Disney fans were recently given a glimpse into the making of Wreck-It Ralph (2012) when Alan Tudyk, the voice actor behind King Candy, revealed that The Walt Disney Company decided to cut a “race riot” joke from the movie. While the line, which Tudyk ad-libbed, was supported by some of the film’s creative team, Disney executives decided to remove it, fearing it could spark controversy.
Tudyk shared the details of the cut scene during a recent appearance on the podcast “Toon’d In! with Jim Cummings,” hosted by fellow Disney voice icon Jim Cummings. Cummings is the official voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger and has starred in countless films from The Lion King (1994) to The Princess and the Frog (2009).
In a clip posted on Instagram, Tudyk explained how he improvised the line during a pivotal chase scene when Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly, crashes into the “Sugar Rush” game and is covered in sticky taffy and sprinkles. As Ralph chases Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), who stole his medal, King Candy (Tudyk’s character) pleads for the chaos to end with a punny line:
“I said, ‘Please, everybody, stop! Everybody, calm down. I don’t want a race riot on my hands! …Because it’s a race… and you’re rioting. Never mind.’”
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Rich Moore, the director of Wreck-It Ralph, was reportedly fond of the line: “Rich Moore, god bless him, was like, ‘I love the race riot joke.’”
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t sit well with the higher-ups at The Walt Disney Company. “Disney didn’t want a race riot joke,” Tudyk said.
“That’s hard to believe,” Cummings joked. “Are you sure this was Disney?”
Watch the final cut of the Wreck-It Ralph monster chase scene, without the “race riot” joke, below:
What’s your favorite scene from Wreck-It Ralph? Let Disney Fanatic know in the comments!
