Poised for international megastardom, Dewey's next move surprised everyone:
He went cartoon.
Most moviegoers probably didn't recognize Dewey in his turn as Max in Disney's The Little Mermaid. Said Dewey, "As an actor - and especially as a minority actor -I did not want to be typecast as a bad guy. The other parts I was sent all consisted of my reprising my role as a dangerous black cat. I'm not saying that I will only play good guys. Of course not. But I was not about to follow up what I felt was a solid, if dark, part with a two-dimensional stock villain. This role appealed to me. It was a small part, sure, but I was never in it for the money "
Dewey would continue to remold his image, forever defying expectations. His next role however, was all wet.