Shrek is an oversized, solitude-loving, ogre who first appeared in the movie of the same name in 2001. Mike Myers provides the voice of Shrek. Other actors in the computer-animated comedy include,
Eddie Murphy,
Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Shrek was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson.
The film was based on the 1990 fairy tale picture book by William Steig. Shrek was the first film to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It was greeted to much critical acclaim upon its release. It was followed by two sequels; Shrek 2 in 2004, and
Shrek the Third in 2007.
Plans are underway for a third sequel tentatively titled Shrek Goes Fourth. The name Shrek is derived from the German word "schreck" which means "terror." Another possible source for the name is the Yiddish word that means "fear." Shrek was acknowledged as the 8th best animated film according to the American Film Institute.
