Mother Gothel always about ... who’s best for the part". Film critic James Berardinelli of "ReelViews "observed that this decision echoed "Disney's approach during the late 1980s and early 1990s, when big name stars where often bypassed in favor of lesser known talents." An additional asset was that the actor be able to perform well both independently and collaboratively. Mother Gothel is voiced by American actress and singer Donna Murphy, a Tony Award-winning Broadway actress who was informed about the casting call for "Tangled "by her agent. Having never voiced an animated character before, the actress decided to audition for the role
Mother Gothel debut appearance in the "Kingdom Hearts" series in the upcoming "Kingdom Hearts III", with Murphy reprising her role in the English version. Mother Gothel has garnered mostly positive reviews from film critics. Nigel Andrews of the "Financial Times "felt that the character was given the film's "best lines and tunes". Film4 described Gothel as a "fun" character "to the extent that she risks making the good guys seem a bit dull." Hailing Gothel as the film's ""pièce de résistance"", Georgie Hobbs of "Little White Lies" wrote that Gothel "performs ... 'Mother Knows Best' ... with a schizophrenic frenzy worthy of