Perry the donkey, who inspired Eddie Murphy’s animated Shrek character. dies aged 30

Perry’s handlers said he won the hearts of visitors ‘with his beautiful soulful eyes and his sweet and gentle disposition’

A donkey said to have provided the inspiration for the famous Shrek character, Donkey, has died aged 30.

Perry – short for Pericles – a miniature donkey born in New York City in 1994, achieved fame when he apparently modelled for animators working on the Oscar-winning 2001 comedy.

Voiced by Eddie Murphy, the talkative Donkey served as the sidekick to Shrek (Mike Myers) in the original film and three sequels, the most recent of which was released in 2010.

“It’s evident if you know Perry and watch the movie that it’s him,” his lead handler at the time, Jenny Kiratli, told SFGate in a 2021 interview.

“It’s amazing how much of our donkey is in Donkey, the way he flips his head when he’s mad at Shrek, the way he trots.”

Perry was five years old when he modelled for the Shrek animators and was apparently paid $75 (£60) for his work.

Perry the donkey, said to have inspired the Shrek character, has died aged 30 (Instagram/BPDonkeys)

News of Perry’s death was announced by the Barron Park Donkeys Instagram account, where he arrived “as a young and feisty three-year-old” companion to another donkey, Miner 49er.

“Throughout his long life here, Perry captured the hearts of the Barron Park community, and far beyond, with his beautiful soulful eyes, his sweet and gentle disposition, his amiable stroll to the pasture gate to greet his visitors, and of course his contributions to the movie Shrek – as the motion model for the Donkey character in the movie,” the statement said.

“Perry delighted the neighbourhood over the years with his frequent appearances at Barron Park community events and his daily walks along the cycle path, most recently with his companions Buddy and April”.

It was revealed that Perry had been suffering from an incurable condition called laminitis, which affects the hooves of horses, ponies and donkeys. Donkeys typically live to be between 25 and 40 years old.

“In Perry’s last weeks, all of the handlers spent many hours at the pasture with him, petting him, cradling him, singing to him, and telling him that he was and always will be loved,” the statement continued.

“We will miss you Perry. You were a special Donkey. We were lucky to have known you and we will never forget you.”

Memorial plans for Perry will be announced soon, the statement said.

The first movie in the Shrek franchise followed the title character, an anti-social and bad-tempered ogre whose simple life is disrupted when the evil Lord Farquaad exiles a number of magical creatures to his swamp.

To get his swamp back, he is tasked with rescuing Farquaad’s future bride, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from a tower guarded by a dragon. He sets off on his mission, aided by Donkey.

Shrek 5 – starring the original voice cast including Murphy, Meyers and Diaz – is currently in development and scheduled for release in 2026.