The Story Behind A Goofy Movie Almost Casting Steve Martin As Goofy

As a wonderfully told father-son story with gut-busting gags and a banging soundtrack, I genuinely believe that 1995’s A Goofy Movie, in which the classic Disney character (voiced by Bill Farmer) takes the reluctant Max (Jason Marsden), on an ill-fated road trip, is one of the best Disney animated movies of all time. Thus, I was deeply surprised to learn from a new documentary called Not Just a Goof that the film was not well received in the 1990s and was not a huge hit at the box office, either.

However, even that is not the most shocking revelation from the new 2025 movie (now available with a Disney+ subscription), which covers the filmmakers’ struggle to ensure their vision for Goofy's first feature was fully realized. One such roadblock was a suggestion to bring in an otherwise beloved comedy legend to play the title role.

Jeffrey Katzenberg Proposed Casting Steve Martin As Goofy

In Not Just a Goof, director Kevin Lima recalls showing an early cut of A Goofy Movie to Jeffrey Katzenberg, who was chairman of Walt Disney Studios from 1984 to 1994, as THR recalls, and he responded with a surprising note. He felt that longtime Goofy voice actor Bill Farmer’s traditional take on the character (who is not exactly a dog like Pluto, but related to the same family) sounded too “insincere,” as co-writer Brian Pimenthal describes it.

As a solution, Katzenberg (later known as the founder of Quibi) considered rerecording the entire movie with A-list comedian Steve Martin, not doing a Goofy impression but using his natural voice. As someone who adores Martin and his movies, I believe that this would have been a disaster, especially after so many decades of the iconic character’s distinct drawl, chuckle, and hollar, which Farmer had perfected. Luckily, the director came up with a plan.

Kevin Lima Convinced Katzenberg To Rerecord The Movie With Bill Farmer's Real Voice

Lima recommended that, before giving Martin a call, Katzenberg should allow him to rerecord the movie with Farmer using his natural voice this time. The actor was not happy with the idea, and even recalls in Not Just a Goof losing sleep over how audiences might react to not hearing Goofy sound like Goofy.

However, Lima assures in the doc that the entire rerecording process was all a ploy to convince Katzenberg that making A Goofy Movie without the signature voice was not among his better ideas. Thankfully, after being shown a new cut featuring Farmer without the impression, Katzenberg came to realize that he was wrong, and Goofy remained Goofy.

You know, this was not even the first time that Katzenberg ruffled feathers with a Disney movie voice actor, as Robin Williams refused to reprise Genie in the first Aladdin sequel because the exec tried to stop him from starring in Ferngully: The Last Rainforest. At least his bizarre idea of casting Steve Martin as Goofy did not go through, or A Goofy Movie’s popularity might not have endured over the past 30 years.