Lord Farquaad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lord Farquaad |
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| Shrek character | |
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| First appearance | Shrek (2001) |
| Last appearance | Thriller Night (2011) |
| Created by | Ted Elliott Terry Rossio Joe Stillman Roger S. H. Schulman |
| Voiced by | John Lithgow (Shrek, Shrek 4-D) Andre Sogliuzzo (Shrek Smash n' Crash Racing) Sean Bishop (Thriller Night) |
| Information | |
| Species | Human, halfling (musical) Ghost (after his death) |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Ruler of Duloc (formerly) |
| Title | Lord |
Lord Maximus Farquaad is the main bad guy, or antagonist, in the 2001 animated movie Shrek. He also appears in Shrek 4-D and the musical. The famous actor John Lithgow provides his voice. Interestingly, Lord Farquaad was not in the original picture book by William Steig.
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Lord Farquaad in the Shrek Films
His Role in Shrek (2001)
Lord Farquaad is the very short but powerful ruler of a perfect kingdom called Duloc. He wants everything to be just right. His birthday is on April 15.
Farquaad tries to get rid of all the Fairy Tale creatures in his land. He offers a reward for anyone who captures them. But to become a true king, Farquaad needs to marry a princess. He decides that Princess Fiona would be his ideal wife and queen. However, Fiona is trapped in a tall tower, guarded by a scary, fire-breathing dragon.
Farquaad doesn't want to rescue Fiona himself. So, he holds a big tournament to find a brave knight for the job. Shrek and Donkey arrive in Duloc during this tournament. They want Farquaad to remove the fairy tale creatures from Shrek's swamp.
Shrek and Donkey end up winning against the knights. Because of this, Farquaad chooses Shrek to rescue Fiona. Farquaad promises to move the creatures out of Shrek's swamp. He also agrees to give Shrek the official paper, or deed, to the swamp. This would stop anyone else from living there.
Shrek brings Fiona back to Farquaad. Farquaad immediately asks her to marry him. He doesn't know that Fiona turns into an ogress when the sun sets. Later, Shrek interrupts their wedding ceremony. He stops Farquaad and Fiona from kissing before sunset.
Fiona then changes from a human into an ogress. Farquaad is shocked and rejects her. He declares he will send her back to her tower. He also tries to claim the title of King and orders Shrek to be killed. But before he can finish, the Dragon bursts through a window. The Dragon, who likes Donkey, quickly eats Farquaad. The people of Duloc cheer and laugh when he is gone.
Appearances After Shrek
Lord Farquaad returns as a ghost in the Shrek 4-D ride at Universal Parks. This ride also aired on Nickelodeon. As a ghost, he tries to hurt Shrek and Donkey. He also wants to kidnap and kill Fiona to make her his ghost queen. Luckily, Fiona is saved when the Dragon defeats Farquaad again.
Farquaad also appears in Shrek the Third (2007). He is seen in a flashback from Gingy the Gingerbread Man. In this memory, Farquaad pulls off Gingy's legs and makes fun of him. This scene refers back to the first Shrek movie.
In Shrek Forever After (2010), Lord Farquaad makes a small appearance. You can see him in old footage from the first movie during the ending credits.
Even though he was eaten by Dragon in the first film, Lord Farquaad plays a role in the TV special Scared Shrekless. Shrek dares his friends to spend Halloween night in Farquaad's old castle, Duloc. The three little pigs mention that Duloc is where Farquaad lived and died. Shrek also reminds everyone how Donkey helped in Farquaad's defeat.
Lord Farquaad in Other Media
Outside of the movies, Farquaad appears in the Shrek 4-D ride at Universal Studios Theme Parks. He also shows up in its comic book version by Dark Horse Comics. In these stories, Farquaad is a ghost. He plans to make Fiona his Queen of the Underworld so he can be King. But he is defeated again.
He also appears as an evil spirit in the Game Boy Advance game Shrek: Reekin' Havoc. In this game, he creates evil copies of fairy tale characters. He even kidnaps Shrek before the final battle. Farquaad also makes a cameo as a ghost in Shrek Smash n' Crash. You can also play as "Ghost of Lord Farquaad" in the iPhone game "Shrek Kart."
Lord Farquaad in Theatre
In the original Shrek The Musical on Broadway, Tony Award nominee Christopher Sieber played Lord Farquaad. Since Sieber is quite tall, he performed the role on his knees. This made him seem much shorter, like Farquaad. He only stood up for the final bow. He earned a Tony nomination for his performance.
The musical version of Farquaad is more outgoing and fun-loving than the movie character. He is also more self-centered. When he practices meeting Fiona, he thinks about asking her to call him "Maximus."
Instead of a knight tournament, the musical has a raffle drawing. This is to pick the knight who will rescue Fiona. Farquaad performs a big song and dance number called "What's Up Duloc" with the Duloc Dancers.
In the second act, Farquaad is seen playing a video game. He is also taking a bubble bath. The musical also explains Farquaad's past, which the movie didn't show. His hatred for fairy tale creatures is explained in his song, "The Ballad of Farquaad."
It turns out his father was one of Snow White's dwarfs. His mother was the princess from "The Princess and the Pea." She left her crown to marry his father. She was so sensitive that she needed to sleep on 25 mattresses. One night, she rolled over and was gone.
Farquaad claims his father left him in the woods as a child. But when the fairy tale creatures crash his wedding, his father appears. He reveals that Farquaad was kicked out because he was 28 and still living in his basement.
After his embarrassment, Fiona changes into an ogress. The musical then follows the movie's story. Farquaad declares himself king and is killed by the Dragon. In the musical, the Dragon uses fire breath instead of eating him.
Christopher Sieber played Farquaad for the entire Broadway run. Later, Nigel Harman played the role in London's West End starting in May 2011.
Inspiration for the Character
Some people think Lord Farquaad's look was inspired by Michael Eisner. He was the CEO of The Walt Disney Company at the time. This idea came from producer Jeffrey Katzenberg's past issues with his former boss.
Other ideas suggest his appearance is based on a mix of people who are very focused on perfection. These include historical figures like Napoleon and Joseph Stalin. There is also a claim that Lord Farquaad was named after film animator Mark Farquhar.
