Mother Gothel of the film's villain based solely on the expectation that the unfamiliar experience would be "fun". Almost immediately, Murphy developed a strong liking towards Gothel because of the character's complexity. Known for her award-winning Broadway performances, Murphy prepared herself for her "Tangled "audition similar to the way in which the actress would have prepared for a Broadway audition. Refusing to rely solely on her voice, Murphy also provided Gothel with an additional background that "flush[ed] out the moments beyond what we see in the film." Although Greno and Howard had already held Murphy in high regard as "a spectacular singer",
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