Pirates” series, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).

Judi Dench won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her 8-minute performance as Queen Elizabeth I in “Shakespeare in Love.” Dench provided the voice of Mrs. Calloway the Cow in Home on the Range (2004), is the current narrator for Spaceship Earth at Epcot in Walt Disney World, and she also made a cameo as a wealthy woman in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” (Dench also reunited with “Shakespeare in Love,” director, John Madden for the movie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)).

Tom Wilkinson played Hugh Fennyman in “Shakespeare in Love.” For Disney, Wilkinson played Latham Cole in The Lone Ranger (2013). Like Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson also starred in “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” 

Colin Firth portrayed Lord Wessex in “Shakespeare in Love.” Firth voiced Fred, Ebenezer Scrooge’s nephew in Disney’s 2009 adaptation of A Christmas Carol and is currently attached to star in the upcoming sequel to Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins Returns (2018). (Firth also reunited with Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech (2010) which earned them both Oscar Nominations for their performances; Firth for Best Actor and Rush for Best Supporting Actor. Firth won.)

Imelda Staunton played the role of the Nurse in “Shakespeare in Love.” Staunton voice the Tall Flower Faces in Disney’s live-action adaptation of Alice in Wonderland (2010) and played Knotgrass in Maleficent (2014). Staunton played Delores Umbridge in the Harry Potter film series (2001-2011). 

Rupert Everett played Christopher Marlowe in “Shakespeare in Love.” For Disney, Everett played Dr. Claw in Inspector Gadget (1999) and voiced the fox in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005).

Mark Williams acted the role of Wabash in “Shakespeare in Love.” Williams played Horace in Disney’s live-action adaptation of 101 Dalmatians (1996). Like Staunton, Mark Williams played Mr. Arthur Weasley in “Harry Potter.”

“Shakespeare in Love,” is currently #50 on American Film Institute’s list of 100 Passions. The film also received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (Paltrow also received a SAG Award and a Golden Globe Award for performance. Dench was nominated for both awards, but lost. Dench did, however, receive a British Academy Film Award for her performance.) In nearly two decades since its release “Shakespeare in Love,” remains a great achievement for each of the actors who were in it, as well as its team of producers, Harvey Weinstein, Edward Zwick, Marc Norman, David Parfitt, and Donna Gigliotti.