You know the "smolder." That half-lidded, supposedly irresistible look Flynn Rider tries to use to charm his way out of being tied up with golden hair. It’s a classic moment in Disney’s Tangled, but it wouldn't land nearly as well without that specific, slightly arrogant, yet deeply likable voice behind it. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the part now.
The voice of Flynn Rider is Zachary Levi.
Most people know him as the titular nerd-turned-spy in Chuck or the adult version of Billy Batson in Shazam!, but for a certain generation, he’s simply the guy who made a Disney "Prince" (well, thief) actually funny. Levi didn’t just show up and read lines. He basically built the character’s DNA alongside the animators.
The Audition That Almost Didn't Happen
Believe it or not, Flynn Rider wasn't always the smooth-talking guy we see on screen. In the early stages of development, the character was actually envisioned as a British farmer named Bastian. Seriously. Imagine that for a second. The whole vibe of the movie would have been completely different.
When Levi got the call from his agent, he was already a self-proclaimed "Disney nut." He wanted in. But there was a catch. At that point, the directors—Nathan Greno and Byron Howard—still wanted that British accent. Levi actually auditioned with a British accent first.
He nailed it, obviously, but as the character evolved from a farmer into a roguish bandit, the directors realized the accent wasn't working. They told him to drop it and just use a slightly more polished version of his own voice. Levi describes it as a "mid-Atlantic" accent—cleaner diction than his everyday speech, fitting for a medieval setting, but still grounded and modern enough to feel fresh.
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More Than Just a Talking Role
One of the big reasons Levi wanted the job was the music. He grew up in musical theater, so the idea of singing a Disney duet was basically the dream. If you’ve ever cried during "I See the Light," you’ve heard his professional singing debut.
Recording that song was actually one of the few times Levi and Mandy Moore (the voice of Rapunzel) were in the same room. Usually, voice actors record their lines solo in a booth. It’s a lonely process. You’re talking to a wall, trying to imagine the other person's energy.
For Tangled, Levi recorded his dialogue about once every six weeks over the course of a year. He’d do each line at least twice, often ad-libbing. The directors loved his improv so much that they actually changed the animation to match his specific facial expressions and vocal tics. When Flynn looks particularly smug or self-deprecating, that’s Levi’s personality bleeding through the pixels.
A Timeline of the Voice of Flynn Rider
- 2010: Tangled (The original feature film).
- 2012: Tangled Ever After (The short film where he finally marries Rapunzel).
- 2017–2020: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (The TV series where he explores his backstory as Eugene Fitzherbert).
The Eugene Fitzherbert Factor
If you only watched the movie, you know him as the thief who found a crown. But if you dove into the Disney Channel series, you know the voice of Flynn Rider had a lot more heavy lifting to do. The show explores his real name, Eugene Fitzherbert, and his complicated past as an orphan.
Levi returned for all three seasons of the show. He also voiced a side character named Feldspar in the series, showing off a bit of his vocal range. It’s rare for a big-name movie star to stick with a TV spinoff for its entire run, but Levi has always been vocal about how much he loves this character.
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What About the Live-Action Remake?
This is where things get a little spicy in the fandom. As of 2026, rumors of a live-action Tangled are constantly swirling. Fans have been campaigning for Levi to play the role in person since... well, since 2010.
Levi himself has a pretty realistic take on it. He’s joked in interviews that by the time Disney actually gets around to filming it, his hair will be "Steve Martin white." He’s even suggested that he and Mandy Moore could cameo as Rapunzel’s parents instead of the lead roles.
He recently mentioned he’d "totally sign off" on someone like Timothée Chalamet taking over the mantle, though many fans still hold out hope for a de-aged Levi or a miracle of casting. There was even a brief internet frenzy when rumors linked Florence Pugh to the role of Rapunzel. Since Levi’s real last name is also Pugh (Zachary Levi Pugh), he thought it would be a hilarious "Pugh-Pugh" pairing.
Why the Voice Still Resonates
Flynn Rider works because he’s the first Disney male lead who feels like he’s in on the joke. He comments on the absurdity of the singing, the magical hair, and the fact that he’s being chased by a horse that acts like a bloodhound.
Levi’s performance grounded that. He brought a "Chuck Bartowski" energy to the 13th century—vulnerable but hiding it under layers of sarcasm. It’s a specific brand of charisma that’s hard to replicate.
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If you want to hear more of his work beyond the crown and the tower, you can find him in some unexpected places:
- Arcade Gannon in Fallout: New Vegas: A fan-favorite companion in one of the most beloved RPGs ever.
- Dr. Wendell Tully in Grounded: A voice role in the survival game about being shrunk in a backyard.
- The Star: He voiced Joseph in this animated Nativity story.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're a die-hard fan of the character, don't stop at the 2010 movie. The real character development happens in the animated series, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure. It’s where Eugene (Flynn) transitions from a reformed thief to a legitimate hero and leader.
You can also check out the "Behind the Mic" featurettes on Disney+ to see Levi actually recording the "smolder" lines. It’s a great look at how much physical energy goes into a performance that is purely auditory.
The legacy of the voice of Flynn Rider isn't just about a guy who could pull off a smug grin; it's about an actor who loved the character enough to stay with him for over a decade, through movies, shorts, and TV screens.