I’ll grant Robin Williams in Aladdin, but James Earl Jones was already at least as well known for his voice work as for his screen appearances by the time he did The Lion King. As for An American Tail, well… I guess if you want to consider Dom DeLuise an “A-list” screen actor then who am I to argue.
But even in those examples the actors’ celebrity status generally wasn’t one of the major selling points for the movies. Compare those films’ movie posters to more recent examples, where voice credits are often front and center: “Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in Corpse Bride.” “JACK BLACK is KUNG FU PANDA.”
Heck, the Kung Fu Panda films even cast Jackie Chan in a supporting role. I mean, the guy is an incredible performer and athlete, but he’s hardly one of the most natural picks for a voice performer in an English language film.
