Meet the Celebrity Voices Behind Your Favorite Animated Film Characters

From Steve Carell's Gru in Minions to Reese Witherspoon as Rosita in Sing, you might be surprised to meet the famous faces who have brought your favorite movie characters to life.

By Brett Malec Jul 01, 2022 1:00 PMTags

Get ready to meet the famous faces behind your favorite animated film characters.

From Disney princesses and a master of Minions to four-legged friends and more, you might be surprised to learn which celebrities have lent their voices to some of the most iconic movie characters in recent history.

We can't imagine anyone but Steve Carell and his unmistakable accent bringing the lovable villain Gru to life in the Despicable Me and Minions movies. Then there's Frozen's Anna and Elsa—played by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel respectively—whose singing voices are basically universally recognized at this point by children and adults alike.

It takes a lot of personality and talent to portray fictional characters like the rambunctious furry friends in The Secret Life of Pets, everyone's favorite Genie Robin Williams in Aladdin and Finding Nemo's forgetful fish Dory (a.k.a. Ellen DeGeneres).

In honor of Universal's new film Minions: The Rise of Gru (in theaters Friday, July 1) and DreamWorks' just-released movie The Bad Guys (streaming exclusively on Peacock now), check out all the stars who've lent their voices to your favorite animated characters from the big screen below.

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Gru, Despicable Me Franchise

Steve Carell brought a truly unique accent as lovable villain Gru in all of the Despicable Me films, including the latest, Minions: The Rise of Gru, out July 1, 2022.

Rosita, Sing

Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon shines as performing pig Rosita in the Sing films.

Lightning McQueen, Cars

Owen Wilson gave life to Lightning McQueen in both Cars and Cars 2

Gidget, The Secret Life of Pets

Iconic voice actress Jenny Slate—who is also the persona behind the wildly popular animated character Marcel the Shell—perfectly plays snobby Pomeranian Gidget in The Secret Life of Pets movies.

Rapunzel, Tangled

Former teen pop star Mandy Moore voiced the princess with 70-foot long hair, who was also the first Disney royal to have supernatural powers. 

Wolf, The Bad Guys

In DreamWorks' new 2022 film about a group of wanted villains, Oscar winner Sam Rockwell plays Wolf.

Kristoff, Frozen

Looking star Jonathan Groff is one of the few characters to not get a big song in Frozen, yet he's a very seasoned Broadway vet.

Snowball, The Secret Life of Pets

The always hilarious Kevin Hart puts all his energy into portraying the rambunctious daredevil Snowball.

Dory, Finding Nemo

Dory the forgetful fish was written specifically for Emmy-winning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

Belle Bottom, Minions: The Rise of Gru

Empire alum Taraji P. Henson is joining the Despicable Me franchise as Belle Bottom in 2022's Minions: The Rise of Gru.

Master Chow, Belle Bottom, Minions: The Rise of Gru

Also starring in Minions: The Rise of Gru is iconic actress Michelle Yeoh, who voices Master Chow.

Buster Moon, Sing

Matthew McConaughey will have you saying "alright, alright, alright" with his adorable performance as Buster Moon in the Sing franchise.

Helen Parr/Elastigirl, The Incredibles

It's a good thing Holly Hunter got some superhero experience from Disney, as she was later cast in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016.

Woody, Toy Story

Tom Hanks has said that he was interested in the role of Woody the cowboy because, as a kid, he always wondered if his toys would come to life when nobody was in the room.

Queen Elinor, Brave

Emma Thompson is the voice behind Queen Elinor, who turns into a giant bear due to a witch's curse.

Ash, Sing

Actress Scarlett Johansson shows off her singing chops as Ash in the musical franchise.

Tarantula, The Bad Guys

Golden Globe winner Awkwafina brings her iconic brand of comedy to The Bad Guys as Tarantula.

Miss Hattie & Lucy, Despicable Me Franchise

Kristen Wiig made her debut as Miss Hattie in the franchise's first film in 2010, and later went on to voice Lucy in the first two sequels.

Diane Foxington, The Bad Guys

Atlanta actress Zazie Beetz voices a foxy member of The Bad Guys.

Duke, The Secret Life of Pets

Modern Family alum Eric Stonestreet is the hug-able pup Duke on the big screen.

Randy, Monsters, Inc.

Boardwalk Empire star Steve Buscemi provided the voice for the villain in Monsters, Inc., but only after John Goodman (Sulley) pushed to have him cast.

Piranha, The Bad Guys

The Bad Guys' Piranha is voiced by Hamilton and In the Heights star Anthony Ramos.

Chloe, The Secret Life of Pets

Pets' lovable, rotund feline Chloe is voiced by Lake Bell.

Young Nana, Sing

Oscar-winning Dreamgirls star Jennifer Hudson lends her award-winning vocals to the part of Young Nana in Sing.

Dr. Nefario, Despicable Me

Comedian Russell Brand is the man behind Gru's nemesis Dr. Nefario.

Yzma, The Emperor's New Groove

You may have missed the nod to Eartha Kitt's role as Catwoman when, at the end of this film, her evil Yzma turned into a kitten. 

Mickey Mouse

Walt Disney himself voiced the character he created for almost 20 years, but was then replaced in 1946 by Jimmy MacDonald after the former became too busy. 

Buddy, The Secret Life of Pets

Comedian and Broad City alum Hannibal Buress brings the laughs at Buddy in Pets.

Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story

Tim Allen took the role of Buzz Lightyear after Chevy Chase turned it down. 

Remy, Ratatouille

The one and only Patton Oswalt is the voice behind the rat who can cook better than most French folks.

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