Dogpool, Deadpool and Wolverine. Before being cast, mixed-breed pug Peggy was famously “Britain’s ugliest dog”. Her off-beat looks landed her the part. Peggy started out shy, but adjusted quickly to life on set, revelling in the attention she was getting. We love a diva in the making. And that meet-cute when she and Deadpool see each other for the first time? Pure cinema.
Eli, Killers of the Flower Moon. Martin Scorsese’s film, based on a series of murders within a wealthy Native American tribe, had an A-list star cast. But even they agreed that Elisheva, or Eli, was the main character. The Eurasian eagle owl beat five others to the part. She was such a natural, she improvised the scene in which she flies directly into the camera. It gave everyone on set the chills.
Snoop, Anatomy of a Fall. Messi, the French Border Collie, trained for two months for the role of Snoop. He had to learn to loosen his limbs, act lethargic, and let his tongue loll out to appear poisoned, which he did to perfection. Everyone on set teared up at the scene, says director Justine Triet. Such a good boi.
Frodo, The Quiet Place: Day One. The chonky black-and-white kitty almost seems out of place in the horror movie. He looks almost bored by the apocalypse. But he’s the one we’re most terrified for. Two cat actors, Schnitzel and Nico (both social media influencers) took turns to play Frodo. At first, Lupita Nyong’o, who played Sam, was so terrified of them, she asked the director to use dogs. Now she has a kitty of her own. Perfect.
Handsome, Maine Pyar Kiya. That snowy dove from the song Kabutar Ja, Ja, Ja holds half the love story together. Bhagyashree, who played love-struck Suman, developed a bond with the bird, who kept returning to her side instead of flying to Salman to deliver the letters. Handsome even made a savage comeback in the climax, taking out the villain. A true wingman.
Cheddar, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The Pembroke Welsh corgi has won a Halloween Heist, wears booties in the snow, and once chewed Kevin’s turtlenecks, turning them into regular necks. He’s been played by several dogs over the series. As a fan phrased it, “Every scene with Cheddar is a good scene”. Raymond Holt’s entire personality was being Cheddar’s owner. As it should be.
Cat, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. We had to include the classic. The floofy orange tabby, Audrey Hepburn’s pet, was simply named Cat in the film. IRL, he was Orangey, and already had a decade of acting experience when he got cast. You know what that means. Orangey was a total diva, leaping out of character when the scenes ended, hiding on set to escape work. In his defense, he was thrown out of a cab in the rain in one scene. Couldn’t they have used a plushie or something?
Steven Seagull, The Shallows. First of all, 14/10 for the name. His real name is Sully, he outshone Blake Lively in this movie and was called the breakout movie star of the summer in 2016. The role involved accompanying Lively as she fights off sharks, marooned on a tiny rock. Director Jaume Collet-Serra called him the “Marlon Brando of seagulls” because he knew when the camera stopped filming. What a cool guy.
Dexter, Night At The Museum. Crystal, a tufted capuchin monkey, has a resume that outshines most stars. She’s been in George of the Jungle, Malcolm in The Middle, Garfield: The Movie, The Big Bang Theory, and made her Bollywood debut in Total Dhamaal. But as Dexter in the Night At The Museum movies, she’s at her best: Chaotic and distracting. She even slaps Ben Stiller, who’s joked about how he dislikes working with her.
Toto, The Wizard of Oz. Terry was cast in the 1939 film after the director turned down hundreds of dogs. The Cairn Terrier was a fighter. She already knew how to chase people on command, catch apples. And she hit it off immediately with Judy Garland, the most important test. Ultimately, Toto was the one who exposed who the Wizard really was. She became so famous after the film released that her owners kept the name Toto.
