With his sizable green stature and thick Scottish accent, Shrek has become an iconic and nostalgic character over the years - however, many have wondered why Shrek has his characteristic accent, and where he got it from. All the surrounding fairytale characters in Far Far Away speak without a Scottish accent, making the titular character's something of a mystery. However, this has an explanation, both in and out of the universe.

In the case of the Shrek franchise, Shrek's Scottish accent was a much-needed addition to the film for character background, historical depth, and individuality. In-universe, the character's somewhat unclear backstory sees him be exiled from his childhood home at the age of seven in Shrek: The Musical, and his journey to find his own swamp could serve to explain why his accent is different to the rest of the assorted Shrek cast. In real-life, Shrek's voice actor Mike Myers pushed for the distinctive voice in order to best establish the character and movie universe.

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Why Shrek Needed A Scottish Accent

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Mike Myers discussed the recording process of the first Shrek with Vanity Fair, and expounded on how fairy tales are, to him, about the class system. Since Myers felt ogres represented the working people, he thought an accent might help that narrative along. He first tried a Canadian accent, representing his own background as a working person. After considering that fairy tales are quite Eurocentric in origin, though, he decided to drop the Canadian accent and push for recording the dialogue in a Scottish accent. With a little encouragement from the film's executive producer Steven Spielberg, the change was made and history solidified a character that would spawn four films and an upcoming Shrek 5.

Shrek's Other Ogres Don't Have Scottish Accents (But It Still Works)

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Until Shrek Forever After, the franchise's fourth film, it was impossible to tell if all ogres were Scottish in the world of Shrek, or if it was a unique trait for the movie's hero. The reveal of the other ogres proved that Shrek's accent was unique, and further emphasized the main character's individual nature, benefitting the movie's storyline, which emphasized Shrek's complicated relationship with being an ogre.

Shrek is a family film that live on in the hearts of its audience as an all-time classic. A big part of that feeling is his lovable yet rugged Scottish accent that Mike Myers used to define Shrek and endear him to so many young viewers. As such, it is nearly impossible to imagine Shrek with a different voice - and that's for the best.

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