What Kind Of Animal Madagascar’s Mort Is

Mort from Madagascar is an example of how the franchise’s animals come in all shapes and sizes, from zoo animals to those found in the jungles and forests. Madagascar remains one of DreamWorks’ most successful animated franchises and has produced three movies, one spin-off film, three TV shows, a handful of shorts, and a series of video games. The three main movies in the franchise – Madagascar (2005), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012) – follow the adventures of a quartet of animals from Central Park Zoo after they’re released from captivity.

The main Madagascar characters are voiced by an all-star cast, including Ben Stiller as Alex the lion, Chris Rock as a zebra named Marty, David Schwimmer as Melman the giraffe, and Jada Pinkett Smith as hippopotamus Gloria. A whole host of cute and funny animals make up the minor Madagascar characters, too, including four Adélie penguins named Skipper (Tom McGrath), Rico (John DiMaggio), Private (Christopher Knights), and Kowalski (Chris Miller), and of course, a strange little creature named Mort.

What Kind Of Animal Is Mort In Madagascar?

Mort Is A Special Kind Of Lemur

Mort is one of the most popular supporting characters to emerge from the Madagascar movies. Voiced by Andy Richter, Mort was introduced in the first Madagascar alongside his pals King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer) when Alex the lion and company find themselves shipwrecked on the titular island. He accompanied the main Madagascar characters on their adventures to continental Africa and Europe in the sequels, too.

As funny and adorable as he is, exactly what kind of animal Mort is might be a little confusing. According to DreamWorks, Mort is a lemur – a Goodman’s mouse lemur, one of the smallest primates on the planet. He’s not the only lemur character in the Madagascar franchise either; King Julien and Maurice are lemurs, specifically a ring-tailed lemur and an aye-aye, respectively.

Where Did Mort Show Up In The Madagascar Universe?

Mort Has Been In Movies, TV Shows, & Specials

Although Mort was a relatively minor character in the Madagascar movies, he and his fellow lemurs played bigger roles in the franchise’s animated TV show spinoffs, The Penguins of Madagascar and All Hail King Julien – the latter of which introduced many other lemur characters, including a crowned lemur named Clover voiced by India de Beaufort and Horst, a blue-eyed black lemur voiced by Jeff Bennett. Mort also appeared in two specials, Merry Madagascar and Madly Madagascar.

All Hail King Julien may have finished its five-season run in 2017, but Madagascar fans could see more of Mort in future franchise offerings. A fourth main movie in the Madagascar franchise has been in the works since 2014, and while it’s taken a backseat in recent years, there’s still hope that it’ll go into production in the not-too-distant future.

Mort Works Best In Small Doses

Comedy Characters Like Mort Don’t Need Big Roles

If the Despicable Me franchise proves anything, purely comedic characters are best in small doses, no matter how beloved. While fans love the Minions, the movie centered on the little creatures was the most poorly reviewed of the series. However, when adding Gru back in, even in a Minions sequel, things improved drastically. That is because silly characters need someone to play off so their schtick doesn’t overwhelm viewers. This is why Madagascar needs to limit Mort.

Mort’s only jobs are looking cute and acting out for shock value. This works on All Hail King Julien because Mort can play off Julien and Maurice, and that is where he fits in best. The penguins were characters that had a lot more going for them than Mort, so they fit in well with their own movies and TV shows because they presented something different. On the other hand, Mort is limited in what he does and could never work as any more than a supporting Madagascar player.

Is Mort The Best Madagascar Supporting Character?

The Simple Approach To The Character Worked Perfectly

Regardless of how inscrutable he might be among the other animals, Mort is the most memorable part of the Madagascar movies. He is a hilarious supporting character who elevates the first movie as soon as he appears and makes for a scene-stealing addition to the rest of the franchise. What makes Mort such an effective supporting character in the movies is the very simple approach taken to him. He is an adorable creature which the movie leans into and that is perfectly balanced by the wild manic side of the character.

Mort is similar to Scrat from the Ice Age movies. Both are smaller critters who don’t get the spotlight like the larger and more layered animal characters they share the screen with. However, whenever they are around, it is hard for the audience’s attention not to be drawn to them. Scrat is also a character that doesn’t need a lot of thought to get him right, with him and Mort simply there to provide the comic relief in these family-friendly movies. The Madagascar movies’ popularity came from their simple comedic approach and Mort is a prime example of that success.

Four zoo animals from New York City unexpectedly find themselves stranded on the island of Madagascar. Unaccustomed to the wild, the lion, zebra, giraffe, and hippo embark on a hilarious adventure as they adapt to their new surroundings and the quirky lemurs who call the island home.

Director

Eric Darnell , Tom McGrath

Release Date

May 27, 2005

Studio(s)

DreamWorks Animation

Writers

Mark Burton , Billy Frolick , Eric Darnell , Tom McGrath

Runtime

86 minutes

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