who plays the role of rapunzel in tangled
Mother Gothel Growing up a fan of Disney films, Murphy had never wanted to play a princess, preferring characters who were adventurous and "drove the action" instead.[6] In the actress' opinion, villains continue to be the most dynamic characters in Disney films. Describing the opportunity to voice a Disney villain as a "juicy" experience, Murphy explained that this is because these characters are "not bound by ethics or moral codes or concern for what someone thinks or how it might hurt someone else", providing actors with more freedom.[6] Upon her first session, Murphy appreciated the directors for exposing her to early concepts and ideas about Gothel.[10] However, Murphy was not provided with a complete script because "They’re very protective about that."[5] Murphy was directed to lower the pitch of her voice in favor of demonstrating a rather "flat" sound.[6] Although Murphy did not base her own performance on any one individual in particular, she admitted to Babble that she was somewhat inspired by Betty Lou Gerson's performance as Cruella de Vil in Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961).[7] Comparing voice acting to Broadway, Murphy commented that, in animation, "You’re recording and you’re discovering it and giving the performance all at the same time. It’s not like you have three weeks rehearsal."[6] Additionally, Murphy never worked with co-star Mandy Moore, voice of Rapunzel; instead, Murphy revealed that scenes with Gothel and Rapunzel were actually recorded opposite one of the directors impersonating Moore,[4] who also explained to Murphy that Gothel's design will continue to evolve as the character begins to adapt the actress' mannerisms.[10] Howard enthused that Murphy "nailed" Gothel, admitting to ultimately using 90% of the actress' original material and takes because "The character just came right to life when she came in."[4]