RIP Perry, the Inspiration for ‘Shrek’s Donkey
Eddie Murphy gets most of the credit for bringing Shrek’s Donkey to life, but he didn’t do it alone. While Murphy’s signature voice provided the comic timing, Donkey’s physical appearance was based on a real-life miniature donkey named Perry, who moved on last week to that great fairy-tale swamp in the sky.
“We are heartbroken to share that our beloved Barron Park donkey, Perry, passed away yesterday at the age of 30,” wrote representatives from The Barron Park Donkey Project. The volunteer-run organization in Palo Alto, California, took care of Perry for the past 27 years. “He was a beloved member of our community, and we know many people will be touched by his passing. Memorial plans will be announced soon.”
Perry was more than a physical model for Donkey — his personality played a big role as well. DreamWorks animators visited the park in 1999 to learn about how donkeys moved and interacted, with Perry serving as their main model. Jenny Kiratli, one of Perry's Barron Park handlers, told PEOPLE that “many of Donkey’s classic head tilts, eye rolls and bouncy trots were straight from Perry.”
While Perry doesn’t officially show up in the Shrek film credits, the animation company did donate $75 to Barron Park as a thanks for borrowing the miniature donkey’s likeness. (Feeding and caring for donkeys ain’t cheap, DreamWorks. Maybe you could step it up in memoriam?)
In addition to entertaining fans onscreen, Perry “delighted the neighborhood with his frequent appearances at Barron Park community events and his daily walks along the bicycle path,” according to the Donkey Project’s Instagram post.
“He had a huge personality,” Kiralti explained. “So many children came by all the time to see him. They don’t know he’s the Shrek donkey. They just know he’s a little, fuzzy animal who they love to pet.”
“We will miss you, Perry,” the sanctuary wrote. “We were lucky to have known you and we’ll never forget you.”
