I still can’t believe the Prince of Darkness himself once appeared in the 2010s kids’ movie, Gnomeo and Juliet. Rising to fame in the 1970s, the Black Sabbath singer became one of the most famous musicians in the metal genre, gaining worldwide notoriety. Consequently, Ozzy Osbourne’s recent death has sent shockwaves across the industry, just weeks after his final performance.

With a penchant for wild and often theatrical antics, including his famous bat-biting incident, the singer created a certain dark branding over the decades. Therefore, Ozzy Osbourne is probably the last celebrity you would expect to voice an animated kids’ character. However, that is exactly what happened in Gnomeo and Juliet, with the Prince of Darkness having a surprising cameo.

Ozzy Osbourne Played Fawn In Gnomeo & Juliet And Sherlock Gnomes

The Metal Legend’s Birmingham Accent Is Perfect For Fawn

Gnomeo and Juliet is a modern movie adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic play, Romeo and Juliet, which sees the star-crossed lovers’ story told through the perspective of living garden gnomes in rival gardens. Produced by Touchstone Pictures and released by Disney in 2011, the film grossed $193.9 million worldwide on a $36 million budget, making it a box office success.

While you might expect the Prince of Darkness to live up to his stage persona in a darker role, this wasn’t the case for Gnomeo and Juliet, as Osbourne had a minor role as the deer statue, Fawn, Tybalt’s best friend. Speaking with ArtisanNewsService in 2011, Ozzy Osbourne seemingly mocked his role, aware of possible reception to his bizarre casting.

The Black Sabbath frontman teasingly remarked, “Ozzy Osbourne plays a little deer called Fawn,” hinting at audience reactions. Yet, surprisingly, Ozzy Osbourne is fantastic as Fawn, subverting expectations of the metal artist in a great way. Even though Fawn only appears in a minor capacity compared to the rest of the cast, Osbourne’s distinct Birmingham accent aids the comedy.

Osbourne is joined by James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Jason Statham, Hulk Hogan, and Dolly Parton. Yet, despite Gnomeo and Juliet’s shockingly good cast, the film has managed to sneak under the radar, scoring a 55% Rotten Tomatoes score with just 56 reviews. As a result, its sequel, Sherlock Gnomes (in which Ozzy Osbourne reprised his role), was unfortunately a flop.

Gnomeo & Juliet Has A Bigger Connection To Another Musical Legend

Elton John Also Played A Big Part In The 2011 Film’s Production

Ozzy Osbourne is not the only musical legend that was attached to the film, as Elton John’s music formed a large part of Gnomeo and Juliet’s soundtrack. The singer wrote over half of the tracks featured in the 2011 movie, which caused many to consider Gnomeo and Juliet as a sort of Mamma Mia-esque movie for Elton John’s songs.

Elton John was also a producer for Gnomeo and Juliet and its sequel, Sherlock Gnomes, alongside his spouse David Furnish. In the 2011 ArtisanNewsService interview, Ozzy Osbourne said that “If Elton’s doing it, it’s gotta be the best. David’s very good at this film thing. You gotta have a lot of patience as well when you’re doing these cartoons.”

Sources: ArtisanNewsService