There is a small group of movie stars that, even though they are widely responsible for their productions' success, do not receive as much recognition as they deserve: animal actors. Over the course of cinema history, there have been numerous animal actors that still hold a special place in the audience's hearts, such as Katie, the white-headed capuchin who played Ross's pet Marcel in Friends, or Keiko, the male whale who, due to his role in Free Willy, became the first captive orca whale to be fully released back into the ocean.
Out of all the animals that have taken part in movie productions, dog actors are especially popular and well-loved by audiences. This is largely attributable to the strong connection that humans have with them as pets and companions, as they are part of millions of families and keep us company in our day-to-day lives. If a movie features a dog actor in its cast, it will definitely resonate deeply with many viewers. However, the reality is that, for animals, filming is much more exhausting than it is for humans, and the entertainment industry has not always considered their needs on movie sets. Luckily, and thanks to the efforts of many actors, this situation has changed completely, and currently the American Humane organization is in charge of supervising every production featuring animal actors to ensure that their rights are guaranteed. Shooting with animals is quite different from shooting solely with people, and it generally requires far more time and patience, but it's definitely worth the effort, both for the sake of the animals and the production itself. Here is a look at some of the best dog actors in movies.
10 Milo — The Mask
In the 1994 movie The Mask, Jack Russell Terrier Max plays Milo, Stanley Ipkiss' (Jim Carrey) pet. Milo is friendly and very loyal to his owner, trying to help him on every occasion he can, from bailing him out of jail to fighting bad guys using the mask. Even though Max took part in a few minor productions, The Mask was his one and only big Hollywood hit since, according to his owner, he was considered either too big or too small for most of the roles.
9 Hooch — Turner & Hooch
Beasley the Dog co-stars alongside Tom Hanks in the 1989 buddy cop comedy film Turner & Hooch. This dog, a Dogue de Bordeaux, was trained by his owner, Clint Rowe, who actually makes a small appearance in the film. Apart from Beasley, there were two other dogs of the same breed featured in the film as stunt doubles. Turner & Hooch was the only film featuring Beasley, who sadly passed away in 1992.
8 Sarii — Prey
Coco is Sarii, Naru's (Amber Midthunder) dog companion in Prey, the fifth installment of the Predator franchise. Coco's real-life story is heartwarming: she was adopted from a shelter specifically for the film. With no prior training, let alone experience in the movie industry, it took a considerable amount of time and patience to pull off her shots. However, director Dan Trachtenberg was so charmed by the rambunctious dog actor that he assigned her a much bigger role than the one he had originally planned for her.
7 Hachiko — Hachi: A Dog's Tale
Hachi: A Dog's Tale, the American adaptation of the Japanese production Hachikō Monogatari, is inspired by the real-life story of Hachicko, a very loyal dog who kept waiting for his owner for years after the man's death. The film starring Richard Gere featured three Akita dog actors to bring Hachi to life: Chico, Forrest and Layla. While Forrest was already part of a family at the time of filming, Chico and Layla ended up being adopted by their trainers, Mark Harden and David Allsberry.
6 Buddy — Air Bud
Air Bud is a film franchise centered on a Golden Retriever dog that is very skilled at sports. This series, which spans five films and nine spin-offs, starred Buddy, who was found as a stray dog by Kevin di Cicco, who then adopted him and taught him how to play several sports, including basketball, which was the inspiration for the franchise. Sadly, Buddy passed away after the first film was released, so his role was eventually taken over by other Golden Retriever dogs in subsequent films.
5 Bruiser — Legally Blonde
Bruiser Woods is the loyal sidekick of the stylish attorney Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) in Legally Blonde. The dog actor behind this lovable character is Moonie, a Chihuahua trained from a young age by his owner, Sue Chipperton, who also trained Gidget, a female Chihuahua known for appearing in Taco Bell commercials. Besides his appearance in Legally Blonde and its sequel, Moonie landed some other starring roles, such as in the TV series Three Sisters and Providence.
4 Toto — The Wizard of Oz
Terry is a female Cairn Terrier that appeared in over 20 films, and gained notoriety for her role as Toto in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Terry was trained by her owner, Carl Spitz, and was paid a tremendous amount of money for her performance in the film starring Judy Garland, making even more money than some of the actors in the cast. Her last film role was in the movie Easy to Look At, as in 1945, at the age of 11, Terry passed away.
3 Frank — Men in Black
Frank the Pug is a character from the Men in Black franchise who, while looking like a regular dog, is in fact an alien in disguise. The dog actor responsible for portraying this humorous character was Mushu, a pug trained by his real owner, Ted Brac. Mushu starred in the first two Men in Black movies, in 1997 and 2002, but sadly passed away before filming the third installment. However, thanks to CGI, the audience got to meet Frank once again in the 2019 film Men in Black: International.
2 Beethoven — Beethoven
Chris is the St. Bernard dog featured in one of the most lovable movie series in history: Beethoven, spanning eight films and a TV series. Chris was raised by one of his trainers, Karl Lewis Miller, and only starred in the first two films of the franchise, Beethoven and Beethoven's 2nd, both of which also featured several St. Bernard dogs as Chris' stunt doubles. After filming the second installment, Chris retired to spend quality time with his family and, eventually, he passed away.
1 Lassie — Lassie Come Home
Lassie ranks at the top of this list as Hollywood's most famous dog, so loyal and devoted that she would be the perfect pet for any dog lover. The dog actor responsible for portraying this character was Pal, an untrained Rough Collie who made his film debut in the 1943 movie Lassie Come Home. After starring in several films and TV series as Lassie, Pal retired and passed on his role to some of his descendants, who kept on portraying the most worshipped Collie in the movie industry.