Mel Gibson provided the original English voice of John Smith in Disney’s Pocahontas.
The 1995 animated film presents a fictionalized version of the English colonist John Smith and his encounter with Pocahontas in early 17th-century Virginia. Gibson supplied Smith’s speaking and singing voice in the original English release, while Irene Bedard voiced Pocahontas’s dialogue and Judy Kuhn performed her singing voice.
Gibson was already a major film star when Pocahontas was produced, following leading roles in the Lethal Weapon series and Braveheart. His casting helped give the film a prominent adult male voice alongside the newer voice performances of Bedard and Christian Bale, who voiced Thomas.
The film’s music was written by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Its best-known song, “Colors of the Wind,” won both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The historical John Smith and Pocahontas had a documented relationship, but the film changes many details for its romantic, family-oriented story.