divorce attorney who does not believe in true love, happily-ever-after, or fairy tales since his wife left him and their daughter. He falls in love with Giselle after her adventure to New York City, and her sense of fun gradually rubs off on him over the course of the film. Lima cast Dempsey after Disney was satisfied with the casting of Adams but had wanted more well-known actors in the film. Dempsey, whose starring role on TV series Grey's Anatomy had earned him the nickname "McDreamy", was described by Lima as "a modern-day Prince Charming to today's audience". The role was challenging for Dempsey because he had to play the straight man to Adams' and Marsden's more outrageous characters. James Marsden as Prince Edward, a dim-witted, yet brave, heroic and good-hearted, prince who ends up confused with the world of New York once he enters it. Marsden was announced to have been cast on December 6, 2005. At the time Marsden was auditioning, the role of Robert had not been cast but he decided to pursue the role of Prince Edward because he was "more fun and he responded more to that character". Edward is a prince in Andalasia and the stepson of Queen Narissa. He is "very pure, very simple-minded and naive, but innocently narcissistic". Timothy Spall as Nathaniel, a servant of Queen Narissa, who gets controlled through his infatuation with the Queen and his own lack of self-esteem. He initially does Narissa's bidding, but ultimately realizes her true nature and rebels against her. He has a penchant for disguises. Idina Menzel as Nancy Tremaine, a fashion designer and Robert's girlfriend. Once Giselle falls in love with Robert, she falls for Edward and leaves with him. Since the role did not require any singing, Menzel said in an interview that "it was a compliment to be asked to just be hired on my acting talents alone". She is named after Lady Tremaine, the stepmother from Cinderella. Rachel Covey as Morgan Philip, Robert's 6-year-old daughter. Despite her father misunderstanding her and telling her otherwise, she believes in fairy tales and also believes that magic exists. Susan Sarandon as Queen Narissa, Edward's evil stepmother, a sorceress, and a megalomaniac with a hatred for Giselle simply for being an obstacle for her to keep her power. Sarandon had been attracted to the project prior to Lima's involvement as director. Since Sarandon's on-screen