Honestly, looking back at 2006 is a trip. It was a year of low-rise jeans, Razr phones, and the bizarrely star-studded reality of a movie where a CGI cat goes to London. When you actually sit down and look at the Garfield A Tail of Two Kitties cast, it’s a weirdly impressive list. It’s not just a kids' movie. It is a collection of British acting royalty mixed with mid-2000s American comedy staples.
Bill Murray returned as the voice of the fat cat. That’s the big one. Everyone knows Murray has a love-hate relationship with this franchise—mostly famously joked about in Zombieland—but his dry, cynical delivery is basically the only reason the movie works for adults. He sounds like he just woke up from a nap. Which, to be fair, is exactly how Garfield should sound.
But it’s the supporting cast that makes this sequel such a strange artifact of Hollywood history.
The Man Behind the Orange Fur (and His Royal Double)
Bill Murray is the soul of the film. Or the ego. He brings that "I'm too cool for this" energy that perfectly encapsulates Garfield’s laziness. In this sequel, though, he had to do double duty. Because the plot is basically The Prince and the Pauper with whiskers, Murray also voices Prince XII. Prince is a posh, high-society cat who inherits a castle called Carlyle Castle.
It’s a classic trope.
The contrast between the lasagna-loving street cat from the cul-de-sac and the refined, aristocratic Prince allows Murray to play with his range, even if "range" for Bill Murray is just varying levels of sarcasm.
Then you have Breckin Meyer as Jon Arbuckle. Meyer was everywhere in the early 2000s. From Road Trip to Clueless, he was the quintessential "nice guy." In this film, he’s taking Liz (played by Jennifer Love Hewitt) to London to propose. Meyer plays Jon with a specific kind of earnestness that makes you feel bad for him, especially when he’s being bullied by a 20-pound orange tabby.
Jennifer Love Hewitt reprises her role as Dr. Liz Wilson. At the time, she was one of the biggest stars on TV thanks to Ghost Whisperer. Her role here is mostly to be the catalyst for the trip to England, but she brings a warmth that balances out the slapstick chaos happening with the animals.
The British Invasion: Acting Royalty in the Garfield A Tail of Two Kitties Cast
This is where the movie gets genuinely interesting from a cinephile perspective. If you look at the live-action and voice cast of the animals in the UK, it’s like a "Who’s Who" of British prestige.
Billy Connolly plays the villain, Lord Dargis. Connolly is a legend. A comedic powerhouse. In this movie, he’s trying to get rid of Prince the cat so he can inherit the estate and turn it into a resort. Watching a man of Connolly’s stature chase a CGI cat around a castle is objectively funny, mostly because he commits 100% to the absurdity. There’s no winking at the camera. He is genuinely angry at a feline.
The animal voices in the castle are even more stacked:
- Ian Abercrombie as Smithee the butler. You probably know him as Mr. Pitt from Seinfeld or the voice of Palpatine in The Clone Wars. He brings a grounded, loyal energy to the chaos.
- Tim Curry voices Christophe. Yes, the same Tim Curry from Rocky Horror and IT. He plays a snooty cat, and his voice is unmistakable.
- Bob Hoskins as Winston the bulldog. This is a man who was nominated for an Oscar for Mona Lisa and starred in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Here, he’s a gruff but lovable dog helping the cats navigate the royal transition.
- Rhys Ifans as McBunny. Before he was in House of the Dragon or The Amazing Spider-Man, he was voicing a Scottish rabbit in a Garfield sequel.
- Vinnie Jones as Rommel. The quintessential tough guy plays a Rottweiler. It’s perfect casting.
It’s almost a game of "Spot the Actor." You hear a voice and think, Wait, is that Jane Horrocks? Yes, it is. She voices Meenie the sheep. The sheer level of talent involved in voicing barnyard animals is a testament to the budget and the pull of the Garfield brand at the time.
Why the Human Cast Matters More Than You Think
While the movie is named after the cat, the Garfield A Tail of Two Kitties cast relies heavily on the live-action chemistry of the humans.
Lucy Davis plays Abby West. Fans of the original UK version of The Office will recognize her immediately as Dawn Tinsley. Her presence adds a layer of British charm that grounds the movie’s London setting. She’s the one who first notices that "Prince" (who is actually Garfield) is acting a bit strange.
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The film leans into the "fish out of water" story. Jon Arbuckle in London is a disaster. He’s the classic American tourist, lost and overwhelmed, which makes the stakes feel higher when he loses track of Garfield. Breckin Meyer’s ability to talk to a space where a CGI cat will eventually be added is an underrated skill. He’s basically acting against thin air for half the movie, yet he maintains that frustrated "dad" energy that makes Jon Arbuckle iconic in the comics.
The Legacy of the Voice Work
We have to talk about the animals again. The movie features a whole menagerie of talking creatures. Aside from the heavy hitters like Tim Curry and Bob Hoskins, you have Jim Piddock as Bolero and Jane Leeves (Daphne from Frasier) as Eenie.
This ensemble created a weirdly sophisticated atmosphere in the barnyard. The dialogue between the animals often feels like a British drawing-room comedy. They discuss inheritance, lineage, and social standing. It’s a sharp contrast to Garfield’s jokes about farting and eating entire pans of lasagna.
That duality is why the movie has maintained a weird sort of cult following. It’s a clash of cultures—not just American vs. British, but low-brow slapstick vs. high-brow theatrical delivery.
Real Talk: Was it a Success?
Critically? Not really. Most reviewers in 2006 thought it was a bit thin. But looking back, the Garfield A Tail of Two Kitties cast saved the film from being a total skip.
You can tell Billy Connolly is having the time of his life being a cartoon villain. You can tell the voice actors enjoyed the chance to play animals without the pressure of a "serious" film. It’s a paycheck movie, sure, but everyone showed up to work.
The film grossed over $140 million worldwide. A lot of that was international. Garfield is a global icon, and setting the sequel in London was a smart move to capture that overseas market. People wanted to see the orange cat in the big city.
Misconceptions About the Cast
Some people think Frank Welker voiced Garfield in this movie because he voices him in the newer animated shows and The Garfield Show. Nope. This was one of the last times Bill Murray stepped into the role before Chris Pratt took over for the 2024 animated version.
Another common mix-up: people often think Stephen Fry was in this. He wasn't. It just feels like he should have been. The vibe is very much in his wheelhouse, but you’re likely thinking of Tim Curry or Billy Connolly.
Practical Takeaways for Fans
If you're planning a rewatch or introducing it to a new generation, keep these things in mind.
First, pay attention to the voice acting. Once you realize it's Bob Hoskins and Tim Curry, the barnyard scenes become way more entertaining for adults. You start hearing the nuances in their performances that you definitely missed as a kid.
Second, appreciate the physical comedy of Billy Connolly. In an era of heavy CGI, he’s doing a lot of old-school pratfalls and "madman" acting that holds up better than the digital effects of the cat itself.
Finally, look at the filming locations. They used Castle Howard in North Yorkshire for the exterior of Carlyle Castle. It’s a stunning location that has appeared in Brideshead Revisited and Bridgerton. It gives the movie a sense of scale that most talking-animal movies lack.
The Garfield A Tail of Two Kitties cast is a time capsule. It represents a specific moment in the mid-2000s when Hollywood was obsessed with putting A-list voices into CGI animals, and for better or worse, it’s a star-studded lineup that we probably won't see the likes of again for a "lasagna cat" movie.
To get the most out of a rewatch today, try to identify every British voice without looking at IMDb. It’s harder than you think, especially with the actors playing sheep and ducks. If you're a fan of 2000s nostalgia, pay close attention to the fashion and tech used by Jon and Liz—it's a perfect snapshot of 2006. Check out the filming locations via virtual tours of Castle Howard if you want to see the real-life "Carlyle Castle" without the CGI additions.