You know that feeling when a villain is so charming you actually root for them for a minute? That’s the magic of Prince Hans. When Frozen first hit theaters, everyone was obsessed with "Let It Go," but the real narrative whiplash came from the guy with the sideburns. He was the perfect gentleman. Until he wasn't.
Finding the right person to inhabit that duality wasn't an accident. The voice of Prince Hans Frozen is none other than Santino Fontana, a powerhouse of the New York stage who basically specialized in playing "the nice guy" before Disney asked him to break everyone’s hearts.
Most people don't realize how much of a theater nerd Hans actually is. Fontana didn't just walk into a booth and read lines; he crafted a character that had to fool an entire global audience for 70 minutes.
Why Santino Fontana Was the Only Choice
If you follow Broadway, the name Santino Fontana is huge. Before he was the voice of Prince Hans Frozen, he was already a Tony-nominated actor. He played Prince Topher in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Think about that. He was literally a "real" Prince Charming on Broadway at the same time he was playing a fake one for Disney.
Disney’s casting directors, Jen Rudin and the team, weren't looking for a typical growly villain voice. They needed a chameleon. Hans has to sound like the hero of his own story. If he sounds "evil" in the first act, the twist at the end doesn't land. Fontana has this incredible lyrical tenor voice that feels warm, safe, and—honestly—a little bit too perfect.
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The Audition That Changed Everything
Kinda funny story—Santino didn't even audition for Hans at first. He originally went in for Kristoff. At that stage of development, Kristoff was envisioned as more of a tour-guide character, but when the script shifted, the producers realized Fontana’s specific brand of "polished charm" was better suited for the Southern Isles royalty.
For his actual Hans audition, he reportedly sang "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story. But he didn't just sing it. He changed the lyrics to "I am pretty" and played it with a level of conceit that was both hilarious and slightly unsettling. That was the "aha!" moment for the directors. They saw he could play the ego beneath the smile.
The Secret Work Behind the Voice
Most people think voice acting is easy. "Just talk into a mic, right?" Not even close. Fontana recorded his parts over the span of about two years. The total time spent in the booth? Five days.
That sounds short, but those sessions are grueling. You’re doing the same line fifty different ways. One day was literally nothing but "effort sounds." That means five hours of grunting, coughing, gasping for air, and making the sound of someone falling off a horse.
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Creating "Love Is an Open Door"
The duet with Kristen Bell (Anna) is a masterpiece of manipulation. If you listen closely to the voice of Prince Hans Frozen during that song, he is perfectly mimicking Anna’s energy. Fontana purposefully matched Bell’s phrasing and breath. It’s a musical representation of "mirroring," a psychological tactic used by sociopaths to build instant trust.
- The Tempo: It’s fast, frantic, and breathless—mirroring Anna’s impulsivity.
- The Harmony: Hans slides into her harmonies effortlessly, making her feel like they are "soulmates."
- The Laughs: Those little chuckles during the bridge? All scripted to feel spontaneous.
Life After the Southern Isles
After Frozen became a $1 billion phenomenon, Fontana didn’t just sit around. He went on to win a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Tootsie. If you want to see his range, watch him in that show. He plays a man playing a woman, switching voices mid-sentence with terrifying precision.
He also became a fan favorite on the CW show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend as Greg Serrano. It’s funny because fans of that show often have a "wait, he's Hans?" moment about halfway through the first season.
What You Probably Didn't Notice
There’s a specific nuance in the voice of Prince Hans Frozen during the betrayal scene. When he says, "Oh Anna, if only there was someone out there who loved you," his voice drops about an octave. The "Prince" persona evaporates.
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Fontana has talked about how he wanted that moment to feel like a mask being removed. No more musicality. No more warmth. Just cold, hard ambition. It’s one of the most effective villain reveals in Disney history because the actor spent the entire movie earning your trust.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Voice Actors
If you're looking to understand why this performance worked so well, or if you're trying to break into the industry yourself, here are a few things to take away:
- Study the script for subtext. Fontana played Hans as a guy who believed he was the hero. He wasn't playing a villain; he was playing a man doing what he thought was necessary to get a throne.
- Vocal Versatility is Key. Being able to sing is great, but being able to manipulate the texture of your voice (like going from "Prince" to "Traitor") is what gets you hired by Disney.
- Watch the Broadway stuff. If you really want to appreciate the voice of Prince Hans Frozen, look up clips of Santino Fontana in Cinderella or Tootsie. Seeing the physical actor helps you understand the vocal choices he made in the booth.
Honestly, Hans might be one of the most complex "bad guys" Disney has ever put on screen. He doesn't have magic powers or a scary dragon. He just has a very, very convincing voice. And that’s much scarier.
Check out Santino's work in the Frozen sequels and shorts, like Frozen Fever, to see how he maintains that character even when the stakes are lower. It's a masterclass in consistency.