Egan, who voiced Meg in the animated 1997 film, says she thinks Zendaya is the perfect performer to reprise the role in a live-action remake
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty; Jeff Spicer/Getty; Everett
NEED TO KNOW
- Susan Egan, who voiced Meg in Disney’s Hercules, says Zendaya is her dream choice to play the character in an upcoming live-action remake
- Egan also reflected on why she loved playing Meg, saying the sarcastic, imperfect heroine gave her the chance to play a different kind of character than the “good girl” roles she was used to
- Egan caught up with PEOPLE exclusively at the 2026 Disney Legends Awards Ceremony in Anaheim, Calif.
Susan Egan, who voiced Meg in Disney’s 1997 animated film Hercules, says she knows exactly who she has in mind for the role in the upcoming live-action remake: Zendaya.
Egan caught up with PEOPLE exclusively at the 2026 Disney Legends Awards Ceremony in Anaheim, Calif. During the conversation, the Broadway star, 56, shared that she thinks the Euphoria actress, 29, is well aware of her fan casting choice.
“Zendaya and her husband [Tom Holland] might be like, ‘Honestly, maybe we need a restraining order against Susan Egan at this point. Yeah, she’s a little too enthusiastic,’ ” Egan joked.
“But I do love her, and I have since she was younger. She’s always been such a dynamic performer. She’s such a grounded woman, and I really am an admirer of hers,” she added.
Credit: Getty
[INSERT ZENAYA AND TOM PIC]
Disney first announced plans for a live-action remake of the movie in 2020, with Avengers: Endgame filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo attached to produce at the time, per The Hollywood Reporter.
In 2022, Joe Russo told Variety that the eventual remake would be “a little bit more experimental in tone” in order to meet the needs of more modern audiences.
No actors have officially been attached to the project, and an expected release date has not been announced at this time.
While speaking to PEOPLE at the recent Disney Legends event, Egan shared that she loved getting the chance to voice the character of Meg — who is widely considered edgier and more sarcastic than other Disney heroines — especially after previously playing “good girl” roles for most of her career.
Credit: Jeff Gritchen/Getty
[SCREENGRAB OF MEG FROM ANIMATED MOVIE]
“In real life, I always played the good girl. But in animation, I got to play the sassy girl, the girl who made mistakes, the one who gets all the one-liners,” she explained.
“[Meg] gets to manipulate Herc and Hades. That was something I never got to do, so that was so fun,” she added.
Egan — who also played Belle from 1994 to 1995 in the original Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast and continues to perform on Disney cruises and at special Disney events — said she feels “so blessed” to help carry on the brand’s legacy.
“I feel so blessed and lucky to sing anything from Hercules and Beauty and the Beast. I will sing for the rest of my life until they get a hook and they pull me off that stage. That music is magical. [Disney composer] Alan Menken changed my life. I will forever be grateful and I will keep going,” she told PEOPLE.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“The music is endless,” she additionally said. “The music is core to who we are. These songs have underscored our lives, and with every new generation, there’s a new generation to fall in love with them and to find the princess that they relate to the most.”
The actress, who performed at “Disney Princess: The Ultimate Concert Celebration,” the largest gathering of Disney Princess talent ever assembled, several days earlier, said that being a part of the Disney princess community deeply speaks to her as a fan of the art form.
Credit: Everett
“That was epic,” she said while recalling the concert. “I know all of those women, but we have never all been in a room together at the same time. And to be honest, we were fangirling on each other and trying to keep our emotions in check so that we could perform in front of people,” she said.
She added: “But at the end of the day I’m like, ‘I just stood next to [Broadway star and singing voice of both Mulan and Princess Jasmine] Lea Salonga.’ Like, check that box. Bucket list complete.”
Read the full article here
