, ▁Mul an ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁animal ▁compan ions ; ▁it ▁was ▁Roy ▁E . ▁Disney ▁who ▁suggested ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁M ush u . ▁V eter an ▁story ▁artist ▁Joe ▁Grant ▁created ▁the ▁cr icket ▁character , ▁C ri - K ee , ▁though ▁anim ator ▁Barry ▁Temple ▁admitted ▁" the ▁direct ors ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁movie , ▁the ▁story ▁department ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁movie . ▁The ▁only ▁people ▁who ▁truly ▁wanted ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁movie ▁were ▁Michael ▁E is ner ▁and ▁Joe ▁Grant ▁– ▁and ▁myself , ▁because ▁I ▁was ▁assigned ▁the ▁character . ▁I ▁would ▁sit ▁in ▁meet ings ▁and ▁they ' d ▁say , ▁' Well , ▁where ' s ▁the ▁cr icket ▁during ▁all ▁this ?' ▁Some body ▁else ▁would ▁say , ▁' Oh , ▁to ▁hell ▁the ▁cr icket .' ▁They ▁felt ▁C ri - K ee ▁was ▁a ▁character ▁who ▁wasn ' t ▁necessary ▁to ▁tell ▁the ▁story , ▁which ▁is ▁true ." ▁Through out ▁development ▁on ▁the ▁film , ▁Grant ▁would ▁s lip ▁sketch es ▁of ▁C ri - K ee ▁under ▁the ▁direct ors ' ▁door . ▁ ▁Cast ing ▁Before ▁production ▁began , ▁the ▁production ▁team ▁sought ▁out ▁Chinese , ▁Japanese , ▁Filip ino , ▁or ▁Korean ▁vocal ▁tal ents . ▁T ia ▁Car r ere ▁was ▁an ▁early ▁candidate ▁to ▁voice ▁the ▁title ▁character . ▁However , ▁Le a ▁Sal ong a , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁singing ▁voice ▁of ▁Princess ▁J asm ine