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| “ | Don't make me come up there, or I'll get the whuppin' on both of y'all. | „ |
| ~ Gloria threatening Alex and Marty, who are fighting - her most famous quote. |
Gloria is one of the two tritagonists (alongside Melman Mankiewicz) of the Madagascar franchise. She is a hippo, who resided in the Central Park Zoo as an attraction, all the while being good friends with Alex, Marty, and Melman. She is the only female of the quartet.
She is voiced by Jada Pinkett Smith.
Appearance[]
Like every hippo in the franchise, her skin is grey, but her belly , face and ears are a little lighter than the rest of her body. Even as hippos go, Gloria is made apparent to be heavier than other female hippos. Infamously known in the second movie are Moto Moto's remarks at Gloria's. Therefore, her upper body is substantially slimmer than her lower body and give her a pear-like shape. She has a triangular belly button and triangular nostrils. She has black nails and visible marks on her elbow and kneecaps. Her body has small dark brown dots placed randomly.
History[]
Madagascar[]
As a hippo, Gloria had a passive nature when it came to most problems, and served as the voice of reason for her friends. At the time of Marty the zebra's birthday, Gloria is another animal in the Central Park Zoo and was one of the many attractions, drawing crowds that enjoyed seeing her swim about in her water tank. She would also receive the star treatment as one of the zoo's main attractions and attend Marty’s birthday party. At this party, Marty announced his wish upon blowing out the candles on his cake: to go to the wild. Gloria, Alex, and Melman tried to have Marty come to his senses by telling him that life out in the wilds was savage and difficult, whereas life in the zoos was adequate. Marty was unhappy at hearing this and Gloria told Alex to go and console Marty. Later that night, however, Marty acted out his wish and headed straight for the Terminal Station so as to take a train and go to Connecticut, where Marty heard that wide open spaces were found. Gloria urged both Alex and Melman to come with her so as to find Marty and bring him back before any people would notice. They were found, regardless, alongside Mason and Phil, the two chimps; and a troupe of secretive penguins, all ending up tranquilized with darts.
When they all came to, they found themselves in crates bound for Africa. When the penguins hijack the ship, the crates fall into the ocean and wash up on the island of Madagascar. After some confusion, they start to set up their own society and attract the attention of a lemur colony.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa[]
In Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Gloria expresses a desire to join in the zoo breeding program, in the hopes of finding a boyfriend. When the animals crash land in Africa, she attracts the attention of a male hippo named Moto Moto ("Hot Hot" in English). Though she thinks he is the ideal boyfriend at first, she realizes that he only loves her because she is fat, whereas Melman loves her for who she is. Realizing that she loves Melman back, she convinces him not to sacrifice himself into the volcano and Gloria grabs him by the ear and says, "It's crazy to think that I had to go half way around the world to find the perfect guy was right next door..." and then joins the other animals in rescuing Alex from Nana. At the end they had a wedding at the end and let the penguins and chimps fly away on their plane while they stay in Africa.
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted[]
In Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Gloria remains Melman's girlfriend. Of course, it was a surprise for her to fall in love with him, but she couldn't see it things happening any other way. She then helps Melman walk on a tightrope, which both later dance on as their circus act. Along with her friends, Gloria decides to join the circus. It's unknown what became of her after this but it's possible that she had many perfect performances with others around the world.
Madagascar: A Little Wild[]
Gloria appears as a protagonist in this online prequel series, which takes place many years before the events of the films and depicts Gloria's childhood adventures in Central Park Zoo.
Trivia[]
- Gloria is one of only two main characters whose voice artist brought in offspring to do the character's juvenile voice (that one being Jada Pinkett-Smith being her original voice actress, while her daughter, Willow, did her juvenile voice), the other being Alex. Call Me George John Goodman, (Hippo Male Version)
- Halle Berry, Janet Jackson, Mandy Moore, Rebecca Romijn, Jessica Lange, Courtney Love, Christina Ricci, Jennifer Lopez, Mia Farrow, Gabrielle Union, Rebeccah Bush, Camryn Manheim, Elizabeth Hurley, Kristin Scott Thomas, Meg Ryan, Kate Mulgrew, Queen Latifah, Jenna Elfman, Jennifer Tilly and Jennifer Garner were all considered for the role of Gloria before Jada Pinkett Smith was cast.
- Gloria's relationship with Melman was originally supposed to happen in the first Madagascar film until it was decided to feature it in the second film instead in order for audiences to get to know the characters more. Gloria was also to be pregnant in the first film due to being part of a breeding program (hence why she has a huge potbelly). She would have given birth near the end of the film with Melman becoming the child's adoptive father. This idea was scrapped as it was considered too mature by test audiences.
- In 2020 the UK Pop group, The Nobbly Ostrich, released a song titled Glorious Gloria. It has since gained traction and become one of Duo's biggest hits released in recent years. Currently, the song is available on most streaming services.
- Creators of the series had Melman and Gloria in mind as a couple from the very beginning, while it isn't brought to light until the second film, hints of chemistry between the two of them is evident in Madagascar and the Christmas special (Merry Madagascar), which takes place before the second film.
- In instalments that feature the two characters, Marty and Gloria are usually the heaviest focus of jokes, gags and scenes involving the character’s butt.
- Gloria almost lost her spot as Melman's girl of choice, early in the production of the second film, writers had created a female giraffe for Melman by the name of "Nikki". She was quickly nixed as test audiences liked the idea that Melman loved Gloria more.
- Gloria was originally going to be much bigger in size, but after the animators found it too much body to deal with, they ended up creating what they called a "Hippo Swimming Suit Model Body" for her.
- As shown in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Gloria laughing hard enough causes her to snort. It comes off odd to many others, while Melman actually finds it one of her endearing qualities, stating that "She has the most amazing laugh."
- Jada Pinkett Smith brought her daughter in to voice Young Gloria at the beginning of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. This made Gloria one of two best friends whose adult voice actors' children did their juvenile voices, the other being Alex, who was voiced by Ben Stiller's son Quinn as a cub.
- During the press and promotions for Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Jada Pinkett Smith stayed quiet about Melman and Gloria's relationship and prefered to talk about Moto Moto, while David Schwimmer on the other hand talked incessantly about the Melman/Gloria relationship in the film.
- Jada Pinkett Smith's favorite scene in the second film is when Gloria first meets Moto Moto.
- As told by Melman, white orchids are Gloria's favorite flower.
- Wheat bread with butter on both sides and no crust is Gloria's favorite breakfast food.
- Melman's 'volcano sacrifice' was portrayed as a virgin sacrifice complete with him wearing a cowrie-shell veil, and white orchids (Gloria's favorite flower) placed here and there all over him.
- White orchids are placed at the wedding scene at the end of the second film, tricking the audience into believing that it is Melman and Gloria's wedding, not Skipper and Lola's.
- Gloria is talented at dancing and as shown in the Madagascar 3 Europe's Most Wanted, also at being on the tightrope.
- Jada's favorite scenes in the third film are all the scenes that include Sonya the bear and King Julien, Jada states that she "Can't get enough of that bear, it's hilarious" and that "It's probably the most adorable part of the whole story to me."
- Jada states that one of her favorite things about Gloria is the fact that she is very proud of her body. The idea that she’s a lot of girl, and she loves it. Jada says that "I try to give her that sass and swagger. It’s not even about necessarily talking about it but sometimes just showing it, that it’s about how you look at yourself and how you carry yourself."
- Just like other characters, Gloria's child version appears to change from Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, and the promotional poster for Madagascar: A Little Wild.
- Gloria is also wearing a pink tutu in the promotional poster for Madagascar: A Little Wild.
- In real life, hippos can be quite aggressive and dangerous, which contrasts with Gloria's friendly personality. However, she has proven she can be fierce. Same thing happened later with other characters like Maddie (taipan snakes are not aggressive but dangerous).
- Gloria is revealed to be quite ticklish in Madagascar 3 when Melman tries to get her unstuck.
- In the Brazilian Portuguese dub of the movies, she is voiced by the famous actor Heloísa Perissé.
- Gloria's belly button is flat in the first two movies, but in the third movie, it goes in, just like her nostrils, but in prequel series Madagascar: A Little Wild, it's completely gone.
- Gloria, the hippo from the Madagascar franchise, has a distinctive and appealing appearance, with a few key features that set her apart from other hippos:
- Skin Color: Gloria's skin is primarily grey, like most hippos, but it has a variation in tone. Her belly, face, and ears are a lighter shade of grey compared to the rest of her body, adding depth and contrast to her overall look.
- Body Shape: While hippos in general are large and bulky, Gloria is portrayed as heavier than other female hippos in the franchise, which is humorously highlighted in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa with Moto Moto's remarks. She has a pear-shaped body, with a noticeably slimmer upper body compared to her fuller lower body. This gives her an hourglass-like silhouette, with the lower half of her body being more pronounced.
- Facial Features: Gloria's face is characterized by her gentle, friendly expression. Her nostrils are triangular in shape, matching the subtle triangular shape of her belly button.
- Distinctive Marks: Gloria’s body features small, dark brown dots scattered across her skin, which contribute to her unique appearance. These marks are placed randomly across her body, adding to her individualistic look.
- Details on Limbs: Her black nails stand out against her grey skin, especially on her hands and feet. Additionally, Gloria has visible marks on her elbows and kneecaps, which further emphasize her character's design and give her a more realistic, textured appearance. Overall, Gloria's design is both endearing and visually striking, showcasing her unique personality and making her one of the memorable characters in the Madagascar franchise.
- In the Madagascar trilogy (2005-2012), Gloria is a female hippo who has sturdy arms and legs, befitting her hippo build. Her arms are short and wide, with small but strong hands, and her legs are thick and solid, designed to support her weight and give her stability. Although she is not especially agile on land due to her bulk, her limbs give her a powerful and confident presence. Gloria is able to move gracefully in the water, where hippos feel lighter, thanks to the structure of her legs.
- Gloria's ears in the Madagascar trilogy are small and rounded, set high on her head. These ears move expressively, helping to emphasize her emotions and reactions in various scenes. Their compact size and rounded shape contribute to her friendly and likeable appearance, distinctive features of the character.
- Gloria's brain in the Madagascar trilogy is depicted as that of an intelligent, cunning, and common-sense hippo. Although not the most eccentric or witty character of the group, Gloria demonstrates a practical and down-to-earth intelligence, making her a figure of stability among her friends. Her sense of logic and pragmatism allows her to see situations clearly, especially when it comes to solving problems and making decisions. In addition, her strong personality and self-confidence show a mental maturity that sets her apart from some of her peers, such as Alex and Marty, who are sometimes more driven by impulses.
External Links[]
- Gloria on the Madagascar Wiki
- Gloria on the Heroic Benchmark Wiki
- Gloria on the DreamWorks Wiki
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