These Side-By-Side Photos Show How 14 Animated Animals Compare With Their Real-Life Counterparts

    Adam Sandler plays a lizard in the new animated Netflix film Leo.

    Joseph Longo
    by Joseph Longo

    BuzzFeed Staff

    On Wednesday, Netflix dropped the trailer for Leo, its upcoming animated film starring Adam Sandler.

    Close-up of Adam in a suit and tie at a media event
    Taylor Hill / WireImage / Getty Images

    The actor voices the titular character, who is a classroom pet lizard longing for more in his life. Tired of dealing with annoying kids, Leo plans to escape — and we'll have to wait until Nov. 21, when the film is released, to see what happens next.

    Leo in a classroom with a student looking sad
    Courtesy Netflix

    It's honestly a pretty adorable trailer. Check it out below:

    View this video on YouTube
    Netflix / YouTube / Via youtube.com

    As with any animated movie about animals, it's always interesting to see how the characters compare with their real-life counterparts, and it looks as if Leo got the lizard look down:

    Leo the lizard and a real lizard
    Courtesy Netflix / Himanshu Sharma/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    So in honor of Adam's new movie, here are 14 times actors played animated animals to great success, including side-by-side photos of the characters and the IRL animals:

    1. Rosalie Chiang voiced Mei, a teen girl who transforms into a red panda, in Turning Red (2023).

    Close-up of Rosalie at a media event
    Monica Schipper / Getty Images

    Here's a side-by-side of Mei and an actual red panda:

    Mei standing up and a red panda on a tree branch
    Pixar / YouTube, Paul Gilham / Getty Images / Via youtube.com

    2. Anthony Ramos voiced Mr. Piranha, a piranha, in The Bad Guys (2022).

    Close-up of Anthony smiling at a media event in a suit
    Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for CinemaCon

    Here's a side-by-side of Mr. Piranha and an actual piranha:

    Close-up of Mr Piranha and a piranha
    Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection, Reinhard Dirscherl / Ullstein Bild via Getty Images

    3. Lin-Manuel Miranda voiced Vivo, a kinkajou, in Vivo (2021).

    Close-up of Lin-Manuel in a bow tie at a media event
    Arturo Holmes / Getty Images

    Here's a side-by-side of Vivo and an actual kinkajou:

    Vivo saying something and a kinkajou eating something
    2021 SPAI / Netflix, Andrew Milligan — PA Images / PA Images via Getty Images

    4. Beyoncé voiced Nala, a lionness, in The Lion King (2019).

    Kevin Mazur / WireImage for Parkwood / Getty Images

    Here's a side-by-side of Nala and an actual lionness:

    Nala and a lionness
    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection, Boniface Muthoni / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    5. Shakira voiced Gazelle, a Thomson's gazelle, in Zootopia (2016).

    Shakira at a media event
    Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images for Fendi

    Here's a side-by-side of Gazelle and an actual Thomson's gazelle:

    Gazelle holding a microphone and a Thomson's gazelle in the grass
    Disney / YouTube, Sergio Pitamitz / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Via youtube.com

    6. Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg voiced Jewel and Blu, two Spix's macaws, respectively in Rio (2011).

    Close-up of Anne and Jesse at a media event
    Lester Cohen / WireImage

    Here's a side-by-side of Blu and Jewel and actual Spinx's macaws:

    Blu and Jewel and Spinx's macaws on a tree branch together
    20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved / Courtesy Everett Collection, Patrick Pleul / DPA/AFP via Getty Images

    7. Anika Noni Rose voiced Tiana, a green frog, in The Princess and the Frog (2009).

    Anika Noni Rose smiling in a strapless gown at a media event
    Axelle / FilmMagic

    Here's a side-by-side of Tiana and an actual green frog:

    Tiana waving and a frog on a tree branch
    Walt Disney Animation Studios / YouTube, Mark Mulligan / Houston Chronicle via Getty Images / Via youtube.com

    8. Lucy Liu voiced Viper, a green tree viper, in Kung Fu Panda (2008).

    Close-up of Lucy smiling in a strapless outfit
    Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images

    Here's a side-by-side of Viper and an actual green tree viper:

    Viper coiled and a tree viper coiled
    DreamWorks Animation / Courtesy Everett Collection, Dominik Gigler / Getty Images

    9. Elijah Wood voiced Mumble, an emperor penguin, in Happy Feet (2006).

    Elijah smiling at a media event
    Kevin Winter / Getty Images

    Here's a side-be-side of Mumble and an actual emperor penguin:

    Mumble in the snow with other penguins and an emperor penguin in the snow
    Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection, Education Images / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    10. Will Smith voiced Oscar, a bluestreak cleaner wrasse fish, in Shark Tale (2004).

    Close-up of Will smiling at a media event
    Steve Granitz / FilmMagic / Getty Images

    Here's a side-by-side of Oscar and an actual bluestreak cleaner wrasse fish:

    Oscar and a bluestreak cleaner wrasse fish
    NBC Universal, Reinhard Dirscherl / Ullstein Bild via Getty Images / Via youtube.com

    11. Zach Braff voiced Chicken Little — a baby rooster, aka a cockerel — in Chicken Little (2005).

    Close-up of Zach at a media event in a suit and vest
    Dominik Bindl / WireImage / Getty Images

    Here's a side-by-side of Chicken Little and an actual cockerel:

    Chicken Little wearing glasses and a cockerel
    Walt Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection, Tim Graham / Getty Images

    12. Chris Rock voiced Marty, a plains zebra, in Madagascar (2005).

    Chris in a bow tie smiling
    Craig Sjodin / ABC via Getty Images

    Here's a side-by-side of Marty and an actual plains zebra:

    Marty speaking and a zebra in the grass
    DreamWorks / Courtesy Everett Collection, Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    13. Alexander Gould voiced Nemo, a clown fish, in Finding Nemo (2003).

    Close-up of Alexander smiling
    Good Morning America / ABC / YouTube / Via youtube.com

    Here's a side-by-side of Nemo and an actual clown fish:

    Nemo swimming and a clown fish swimming
    Walt Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection, Reinhard Dirscherl / Ullstein Bild via Getty Images

    14. Eddie Murphy voiced Donkey, a donkey, in Shrek (2001).

    Eddie in a suit at a media event
    Matt Winkelmeyer / FilmMagic / Getty Images

    Here's a side-by-side of Donkey and an actual donkey:

    Donkey smiling and two donkeys on the grass
    DreamWorks / Courtesy Everett, Harald Lange / Ullstein Bild via Getty Images