7 Fun Facts About Judy Hopps

1. When Zootopia was in development, the main character was going to be Nick Wilde, with Judy Hopps playing a secondary role. Eventually, though, director Byron Howard realized they had to make a switch. “We’re telling a story about bias, and when you have the Nick character starting the movie, through his eyes, the city was already broken. [Nick] didn’t like Zootopia. We asked ‘What are we saying with the movie?’ If we’re telling this movie about bias – something that is everywhere and in all of us, whether we want to admit it or not – the character that’s going to help us tell that message is Judy, an innocent, [who comes] from a very supportive environment where she thinks everyone is beautiful, everyone gets along…When we flipped that, it was a major flip, but it worked so much better.”

2. The animation team utilized a new software tool called “iGroom” to help make the animals’ fur look realistic. This gave the character designers precise control over the brushing, shaping, and coloring of the fur. It also allowed them to create an unseen under-layer that gave the fur an extra level of plushness. And we’re talking a lot of fur. Judy Hopps herself had around 2.5 million hairs!

3. Judy Hopps was voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, who had previously voiced Fawn in the film Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast. Her Disney career also includes her portrayal of Snow White / Mary Margaret Blanchard in the ABC series Once Upon a Time.

4. Goodwin brought the character to life with tremendous heart and a great sense of humor. But don’t write her off as an innocent nobody. In discussing her approach to Judy, Goodwin explained that, “People mistake kindness for naïveté or stupidity, and she is a good girl through and through. But she’s not a dumb bunny.”

5. Curiously, Judy was originally going to have a strong southern accent (Goodwin is from Tennessee). But the idea was dropped because, as Goodwin revealed, “nobody believed [her] accent!”

6. If you look closely, you’ll notice that Judy’s nose twitches whenever she is nervous or scared. Likewise, her ears droop when she’s sad or worried.

7. But perhaps her most notable “twitch” takes place when she gets angry or frustrated. When she feels especially anxious, she rapidly thumps her right foot! Hmm, that sounds like another famous Disney rabbit…

You’ll find more fun facts about Judy as well as new features on Zootopia 2 and Zootopia: Better Zoogether in the new issue of Celebrations Magazine! Click here to find out more!