After the Walt Disney Company bought Marvel Entertainment in 2009, CEO Bob Iger encouraged the company’s divisions to explore Marvel’s properties for adaptation concepts. By deliberately choosing a more obscure title, the company would have the freedom to create their own version. While directing Winnie the Pooh, director Don Hall was scrolling through a Marvel database when he stumbled upon a comic called Big Hero 6, which he never heard before. He pitched the concept to John Lasseter in 2011 as one of 5 ideas for possible productions for Walt Disney Studios and this idea struck a particular chord with Lasseter, Hall, and Chris Williams. Because they wanted the concept to feel new and fresh, story head Paul Briggs only read a few issues of the comic. While screenwriter Robert L. Baird hadn’t read the comic at all. Although Walt Disney Studios solely produced Big Hero 6, several members of Marvel’s creative team were involved in the production. Unlike what Marvel does in its comics and movies, the production team decided early on set the film in a stand-alone universe and not connect it to the MCU. With respect to Baymax’s design, Hall mentioned in an interview, “I wanted a robot that we had never seen before and something to be wholly original. That’s a tough thing to do, we’ve got a lot of robots in pop culture, everything from The Terminator to WALL-E to C-3PO on down the line and not to mention Japanese robots, I won’t go into that. So I wanted to do something original.” Although no one had any idea of what this robot should look like, artist Lisa Keene stated it should be a huggable one.

Early on in the development process, Hall and the design team took a research trip to Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute where they met a team of DARPA-funded researchers who were pioneering a new field of “soft robotics” using inflatable vinyl, which ultimately inspired Baymax’s vinyl, inflatable, and huggable design. Hall stated that “I met a researcher (Chris Atkeson) who was working on soft robots. … It was an inflatable vinyl arm and the practical app would be in the healthcare industry as a nurse or doctor’s assistant. He had me at vinyl. This particular researcher went into this long pitch but the minute he showed me that inflatable arm, I knew we had our huggable robot.” Baymax’s face design was inspired by the copper suzu bell that Hall noticed while at a Shinto shrine. Although the robot was supposed to be introduced late in the film, story artist John Ripa conceived a way for Baymax to meet Hiro much earlier. With the entire film becoming much stronger by establishing the relationship between the two early on, yet the filmmakers had to reconstruct much of the first act to make it happen. For style and settings, the film combines Japanese and Eastern world culture with San Francisco culture. The result was San Fransokyo based on alternative history in which Japanese immigrants rebuilt San Francisco after the 1906 Earthquake. Upon its 2014 release, Big Hero 6 received positive reviews from critics and grossed $657.8 million at the worldwide box office. Not to mention, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for good reason. In this post, we’ll meet the voices behind Tadashi, Fred, Go Go, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Professor Callaghan, Heathcliff, and a couple of characters from Inside Out.

431. Daniel Henney

Dates: 1979-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Carson City, Michigan. Mother was a nurse and American adoptee from Busan, South Korea. Father was a factory worker. Was a basketball star at Carson City-Crystal High School and led the Eagles to the MHSAA Central Region, 2^nd place finish during his senior year in 1998. Attended various colleges such as Albion College, Albin College, and Elgin Community College but never completed his college studies due to his rising modeling career. Although many online portals have alleged that he graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with an economics degree. But an academic scandal in 2007 revealed that several South Korean celebrities including Henney had falsified academic records. Started modeling in 2001 where he worked in France, Hong Kong, and many more while attending college. After his debut on an advertisement in South Korea, he became a spokesman for commercials with Jun Ji-hyun for Olympus cameras and Kim Tae-hee for Daewoo Electronics’s Klasse air conditioners. While modeling for Olympus in 2005, he was spotted by a talent manager who got him a role in a Korean drama.

Movies and Cartoons: Big Hero 6 (2014) as well as Big Hero 6: The Series.

Characters: Tadashi Hamada

Also Known For: Actor and model best known as Dr. Henry Kim in My Lovely Sam Soon and Lan Mandragoran in The Wheel of Time. Film appearances include Seducing Mr. Perfect, My Father, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Last Stand, Shanghai Calling, One Night Surprise, Papa, The Spy: Undercover Operation, Money, Confidential Assignment 2: International, Missing (2023), and Dog Days. TV appearances include Spring Waltz, Hawaii Five-O, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Criminal Minds, Hello Franceska, Three Rivers, The Fugitive: Plan B, Revolution, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show, and Dear My Friends.

Personal Life: Married to actress Ru Kamagai since 2023.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Said he pursued an acting career in South Korea because he wanted to know about his mother’s biological family.

432. T.J. Miller

Dates: 1981-present

Early Life and Career: Born Todd Joseph Miller in Denver, Colorado. Mother was a clinical psychologist. Father was an attorney from Kansas. Attended Graland Country Day School and graduated from Denver’s East High School where he participated in drama productions. Graduated from George Washington University in Washington D.C. in 2003 with a degree in psychology containing a concentration in persuasion theory and social influence. While at GWU, he was a member of the comedy group Recess and the Lambda chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa. Also studied the circus arts at Firchess Theatre Urbain in Paris and attended the British Dramatic Academy in London, where he studied Shakespeare for a summer. After college, Miller moved to Chicago to perform improvisation and stand-up comedy, working with many troupes and toured with The Second City for 2 years. Made his screen debut in 2007 and his film debut in 2008.

Movies and Cartoons: Big Hero 6 (2014) as well as the series Gravity Falls and the Kingdom Hearts III video game.

Characters: Frederick Flamarian “Fred” Frederickson IV

Also Known For: Actor, stand-up comedian, producer, and screenwriter best known as Erich Bachman in Silicon Valley and Weasel in Deadpool and Deadpool 2. Film appearances include Yogi Bear, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Goon: Last of the Enforcers, Unstoppable, Ready Player One, Underwater, How to Train Your Dragon, The Emoji Movie, Cloverfield, Extract, She’s Out of My League, Get Him to the Greek, Gulliver’s Travels (2010), Our Idiot Brother, Rock of Ages, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Search Party, Hell and Back, Office Christmas Party, Underwater, Jason Nash Is Married, and The Stand-In. TV appearances include DreamWorks Dragons, Carpoolers, Happy Endings, The League, Fact Checkers Unit, How to Rock, The Gorburger Show, American Dad!, The Goodwin Games, The Jeselnik Offensive, High School USA!, Garfunkel and Oates, Family Guy, Those Who Can’t, Lip Sync Battle, Crashing, and F Is for Family.

Personal Life: Married to actress and installation artist Kate Gorney since 2015. Had an undiagnosed cerebral arteriovenous malformation on his right frontal lobe that made him unable to sleep while filming Yogi Bear 2010. This was later corrected by brain surgery that ran the risk of a 10% fatality.

Later Life: Has been dogged by allegations such as assaulting an Uber driver, sexually violently assaulting a fellow student at George Washington University in 2001 (which he didn’t handle well at all but it’s debatable whether he was held accountable at the time), and orchestrating a fake bomb threat while aboard an Amtrak train (which he may have done while drunk in 2021). Although his career seems to have survived these scandals (since there’s a TBA in a film project on his Wikipedia page), it’s cost him since the people of DreamWorks booted him from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise while filming How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.

Trivia: Hosted the Critics’ Choice Awards in 2015 and 2016.

433. Jamie Chung

Dates: 1983-present

Early Life and Career: Born in San Francisco, California. Parents were Korean immigrants who came to the US in 1980 and ran a hamburger restaurant. Attended Commodore Stoat Elementary School, Aptos Middle School, and Lowell High School where she graduated in 2001. Attended and graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a B.A. in economics in 2005 and where she was in the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Was a cast member on The Real World: San Diego in the MTV reality show’s 14^th season in 2004. At the time, MTV described her as a hard-working student who worked two jobs to pay her tuition but also enjoyed partying. Her friends also described her as not having the best taste in men. After appearing on The Real World, she was on its spin-off game show Real World/Road Rules Challenge as a cast member of their 2005 season The Inferno II, during which she was a member of the “Good Guys” team, which squared off against the “Bad Asses.” By the season’s end, after several cast members were eliminated from the competition, Chung still remained along with a few of her teammates and ultimately defeated the Bad Asses, winning the competition. After her stint in reality television, she began her acting career in minor roles on various TV shows and films. Made her breakthrough role in the series Samurai Girl. First film role was that of a Hooters Girl in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry in 2007.

Movies and Cartoons: Big Hero 6 (2014) as well as Big Hero 6: The Series, the TV film Princess Protection Program, and the Kingdom Hearts III video game.

Characters: Go Go Tomago

Also Known For: Actress and former reality television personality who’s best known as Mulan in Once Upon a Time and Ji-Ah in Lovecraft Country. Film appearances include Dragonball Evolution, Grown Ups, Premium Rush, Sorority Row, The Hangover Part II, Sucker Punch, Eden, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Burning Palms, The Man with the Iron Fists, Knife Fight, The Hangover Part III, Flight 7500, Bad Johnson, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Rudderless, A Year and Change, Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, Flock of Dudes, Office Christmas Party, Band Aid, 1985, Dangerous Lies, The Misfits (2021), Junction, and Reunion. TV appearances include The Real World: San Diego, Real World/Road Rules challenge: Inferno II, Samurai Girl, The Gifted, Veronica Mars, ER, Days of Our Lives, CSI:NY, Castle, Grey’s Anatomy, Believe, Resident Advisors, Gotham, Sherwood, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, This Is Us, Star Wars: Visions, Dexter: New Blood, Finding Your Roots, Succession, My Dad the Bounty Hunter, Unprisoned, Batman: Caped Crusader, Twilight of the Gods, and Krapopolis. Video game appearances include Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Uprising, X-Men: Destiny, and Destiny 2 – Warmind.

Personal Life: Married to actor and musician Bryan Greenberg since 2015. They have twin sons born via surrogacy in 2021. Have acquired homes in Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City.

Later Life: In 2025, Chung and Greenberg’s house was destroyed by the Southern California wildfires. They and their twin boys were unharmed.

Trivia: Won the Female Stars of Tomorrow Award at the 2009 ShoWest industry trade show along with her Sorority Row castmates. In 2012 Seattle International Film Festival, she won the Golden Space Needle Award for Best Actress for Eden.

434. Damon Wayans Jr.

Dates: 1982-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Huntington, Vermont. Father is Damon Wayans Sr. Mother was an actress. Made his film debut in 1994 when cast in his dad’s film Blankman and later appeared on his dad’s sitcom My Wife and Kids as one of Junior’s friends. Later became a staff writer on the series. Later served as a writer in The Underground and garnered a standing ovation during his debut appearance in Def Comedy Jam. Made his big break in 2011 in Happy Endings.

Movies and Cartoons: Big Hero 6 (2014)

Characters: Wasabi

Also Known For: Actor and comedian best known as Brad Williams in Happy Endings and Coach in New Girl. Film appearances include Let’s Be Cops, Blankman, Dance Flick, Marmaduke, The Other Guys, Someone Marry Barry, How to Be Single, Super Troopers 2, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Cherry, Long Weekend, The Harder They Fall (2021), Supercool, Players, and Kinda Pregnant. TV appearances include My Wife and Kids, The Underground, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair, Happy Together, Sherman’s Showcase, Bob’s Burgers, The Twilight Zone, Kenan, Raid the Cage, Poppa’s House, and Shrinking.

Personal Life: Nephew of Keenan Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans, and Marlon Wayans. Married to Samara Saraiva since 2016. They have 4 children comprising of 2 daughters and 2 sons. Also has 2 daughters to with his ex-girlfriend Aja Metoyer from high school as well as a granddaughter. Once sued his ex for custody during his 2 older daughters’ teenage years due to concerns of their mother’s lifestyle affecting them. Which I kind of see as somewhat warranted because one of them had a daughter with her now ex-high school boyfriend.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has been nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award for his role in New Girl.

435. Genesis Rodriguez

Dates: 1987-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Miami, Florida. Mother was a Cuban fashion model. Father is Venezuelan actor Jose Luis Rodriguez known as “El Puma.” They married in 1996. Attended Miami’s Carrolton School of the Sacred Heart and later trained as an actress at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. Returning to Miami, she continued private instruction and obtained a recurring role in Days of Our Lives and was a returned special guest in Top Chef. She also landed Spanish language roles on Telemundo series such as Dame Chocolate as Rosita Amado and Violeta Hurtado. Made her big break in 2012 in the film Casa de Mi Padre.

Movies and Cartoons: Big Hero 6 (2014) as well as series like Big Hero 6: The Series and Elena of Avalor along with the Kingdom Hearts III video game.

Characters: Honey Lemon

Also Known For: Actress best known as Sarah in Entourage and Jane Walker in Time After Time. Film appearances include Man on a Ledge, Casa de Mi Padre, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, The Last Stand, Tusk, Run All Night, Identity Thief, Hours, Yoga Hosers, Delirium, Centigrade, and The 4:30 Movie. TV appearances include Prisonera, Dame Chocolate, Dona Barbara, El Cub de Los Tigritos, The Screen Junkies Show, Made in Hollywood, The Passage, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, The Umbrella Academy, Neon, and Lioness.

Personal Life: I couldn’t find anything about her personal life.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

436. James Cromwell

Dates: 1940-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Los Angeles. Mother was actress Kay Johnson. Father was director John Cromwell who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. Parents divorced in 1946. Was raised in Manhattan in New York City. Graduated from The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania in 1958. Went to Middlebury College and Carnegie Mellon University, the latter where he graduated with a BFA in 1964. Received acting training at HB Studios. Experiences of the Civil Rights Movement while on a theatre tour through several Deep South states in 1964, particularly with the courage of local campaigners and visiting activists, convinced him to become a lifelong activist on progressive causes. Especially since he played high school football with civil rights worker Mickey Schwermer, who was murdered with his colleagues in Mississippi that same year. During the 1960s, he was a member of Committee to Defend the Panthers, a group organized to defend 13 members of the Black Panther Movement who had been imprisoned in New York on charges of conspiracy.  Was also involved in the anti-Vietnam War Movement as well. Although he made his film debut as an extra in 1958, his acting career really began when he appeared on The Rockford Files in 1974.

Movies and Cartoons: Big Hero 6 (2014) as well as Big Hero 6: The Series.

Characters: Professor Robert Callaghan

Also Known For: Actor best known for his extensive work in character roles. Has nearly 200 credits to his name. Frequently plays authority figures who are often corrupt or bluntly unethical. Film appearances include Babe, Star Trek: First Contact, L. A. Confidential, Deep Impact, The Green Mile, Space Cowboys, The Sum of All Fears, I, Robot, The Longest Yard, The Queen, W., Secretariat, The Artist, Still Mine, The Promise, Marshall, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Emperor, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Murder by Death, The Cheap Detective, The Man with Two Brains, Revenge of the Nerds, Pink Cadillac, The Babe, The People vs. Larry Flynt, The Education of Little Tree, The General’s Daughter, Snow Falling on Cedars, Dante’s Inferno, Becoming Jane, Spider-Man 3, A Lonely Place for Dying, Surrogates, Memorial Day, Soldiers of Fortune, The Trials of Cate McCall, The Laundromat, Never Too Late, Prancer: A Christmas Tale, and Rebel Ridge. TV appearances include Angels in America, Six Feet Under, American Horror Story: Asylum, Boardwalk Empire, The Young Pope, Counterpart, Succession, Sugar, 24, Halt and Catch Fire, The Rockford Files, All in the Family, Maude, Hot I Baltimore, The Nancy Walker Show, M*A*S*H, Three’s Company, Barney Miller, Eight Is Enough, Diff’rent Strokes, Flo, Little House on the Prairie, Father Murphy, Dallas, Night Court, Family Ties, Knight Rider, Hill Street Blues, The Twilight Zone, Scarecrow and Mr. King, Amazing Stories, Magnum P.I., Mr. Belvedere, Matlock, Star Trek: The Next Generation, L. A. Law, Home Improvement, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, ER, Star Trek: Enterprise, Citizen Baines, The West Wing, Salem’s Lot, Pope John Paul II, My Own Worst Enemy, Pius XII: Under the Roman Sky, Do No Harm, Betrayal, Murder in the First, The Detour, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Berlin Station, The Family, Operation Buffalo, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Julia, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Murder in a Small Town. Stage appearances include Othello, Hamlet, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Waiting for Godot, and Rupert.

Personal Life: Married 3 times. First wife was Ana Ulvestad from 1977 until their divorce in 1986. They have 3 children named Kate, John, and Colin. Second wife was actress Julie Cobb from 1986 to their divorce in 2005. Third and current wife is actress Anna Stuart since 2014. Was a vegetarian since 1974 and a vegan since 1995.

Later Life: Has been an advocate for progressive causes particularly environmental and animal rights. He’s also been arrested at many protests over the years for these causes. Not to mention, he has a close association with PETA, too. Lives in Warwick, New York.

Trivia: Was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Babe and 5 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Has won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for American Horror Story: Asylum. At 6’7,” he’s the tallest actor nominated for an Academy Award. His son John is 6’8” and often plays the younger version of his dad’s characters in some projects.

437. David Shaughnessy

Dates: 1957-present

Early Life and Career: Born in London, England. Father was TV screenwriter Alfred Shaughnessy. Mother was actress Jean Lodge. Most likely attended Eton College along with his brother Charles. At 16, Shaughnessy was  the youngest student admitted to the Central School of Speech and Drama. After graduating, he starred in repertory theaters in the UK and went on to become a principal actor at the Old Vic and touring around the world. Later went on to perform in national tours, including 18 months in a production of Godspell. Made screen debut in 1979.

Movies and Cartoons: Big Hero 6 (2014) as well as Big Hero 6: The Series.

Characters: Heathcliff

Also Known For: British actor, producer, and director best known for his voice work and directing soap operas. Film appearances include Labyrinth, The Whistle Blower, Death Spa, Adventures in Zambezia, Top Cat Begins, and Birds of a Feather. TV appearances include Peter Pan and the Pirates, Star Wars Rebels, Danger UXB, The Brief, The Haunting of Cassie Palmer, Q.E.D., Three Up Two Down, Minder, The Clairvoyant, War and Remembrance, Newhart, Guys with Kids, Random! Cartoons, Robot Chicken, Avengers Assemble, The Tom and Jerry Show, Star Wars Resistance, Cleopatra in Space, Blood of Zeus, Dota: Dragon’s Blood, Young Justice, and Tales of the Jedi. Video game appearances include Mass Effect, The Darkness II, The Elder Scrolls, Warcraft, Destroy All Humans! 2, Resistance: Fall of Man, Flushed Away, The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Final Fantasy XIV, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, Grand Theft Auto V, Hearthstone, Smite, Lichdom: Battlemage, The Order: 1886, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Crackdown 3, World War Z, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Asgard’s Wrath, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Diablo IV, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Has directed episodes for Santa Barbara, Trial by Jury, The Bold and the Beautiful, Tribes, The Young and the Restless, and Days of Our Lives.

Personal Life: Younger brother of Charles Shaughnessy, 5^th Baron Shaughnessy and is heir presumptive to his title. Married to writer Anne Schoettle. They have 3 daughters Amy, Katie, and Josie.

Later Life: Lives in Los Angeles.

Trivia: Great-grandson of American-Canadian railway administrator Thomas Shaughnessy, 1^st Baron Shaughnessy. Has won 2 Daytime Emmys.

438. Abraham Benrubi

Dates: 1969-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Father was the lead singer of Roadmaster and a radio personality in St. Louis. Paternal grandmother helped shelter Jews in Greece during World War II and later converted to Judaism. Graduated from Broad Ripple High School. Made his breakthrough in the show Wings.

Movies and Cartoons: Big Hero 6 (2014) and Strange World (2022) as well as the short Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.

Characters: General and Lonnie Redshirt

Also Known For: Actor best known as Jeff Markovic in ER, Larry Kubiac in Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, and Dennis in Without a Paddle. Film appearances include Wagons East, Twister, George of the Jungle, The Rugrats Movie, The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001), Open Range, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous, Charlotte’s Web (2006), A Night in Old Mexico, Little Boy, The Finest Hours, The Belko Experiment, Bliss, The Call of the Wild (2020), Christmas Bloody Christmas, and The Old Way. TV appearances include Robot Chicken, Growing Pains, Wings, Married…with Children, Blossom, Roseanne, Grace Under Fire, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Criminal Minds, American Dad!, Men in Trees, Happy Town, Memphis Beat, Community, Bones, Star Wars Detours, Brickleberry, Once Upon a Time, Bosch, Beware the Batman, TripTank, Outcast, APB, Chicago Fire, and It’s Pony. Video game appearances include the World of Warcraft series, Myth III: The Wolf Age, Skylanders: Giants, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, Heroes of the Storm, and StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.

Personal Life: I can’t find anything on his personal life.

Later Life: Member of the Los Angeles Sacred Fools Sacred Fools Theater Company.

Trivia: None.

439. Phyllis Smith

Dates: 1979-present

Early Life and Career: Born in St. Louis, Missouri. Graduated from Cleveland High School. Later graduated from the University of Missouri – St. Louis in 1972 with a degree in elementary education. During the 1970s and 1980s, she was a dancer, a cheerleader for the St. Louis Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals), and a burlesque performer. Later was forced to quit all that after suffering a knee injury. Later worked in Hollywood as an actress and in casting. Made her big break as Phyllis Lapin in The Office, a character written specifically for her.

Movies and Cartoons: Inside Out (2015) and Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as the short Riley’s First Date, the series Dream Productions, and the video game Disney Infinity 3.0.

Characters: Sadness

Also Known For: Actress best known as Phyllis Lapin Vance in The Office and Betty Broderick-Allen in The OA. Film appearances include I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, Bad Teacher, Butter, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, and Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. TV appearances include Arrested Development, Trophy Wife, and The Middle. Worked in casting for Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Roswell, Spin City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Office.

Personal Life: I can’t find anything about her personal life.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Was a spokeswoman for JoAnn Fabrics in 2021.

440. Diane Lane

Dates: 1965-present

Early Life and Career: Born in New York City. Mother was nightclub singer and onetime Playboy centerfold (Miss October 1957) Colleen Leigh Farrington. Father was a Manhattan drama coach who ran an acting workshop with John Cassavetes and supplemented his income as a cab driver as well as later taught humanities at City College. Shortly after her birth, her parents divorced. Lived with her mom until she was 6 years old. Father received custody of her after her mom moved to Georgia. Also landed her first acting role in La Mama Experimental Company’s 1971 production of Medea and continued acting in theater throughout the 1970s. All while she and her dad lived in a number of residential New York hotels and she rode in his taxi. Made her film debut at 13 with A Little Romance. At 15, Lane declared her independence from her father and flew to Los Angeles for a week with actor and friend Christopher Atkins with whom she starred in the 1981 film Child Bride of Short Creek. Later returned to New York where she moved in with a friend’s family, paying them rent. In 1981, Lane enrolled at Hunter College High School after taking correspondence courses. Although she was in the accelerated program, her acting career led her grades to suffer. However, Lane’s mother kidnapped her and took her back to Georgia. Lane and her dad challenged her mom in court and was back in New York. She wouldn’t speak to her mom for the next 3 years but they eventually reconciled. Made her breakthrough roles with The Outsiders and Rumble Fish during the 1980s.

Movies and Cartoons: Inside Out (2015) and Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as the short Riley’s First Date and the series Dream Productions.

Characters: Riley’s Mom

Also Known For: Actress best known as Constance “Connie” Summer in Unfaithful and Martha Kent in Man of Steel, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League. Film appearances include A Little Romance, Streets of Fire, The Cotton Club, The Big Town, Lady Beware, A Walk on the Moon, My Dog Skip, The Perfect Storm, The Glass House, Hardball, Under the Tuscan Sun, Must Love Dogs, Nights in Rhodanthe, Fierce People, Hollywoodland, Untraceable, The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, The Cotton Club, Jack, Paris Can Wait, Let Him Go, Touched by Love, National Lampoon’s Movie Madness, Cattle Annie and Little Britches, Chaplin, Indian  Summer, Judge Dredd, Wild Bill, Mad Dog Time, The Only Thrill, Murder at 1600, Jumper, Secretariat, Every Secret Thing, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House, Tully, and Serenity (2019). TV appearances include Lonesome Dove, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, A Man in Full, Extrapolations, Great Performances, A Child Bride of Short Creek, Descending Angel, Fallen Angels, Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, Grace and Glorie, Cinema Verite, Half the Sky, The Romanoffs, House of Cards, and Y: The Last Man. Stage appearances include The Trojan Women, The Good Woman of Szechuan, Blood Wedding, As You Like It, The Cherry Orchard, Agamemnon, Runaways, Twelfth Night, and Sweet Bird of Youth.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was actor Chris Lambert from 1988 until their divorce in 1994. They have a daughter. Second husband was actor Josh Brolin from 2003 until their divorce in 2013. Although Lane did call the police on him for a domestic altercation shortly after their wedding. Brolin was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery. However, Lane declined to press charges and the couple’s spokesperson said the incident as just a “misunderstanding.”

Later Life: Is involved in several charities including Heifer International, Artists for Peace and Justice, and the BraindAID Project. Although she doesn’t try to draw any attention to herself for her humanitarian efforts. Featured heavily in Half the Sky documentary as one of many A-List celebrities visit Africa and other areas where women are oppressed and has become an ambassador for this kind of work and charity work in general.

Trivia: Has won a Satellite, a New York Film Critics Circle, and a National Society of Film Critics award for Unfaithful. Has also been nominated for an Academy Award, a Critic’s Choice, 2 Golden Globes, an Independent Spirit Award, 2 Emmys, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2014, she was honored for her work at Heifer International at its third annual Beyond Hunger: A Place at the Table gala at the Montage Beverly Hills.

              Inspired by the Hans Christen Andersen story The Snow Queen, Frozen was the culmination of decades of failed attempts by Disney to adapt the story into an animated film. Sometimes as part of a biopic of Hans Christen Andersen, sometimes not. With the challenge mainly being how to make the story and the Snow Queen character work. Nonetheless, the momentum didn’t really kick in until the early 2010s once Disney announced Frozen. Yet, even then the story had to undergo a ton of revisions. For instance, Elsa was originally written as the villain like the Snow Queen was in the original story. One version had Elsa kidnap Anna at her wedding to freeze her heart and later descends on the town with an army of snowmen. But things didn’t really get rolling until the filmmakers decided to make Anna the protagonist and Queen Elsa sisters with a focus on a love between siblings. Yet, Elsa’s characterization from villain to “messed-up queen with ice powers” didn’t really take form until the Lopezes wrote “Let It Go.” Anna was originally written as more dysfunctional and codependent but Jennifer Lee argued for a simple coming of age story and constructed her and Elsa’s relationship based on her own with her older sister. Hans and Kristoff were added while Olaf was changed from Elsa’s obnoxious sidekick to Anna’s comically innocent one and one Lee was willing to take out. Still, Frozen’s development was a race against the clock since it was expected to have a November 2013 release.

              As with Tangled, Frozen employed a unique style by blending features of computer-generated and traditional hand-drawn animation. Art director Michael Giamo based Frozen’s style on the best Disney films of the 1950s, the Disney Little Golden Books, and mid-century modern design. Yet, he also researched by reading about Scandinavia and visiting the Danish-themed city of Solvang, California. He focused on Norway because 80% of the visuals appealing to him were from that country. Animators and visual effects specialists were sent to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to experience walking, running, and falling into deep snow in a variety of clothing like long skirts (which both men and women tried on). Lighting and arts teams visited Quebec City’s Ice Hotel to study how light reflects and refracts on snow and ice. Giamo and several artists ventured to Norway to absorb its mountains, fjords, architecture, and culture. A reindeer named Sage was brought in as a live action reference for Sven. While a character designer was brought in to animate costumes as Frozen required an unprecedented detail such as fabrics, buttons, trim, and stitching. With the wardrobe being a blend of 1840s western fashions and early 19^th century folk costume. Upon its release in 2013, Frozen grossed $1.28 billion worldwide, critical acclaim, 2 Academy Awards, and a pop culture phenomenon that’s still going strong. In this post, we’ll meet the voices behind a few more characters from Monsters University, 2 characters from Big Hero 6, filmmaker Jennifer Lee, as well as the voices behind Kristoff, Olaf, Hans, and Grand Pabbie.

421. Bobby Moynihan

Dates: 1977-present

Early Life and Career: Born Robert Michael Moynihan Jr. in Eastchester, New York. Graduated from the University of Connecticut’s School of Fine Arts in 1999. Afterwards, he toured with a Shakespeare company before discovering the Upright Citizens Brigade where Amy Poehler gave him a job as a bartender for free classes. Frequently performed with the Derrick Comedy sketch group and appeared in many of their popular internet videos and various projects. Joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2008.

Movies and Cartoons: Monsters University (2013), Inside Out (2015), and Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as new series Duck Tales and Monsters at Work, the short Party Central, and the live action TV movie series Descendants.

Characters: Chet Alexander, Forgetter Bobby, and Louie

Also Known For: Actor and comedian best known as a writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2008 to 2017. Also known as Louie in Duck Tales, Panda in We Bare Bears, Hal the Dog in Nature Cat, Jayden Kwapis in Mr. Mayor, and Loafy in Loafy. Film appearances include The Secret Life of Pets, Mystery Team, The Invention of Lying, When in Rome, Certainty, The Brass Teapot, Revenge for Jolly!, Grown Ups 2, Delivery Man, Adult Beginners, Annie (2014), Ted 2, Staten Island Summer, Underdogs, Sisters, Brother Nature, The Book of Henry, The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature, Killing Gunther, Flora & Ulysses, America: The Motion Picture, Unfrosted, and IF. TV appearances include Homicide: Life on the Street, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Electric Company, Chowder, Mercy, Ugly Americans, 30 Rock, Girls, Portlandia, Sesame Street, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Awesomes, Chozen, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Drunk History, Big Brother, Me, Myself & I, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Bob’s Burgers, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Detroiters, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Summer Camp Island, Star Wars Resistance, Documentary Now!, Where’s Waldo?, Vampirina, The Bravest Knight, Crank Yankers, It’s Pony, Kid Cosmic, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Alice’s Wonderland Bakery, Is It Cake?, Star Trek Lower Decks, Krapopolis, Impractical Jokers, Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, Hamster and Gretel, NCIS: Origins, and Very Important People.

Personal Life: Married to Broadway actress Brynn O’Malley since 2016. They have a daughter born in 2017.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Took improv classes with then 15-year-old Zach Woods.

422. Julia Sweeney

Dates: 1959-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Spokane, Washington. Father was an attorney and federal prosecutor. As a child, she was drawn to imitating voices and inventing characters. Attended Maycliff High School and Gonzaga Preparatory School where she appeared in a number of plays. Graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in economics and European history where she was student body vice-president and a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. Afterwards, Sweeney moved to Los Angeles were she worked as an accountant for Columbia Pictures and United Artists. In 1981, she enrolled in classes with the improvisational group the Groundlings, eventually being selected to be part of the troupe’s Sunday Company. It was here where she began developing characters, which she’d later bring to stage, film, and television. Was offered a spot on SNL after Lorne Michaels discovered her in 1989. She joined the cast the following year.

Movies and Cartoons: Monsters University (2013)

Characters: Sheri Squibbles

Also Known For: Actress best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1994 with her most famous character being the androgynous Pat. Also known as Mrs. Keeper in Stuart Little and Brittany in Father of the Pride. Film appearances include Pulp Fiction, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Coneheads, Vegas Vacation, Clockstoppers, and Whatever it Takes. TV appearances include Shrill, Work in Progress, American Gods, Baby Blues, The Goode Family, Back at the Barnyard, Lloyd in Space, 3^rd Rock from the Sun, Mad About You, According to Jim, Fraiser, Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Personal Life: Had 2 younger brothers who died, one of them from lymphoma. Survived a bout of cervical cancer during the 1990s. Married twice. First husband was Stephen Hibbert from 1989 until their divorce in 1994. Second and current husband is scientist Michael Blum since 2008. They have a daughter they adopted from China.

Later Life: Was appointed to the board of the Center of Inquiry in 2019.

Trivia: None.

423. Raymond Ochoa

Dates: 2001-present

Early Life and Career: Born in San Diego. In 2007, he starred in commercials for Betty Crocker, Verizon FiOS and Chevrolet. Made his debut in 2006 as Manuelito in the TV series 10 Items or Less.

Movies and Cartoons: Monsters University (2013) and The Good Dinosaur (2015) as well as the various series and several video games.

Characters: Arlo

Also Known For: Actor best known for his roles during his childhood. Film appearances include A Christmas Carol (2009), Yogi Bear, Mars Needs Moms, Kung Fu Panda 2, Lovesick, and Mr. Peabody & Sherman. TV appearances include 10 Items or Less, Cold Case, Hank, Pair of Kings, Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III, The Middle, Private Practice, Working Class, I Didn’t Do It, Rizzoli & Isles, and The Big Show Show. Video game appearances include Sunset Overdrive, Fallout 4, and The Walking Dead: A New Frontier.

Personal Life: Younger brother of actor Ryan Ochoa. Has a son born in 2021 with longtime partner Cecilia Ramirez.

Later Life: Has been in the band Ochoa Boyz with his brothers Ryan, Robert and Rick since 2012.

Trivia: None.

424. Jonathan Groff

Dates: 1985-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Father’s a horse trainer and former jockey. Roots in theater and acting began at an early age. At 3, he fell in love with Julie Andrews’ performance as Mary Poppins. Growing up, he and his older brother David put on childhood home productions such as a performance of The Wizard of Oz in his dad’s barn where he played Dorothy. Joined his middle and high school drama departments where he became inspired to pursue a theater career. Also took part in many community productions during his teens in Lancaster. Even directed a production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown during a high school theatre festival at the Fulton Opera House, for which he won a community award. Graduated from Conestoga Valley High School in 2003 and intended to attend Carnegie Mellon University. But he deferred his admission for a year when he was cast as Rolf in a Non-Equity National Tour of The Sound of Music. Afterwards, Groff decided to move to New York City instead of attending college and begin his acting career. Started out waiting tables at the Chelsea Grill in New York City before earning his Actors’ Equity Association card in 2005 with the musical Fame at the North Shore Music Theatre. Made his Broadway debut as an understudy for the lead role in the critically panned musical In My Life. Breakout performance came in 2006 when he originated the lead role of Melchioir Gabor in Spring Awakening. Made television debut in 2007 and film debut in 2009.

Movies and Cartoons: Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019) as well as various shorts and a couple of video games.

Characters: Kristoff

Also Known For: Actor and singer best known as the original Melchior Gabor in Spring Awakening, the original King George III in Hamilton, Seymour Krelborn in Little Shop of Horrors (2019), Franklin Shepard in Merrily We Roll Along (2024), Jesse St. James in Glee, Patrick Murray in Looking and Looking: The Movie, FBI Special Agent Holden Ford in Mindhunter, Michael Lang in Taking Woodstock, Louis J. Weichmann in The Conspirator, and Smith in The Matrix Resurrections. Film appearances include Knock at the Cabin, Twelve Thirty, C.O.G., American Sniper, A Nice Indian Boy, and Ultraman: Rising. TV appearances include One Life to Live, Boss, The Normal Heart, The Simpsons, And Just Like That…, Life & Beth, Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known, Lost Ollie, and Doctor Who. Stage appearances include Honk!, Bat Boy: The Musical, Fame, In My Life, Hair, The Singing Forest, The Bacchae, Deathtrap, Red, The Pirates of Penzance, How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying, A New Brain, Sondheim on Sondheim, Gutenberg! The Musical!, and Just in Time.

Personal Life: His older brother David is the president and COO of WebstaurantStore. Was diagnosed with melanoma in his early 20s and underwent surgery for removal. Came out as gay to a Broadway.com reporter during the National Equality March in 2009. Dated actor Gavin Creel the same year. Was in a relationship with Zachary Quinto from 2010-2013. Dated New Zealand choreographer Corey Baker from 2018-2020.

Later Life: Bought a home next to his dad’s horse farm in Christiana, Pennsylvania. Splits his time between Pennsylvania and New York City. Abstains from social media.

Trivia: Has won a Tony and a Grammy. Also nominated for a Primetime Emmy in the Disney+ live stage recording of Hamilton. Was Grand marshal at the New York City Gay Pride Parade in 2014. Served as Event Chair in the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 14^th Annual New York Benefit Gala 2015. Participates in performances and fundraisers for Color of Change, often recording personal voicemails as Kristoff and Sven for auction winners. Performed in numerous charity benefits for theater institutions including 52^nd Street Project, Tectonic Theater Project, Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Playwrights Horizons, and more. Has taught master classes in acting and musical theatre for young actors at the New York Film Academy, Broadway Workshop, Temple University, Young Actors’ Theatre Camp, and the National YoungArts Foundation. Joined the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Board of Trustees in 2024. Introduced Jennifer Lee to Alfred Molina and officiated their wedding in 2021.

425. Josh Gad

Dates: 1981-present

Early Life and Career: Born Joshua Ilan Gad in Hollywood, Florida. Mother is a real estate agent and was born in Germany to Jewish Holocaust survivors. Stepfather is an investment advisor. Father was born into a Jewish family in Afghanistan and moved to Israel as a teenager. And he believes his dad’s descended from the tribe of Gad, one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. After graduating high school, Gad attended the University School of Nova Southeastern University where he won the National Forensics League National Tournament Championships for original Oratory in 1998 and 1999. He also won the 1999 Humorous Interpretation at the National tournament in Phoenix. He then attended Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts where he graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama. During this time, he took a semester-long exchange at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. Made his film debut in 2002.

Movies and Cartoons: Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019) as well as the live-action Beauty and the Beast, several shorts, a few series, and a few video games.

Characters: Olaf

Also Known For: Actor best known as Elder Arnold Cunningham in The Book of Mormon. Film appearances include Watching the Detectives, 21, The Rocker, Crossing Over, Marmaduke, Love & Other Drugs, Mardi Gras: Spring Break, She Wants Me, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Thanks for Sharing, Jobs, The Internship, Wish I Was Here, The Wedding Ringer, Pixels, The Angry Birds Movie, A Dog’s Purpose, Marshall, Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Little Monsters, A Dog’s Journey, Artemis Fowl, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Strays. TV appearances include ER, Back to You, American Dad!, Numb3rs, Party Down, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Bored to Death, The Cleveland Show, Californiacation, Modern Family, 1600 Penn, New Girl, Hollywood Game Night, The Comedians, Sesame Street, TripTank, Jeopardy!, Lip Sync Battle, Star Wars Rebels, South Park, Bob’s Burgers, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Central Park, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Wolf Like Me, The Boys, The Tiny Chef Show, and History of the World Part II.

Personal Life: Married to actress and former co-star Ida Darvish since 2008. They have 2 daughters. Struggles with generalized anxiety disorder and talks about it publicly in order to combat mental health stigma and shame.

Later Life: In 2018, Gad joined other celebrities in an ongoing Child Mind Institute called #MyYoungerSelf, which focuses on normalizing mental health, especially in kids.

Trivia: Attended college with Rory O’Malley and Leslie Odom Jr. Named Disney Legend in 2022. Has won a Grammy and 2 Annie Awards. Has been nominated for a Tony for The Book of Mormon. Credits his YouTube series Reunited Apart for saving his mental health during the height of the Covid 19 pandemic.

426. Santino Fontana

Dates: 1982-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Stockton, California. Grew up in Richland, Washington and graduated from Richland High School in 2000. Is a graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program. Made his theatrical debut as Hamlet in the Guthrie Theater. Made his Broadway debut in 2007. Made his screen debut in 2010.

Movies and Cartoons: Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019) as well as the short Frozen Fever and the Disney Speedstorm video game.

Characters: Prince Hans

Also Known For: Actor and singer best known as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels in musical Tootsie. Film appearances include Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Sisters, Impossible Monsters, The Devil All the Time, and Lost & Found in Cleveland. TV appearances include The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie, Submissions Only, Royal Pains, Mozart in the Jungle, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Shades of Blue, Fosse/Verdon, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Evil, and Grotesquerie. Stage appearances include Sunday in the Park with George, Billy Elliot the Musical, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway Bound, A View from the Bridge, The Importance of Being Earnest, Cinderella, Act One, Hello, Dolly!, Gutenberg! The Musical!, The Fantasticks, Sons of the Prophet, The Game of Love, Stalking the Boogeyman, Zorba, 1776, A Man of No Importance, The Goodbye Girl, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, The Winter’s Tale, The American Clock, Six Degrees of Separation, Love’s Labour’s Lost, A Christmas Carol, On the Verge, Death of a Salesman, Perfect Harmony, As You Like It, Hamlet, Hay Fever, Man of La Mancha, and Anyone Can Whistle. Audiobook appearances include Wheelman, You, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, The Laws of Medicine, Hidden Bodies, Flight or Fright, The Institute, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, The Red Badge of Courage, and You Love Me.

Personal Life: Married to actress Jessica Hershberg since 2015. They have a child born in 2019.

Later Life: Performs with orchestras and symphonies across the United States. Has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, at the American Songbook Series at Lincoln Center, and Birdland Jazz Club, and many others. Has appeared 4 times at Carnegie Hall in New York City and 3 times with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. In one of these, he met the cast of Sesame Street.

Trivia: Has won a Tony, 2 Drama Desk Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Lucille Lortel Award, an Obie Award, and a Clarence Derwent Award.

427. Ciaran Hinds

Dates: 1953-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Belfast, in Northern Ireland to a Catholic family of five children and only boy. Mother was an amateur actress. Father was a doctor. Was an Irish dancer in his youth. Educated at Holy Family Primary School and Saint Malachy’s College. After graduation, he attended the College of Business Studies before enrolling as a law student at Queen’s University Belfast. But was soon persuaded to pursue acting, quit Queen’s, and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Began his professional career at the Glasgow Citizens’ Theatre as a frequent performer during the late 1970s and through the mid-1980s. Also performed on stage in Ireland with the Abbey Theatre, the Field Day Theatre Company, the Druid Theatre, the Lyric Players’ Theatre and at the Project Arts Centre. Was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company during the early 1990s. Made his film debut in 1981.

Movies and Cartoons: Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019) as well as the LEGO Frozen Northern Lights special.

Characters: Grand Pabbie

Also Known For: Irish actor who’s known for a range of stage and screen roles. Best known as General Zakharow in Red Sparrow, Steppenwolf in Justice League, Julius Caesar in Rome, DCI James Langton in Above Suspicion, Mance Rayder in Game of Thrones, and Captain Sir John Franklin in The Terror. Film appearances include The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, & Her Lover, Persuasion (1995), Oscar and Lucinda, Road to Perdition, The Sum of All Fears, Munich, Amazing Grace, There Will Be Blood, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Silence, First Man, Belfast, Excalibur, December Bride, Circle of Friends, Mary Reilly, Some Mother’s Son, Titanic Town, The Life of Stuff, The Lost Son, The Lost Lover, The Weight of Water, Veronica Guerin, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, Calendar Girls, The Statement, The Phantom of the Opera (2004), Miami Vice, The Tiger’s Tail, The Nativity Story, Margot at the Wedding, In Bruges, Stop-Loss, Cash, The Tale of Despereaux, Race to Witch Mountain, The Eclipse, Life During Wartime, The Debt, The Rite, Salvation Boulevard, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, The Woman in Black, John Carter, Closed Circuit, The Sea, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Axis, Woman Walks Around, Elizabeth Harvest, The Man in the Hat, The Wonder, In the Land of Saints and Sinners, Cottontail, and The Family Plan. TV appearances include Shetland, The Mahabharata, Who Bombed Birmingham?, The Play on One, Prime Suspect 3, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Hostages, The Affair, Testament: The Bible in Animation, Tales from the Crypt, Cold Lazarus, Jane Eyre, Jason and the Argonauts, The Sleeper, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Political Animals, Kin, Treason, The Dry, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Stage appearances include The Seagull, Arden of Faversham, The Night of the Iguana, Cinderella, The Country Wife, The Importance of Being Earnest, Macbeth, Figaro, Semi-Monde, Vautrin, Loot, Mother Goose, No Orchids for Miss Blandish, Equus, The Three Penny Opera, Dick Whittington, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Don Juan, Desperado Corner, Madame Louise, Bent, Curse of the Starving Class, On Baile’s Stand, Waiting for Godot, The Roman Actor, Red Roses for Me, Torquato Tasso, The Mother, The Merchant of Venice, Arms and the Man, Sirocco, The Last Days of Mankind, Rosenkavalier, Juno and the Paycock, Oroonoko, The White Devil, The Way of the World, The Riot Act (Antigone), Mary Stuart, Blithe Spirit, The Plough and the Stars, Arsenic and Old Lace, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, The Representative, The Orphan, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Toward the Somme, Mahabharata, The Lady from the Sea, Richard III, Edward II, Trolius and Cressida, Assassins, Machinal, Simpatico, Closer, The Seafarer, The Birds, Burnt by the Sun, The Night Alive, Hamlet, The Crucible, Girl from the North Country, Translations, and Uncle Vanya.

Personal Life: Married to French-Vietnamese actress Helene Patarot since 1987. They have a daughter named Aoife who’s also an actress born in 1991 who’s appeared in Derry Girls, Normal People, and Hellraiser.

Later Life: Lives in Paris, France.

Trivia: Was listed at #31 on The Irish Times’ list of Ireland’s Greatest Actors. Has been nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA, and a Golden Globe.

428. Jennifer Lee

Dates: 1971-present

Early Life and Career: Born Jennifer Michelle Rebecchi in Providence, Rhode Island. Was raised in Barrington until her parents’ divorce. After that, she and her older sister, Amy lived with their mother in East Providence. Graduated from East Providence High School and the University of New Hampshire where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1992. Later moved to New York City where she worked as a graphic artist in publishing, designing audiobooks for Random House. As an adult, she began to use her mom’s maiden name Lee as her professional identity. She later changed her legal surname to Lee in 1995. Graduated from Columbia University School of the Arts’ Film Program in 2005. While there, she also won several awards for excellence in screenwriting and gave birth to her daughter. Her script for The Round Up was a quarter-finalist in the Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting competition in 2009 and was subsequently optioned by Appian Way Productions. In 2011, Columbia classmate Phil Johnston called Lee to ask her to join him at Disney Animation in Burbank to help him write Wreck-It Ralph (2012). What was supposed to be only an 8-week gig turned out to be a much longer commitment. First she was asked to stay until Ralph was finished. Then she became involved with Frozen (2013) and the rest is history.

Movies and Cartoons: Frozen (2013)

Characters: Queen Iduna

Also Known For: Filmmaker and playwright who served as chief creative officer (CCO) of Walt Disney Animation Studios from 2018-2024, before stepping down to pursue full-time filmmaking. In addition to being the first female CCO of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Lee’s the first female director of a feature film for the company and the first female director of 2 feature films that each earned more than $1 billion in gross box office revenue. Has worked behind the scenes of Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Frozen (2013), Big Hero 6 (2014), Moana (2016), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), Frozen II (2019), Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), Encanto (2021), Strange World (2022), Wish (2023), and Moana 2 (2024) as well as some shorts and series. Also worked on the live action A Wrinkle in Time.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was Robert Joseph Monn from 1999 to their divorce. They have a daughter named Agatha Lee who voiced the pre-teen Anna in the second verse of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?.” Second and current husband is actor Alfred Molina since 2021 and whom she met during the making of Frozen II in 2019.

Later Life: Lives in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles with Molina and her daughter.

Trivia: Has won a Best Animated Feature Academy Award for Frozen (2013) as well as 4 Annie Awards and a BAFTA.

429. Scot Adsit

Dates: 1965-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Northbrook, Illinois. Father was a real estate attorney. Attended Glenbrook North High School where he described himself as “a bit of a class clown.” Attended DePauw University for a semester before transferring to Columbia College Chicago, where acting teacher Sheldon Patankin encouraged him to joined the city’s famed improv troupe The Second City which he joined in 1987. Soon he became part of its mainstage cast in 1994 alongside Tina Fey, Kevin Dorff, and Rachel Dratch. Moved to Los Angeles in 1998 on invitation by a college friend Dino Stamatopoulos to work on a pilot about the backstage antics of a television sketch-comedy show (this sounds familiar). Although the pilot didn’t materialize into a show, Adsit stayed and began working in bit parts and commercials. That same year he appeared in Mr. Show and played a demonic neighbor in Tenacious D’s HBO show.

Movies and Cartoons: Big Hero 6 (2014) as well as Big Hero 6: The Series and the Baymax! miniseries along with a few video games and the short Once Upon a Studio.

Characters: Baymax

Also Known For: Actor, comedian, and writer best known as Clay Puppington in Morel Orel and Pete Hornberger in 30 Rock. Film appearances include Town and Country, Lovely and Amazing, Run Ronnie Run, Melvin Goes to Dinner, The Italian Job (2003), Grand Theft Parsons, The Terminal, Without a Paddle, Be Cool, Kicking and Screaming, Bad News Bears (2005), I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, Accepted, For Your Consideration, Dante’s Inferno, The Hammer, Mr. Woodcock, The Informant!, Last Night, Arthur (2011), We’re the Millers, A Case of You, Appropriate Behavior, St. Vincent, Uncle Nick, and Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate. TV appearances include Early Edition, Mr. Show with Bob and David, Tenacious D, Felicity, Friends, Malcolm in the Middle, Curb Your Enthusiasm, TV Funhouse, Dharma & Greg, MADtv, Ally McBeal, Kingpin, Alias, CSI: Miami, The Man Show, Monk, Charmed, The Drew Carey Show, Huff, Robot Chicken, The Office, The Colbert Report, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole, Harvey Beaks, Veep, Person of Interest, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Gap Year, Girlboss, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Teenage Euthanasia, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Shape Island, Carol & the End of the World, Megamind Rules!, and Elsbeth.

Personal Life: I couldn’t find anything about his personal life.

Later Life: Performs live in the show John and Scott with former 30 Rock castmate John Lutz as well as with Jet Eveleth in Adsit and Eveleth. Also continues to act, improvise, and teach at I.O. West and the Upright Citizens Brigade.

Trivia: Has won an Annie and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

430. Ryan Potter

Dates: 1995-present

Early Life and Career: Born Ryan Kenichi Hagimoto in Portland, Oregon. Father’s from Japan. Family moved to Tokyo, Japan not long after his birth until his parents’ divorce. Returned to United States with his mother shortly before his 7^th birthday and changed his name to her maiden name of Potter. She later married Chinese-American martial artist and stuntman James Lew. At 8, Potter began studying White Tiger kung fu, which he’s continued to pursue throughout his teenage years. Other childhood interests included baseball, skateboarding, and drums. Began acting at 13 when he received a leaflet in his kung fu class announcing Nickelodeon was looking for teenagers to star in a new martial-arts themed program called Supah Ninjas. After a few days of consideration, he decided to audition, eventually landing the series’ lead role of Mike Fukanaga. He soon became one of the network’s most popular young stars featured in numerous teen magazines and making personal appearances in Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play and its reboot of Figure It Out, as well as an appearance on its sister network’s broadcast of the 2011 TeenNick HALO Awards.

Movies and Cartoons: Big Hero 6 (2014) as well as Big Hero 6: The Series and the Baymax! miniseries along with a few video games.

Characters: Hiro Hamada

Also Known For: Actor best known as Gar Logan/Beast Boy in Titans. Film appearances include Senior Project, Underdog Kids, Throne of Elves, Running For Grace, and Batman Beyond: Year One. TV appearances include Supah Ninjas, Figure It Out, Fred: The Show, Lab Rats: Elite Force, Where’s Waldo?, and Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous.

Personal Life: Stepson of martial artist and stuntman James Lew.

Later Life: In 2011, Potter founded ToyBox of Hope, a charity which holds an annual holiday collection drive for children in homeless shelters and transitional living situations in the Los Angeles area. In 2012, he was planning to expand the charity to include a “Birthday Party Box” program. That same year, Potter became one of the youngest celebrities to lend his voice to California’s No H8 campaign in support of same-sex marriage.

Trivia: Although his first language was Japanese, he is no longer fluent.

              Thanks to their acquisitions of Marvel and Lucasfilm, Disney would become a major box office contender with more superhero films and Star Wars movies being produced each year. Many would shatter box office records. In 2013, Frozen would gross $1.2 billion at the box office, becoming the highest grossing animated film of all time. While merchandising the movie became so popular it made the company another $1 billion within a year and a global Frozen merchandise shortage occurred. Not to mention, how so many young girls wanted to dress up as Queen Elsa for Halloween for the next several years. Unfortunately, that same year, CEO Bob Iger announced that Disney had no 2D films in development and a month later, the hand-drawn animation division was closed and several veteran animators were laid off. In 2014, Disney acquired the multi-channel YouTube network Maker Studios for $950 million. In 2015, the company stated its consumer products and interactive divisions would merge to become a new subsidiary called Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. Later, it placed Marvel Studios under the Walt Disney Studios division. Shanghai Disneyland opened in 2016, making it the company’s sixth theme park resort and one where Winnie the Pooh was banned (because the Chinese government cracks down on that). It also attempted to buy Twitter to market content and merchandise but ultimately backe out since Iger thought Disney would take on responsibilities that it didn’t need and that it didn’t feel “Disney” to him. In 2017, Disney announced that it would be ending its distribution deal with Netflix with the intent of launching its own streaming platform by 2019. In November 2018, CCO John Lasseter said he’d take a 6-month absence because of “missteps” reported to be sexual misconduct allegations. Lasseter would later depart Disney where he was replaced as CCO by Jennifer Lee and Pixar head by Pete Docter. While Disney and 21^st Century Fox began negotiating a deal in which Disney would acquire most of Fox’s assets. It also began doing more live action remakes as well.

              With its 2012 release, you may think Wreck-It Ralph was based on a more recent idea given that it’s a film that revolves around video game characters. However, reading its Wikipedia entry, I found the concept surprisingly dates all the way back to the late 1980s. Over the years it would be redeveloped, retitled, and reconsidered several times. In the pre-production stage, director Rich Moore aimed to add licensed characters in order to make a film based in a video game world feel real. But he avoided creating a movie around existing characters on grounds that “there’s so much mythology and baggage attached to pre-existing titles that I feel someone would be disappointed,” viewing this to be a reason why movies based on video game franchises always fail. Which was prevailing logic around the time. Even though recent video game-based movie releases shows that it’s not always the case. Although Moore was almost certainly right to avoid this. Instead, he decided that Wreck-It Ralph would revolve around original characters representative of the 8-bit video game which allowed those involved in the project to take these characters in new directions. With licensed characters being relegated to minor and cameo roles, which later included 188 individual character models in the movie as a result of these cameo inclusions. In addition, they once considered adding a fourth game world that was supposed to be a cross between The Sims and Grand Theft Auto but it was ultimately dropped. For the Sugar Rush sequences, the visual development group traveled to trade fair ISM Cologne, a See’s Candy factory, and other manufacturing facilities. The group also brought in food photographers to teach them techniques to make food appear appealing. Upon its release, Wreck-It Ralph was a critical and commercial success grossing $496 million worldwide against a $196 million budget. It also won the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature while garnering nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. In this post, we’ll meet filmmaker Rich Moore, artist and author Brian Kesinger, actors Katie Lowes, Phil Johnston, and Alan Tudyk, as well as the voices behind Fix-It Felix Jr., Markowski, General Hologram, Deanna, and Duncan.

401. Jack McBrayer

Dates: 1973-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Macon, Georgia but moved to Conyers when he was 15. Attended Heritage High School and studied theater at the University of Evansville. At 18, he had a pneumothorax, which he states felt like a heart attack and it was one of the worst pains in his life. From 1995-2002, he worked at The Second City and the IO Theater, an experienced that introduced him to Tina Fey and prepared him for his role on her show. Later would appear in 80 sketches on Late Night with Conan O’Brien before landing  the role  of Kenneth Parcell on 30 Rock.

Movies and Cartoons: Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) as well as various series, direct-to-video installments,  and the Wreck-It Ralph video game.

Characters: Fix-It Felix Jr.

Also Known For: Actor and comedian best known as Kenneth Parcell in 30 Rock, Wander in Wander Over Yonder, Randall in The Big Bang Theory, and Weird Tom in Odd Squad: The Movie. Film appearances include Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Despicable Me, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, The Brass Teapot, A Thousand Words, The Campaign, Movie 43, Savannah, The To Do List, Cooties, They Came Together, Bad Night, Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal: The Movie, Smurfs: The Lost Village, Dude, Queenpins, Unfrosted, and You’re Cordially Invited. TV appearances include Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Puppy Dog Pals, Amphibia, The Middle, Big Mouth, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell, Early Edition, Arrested Development, The Colbert Report, The Electric Company, Ugly Americans, Kung Fu Panda Holiday, Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, Conan, Portlandia, Funny or Die Presents, Archer, Key & Peele, Drunk History, Childrens Hospital, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, WordGirl, New Girl, The Jack and Triumph Show, Playing House, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, Our Cartoon President, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Nailed It, The Conners, Call Me Kat, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, The Wonder Years, The Great North, Stupid Pet Tricks, Zillow Gone Wild, Grey’s Anatomy, and Studio C. Stage appearances include Crazy for You and Waitress.

Personal Life: I can’t find anything about his personal life.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has been nominated for 5 Emmy Awards. Won a Screen Actors Guild Award for 30 Rock in 2008.

402. Alan Tudyk

Dates: 1971-present

Early Life and Career: Born in El Paso, Texas but grew up in Plano. Attended Plano Senior High School. Had a brief experience as a stand-up comic before quitting after an angry audience member threatened to kill him. Studied drama at the Methodist-affiliated Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas, where he won the Academic Excellence award for drama. Also acted as Beaver Smith in an eastern New Mexico summer stock production of Billy the Kid. Was later accepted and attended the Julliard School but left in 1996 without earning a degree. Made film debut in 1997.

Movies and Cartoons: Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Frozen (2013), Big Hero 6 (2014), Zootopia (2016), Moana (2016), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), Frozen II (2019), Raya and the Last Dragon (2020), Encanto (2021), Strange World (2022), Wish (2023), and  Moana 2 (2024) as well as a few live action films, a couple of series, and the short Once Upon a Studio.

Characters: King Candy, Duke of Weselton, Alistair Krei, Duke Weaselton, Heihei, Villager #3, KnowsMore, Guard, Northuldra Leader, Arendelian Soldier, Tuk Tuk, Pico, Duffle, Radio Host, and Valentino

Also Known For: Actor best known as Sonny in I, Robot, Wash in Firefly and Serenity, Dr. Nolan Werner in Suburgatory, Dangerboat in The Tick, K-2SO in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars Battlefront, Eric Mordon/Mr. Nobody in Doom Patrol, Mickey in Halo 3: ODST, Green Arrow in DC Super Hero, The Joker and Clayface in Harley Quinn, Dr. Harry Vanderspiegle in Resident Alien, Optimus Prime in Transformers: EarthSpark, and Alex Sartorius/Doctor Phosphorus in Creature Commandos. Film appearances include 28 Days, A Knight’s Tale, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, 3:10 to Yuma (2007), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Trumbo, Death at a Funeral (2007), Patch Adams, Wonder Boys, Ice Age, Hearts in Atlantis, Meet Market, Rx, Done the Impossible, Knocked Up, Astro Boy, The Ballad of G.I. Joe, Beautiful Boy, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Conception, Strange Frame, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, 42, Premature, Tell, Welcome to Me, Oddball, Shangri-La Suite, Deadpool 2, Playing God, Distancing Socially, The Trouble with Jessica, and The Electric State. TV appearances include Arrested Development, Dollhouse, Newsreaders, Young Justice, American Dad!, Star vs. Forces of Evil, Strangers with Candy, Fraiser, Into the West, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, V, The Rockford Files, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Robot Chicken, Family Guy, Good Vibes, Justified, TripTank, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Powerless, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, Lego Star Wars: All Stars, Santa Clarita Diet, Final Space, The Rookie, Curb Your Enthusiasm, M.O.D.O.K., Devil May Care, Grimsburg, Ark: The Animated Series, and WondLa. Video game appearances include Defense Grid: The Awakening, Halo 3, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Stage appearances include Misalliance, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Epic Proportions, Wonder of the World, Spamalot, Prelude to a Kiss, and An Evening Without Monty Python.

Personal Life: Has been married to choreographer Charissa Barton since 2016.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has voiced characters in most Walt Disney Animation Studios films since 2012. Has been nominated for an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Won an Annie Award for his performance as King Candy in Wreck-It Ralph (2012). Once auditioned for the role of Michael Scott for the US version of The Office.

403. Joe Lo Truglio

Dates: 1970-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Ozone Park in Queens, New York City. Grew up in Margate, Florida where he graduated from Coconut Creek High School. Met his future cast members of The State while at New York University where he took part in its sketch comedy group. Wrote and acted in various skits for The State from 1991 to 1995. Later made a series of guest appearances during the late 1990s. Made his first film in 1997.

Movies and Cartoons: Wreck-It Ralph (2012) as well as the series Monsters at Work and the direct-to-video Big City Greens: The Movie.

Characters: Markowski

Also Known For: Actor and comedian best known as Charles Boyle in Brooklyn Nine Nine. Film appearances include Wet Hot American Summer, I Love You, Man, Superbad, Role Models, Wanderlust, The Station Agent, Last Man Running, Hitch, The Baxter, Beer League, Pineapple Express, Fanboys, Gulliver’s Travels (2010), Paul, High Road, Queens of Country, My Uncle Rafael, Pitch Perfect, About Last Night, Someone Marry Barry, Knight of Cups, The Breakup Girl, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and Hot Frosty. TV appearances include The State, Reno 911!, You Wrote It, You Watch It, Law & Order, Cheap Seats, The Sarah Silverman Program, Childrens Hospital, Cupid, Party Down, Sons of Tucson, Mad Love, How I Met Your Mother, Robot Chicken, American Dad!, Bob’s Burgers, Burning Love, Community, Family Tree, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Drunk History, New Girl, Animals, Dice, Easy, The Comey Rule, History of the World Part II, After Midnight, and Night Court. Video game appearances include Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, The Warriors, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, and Anthem.

Personal Life: Married to actress Beth Dover since 2014. They have a son named Eli.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

404. Dennis Haysbert

Dates: 1954-present

Early Life and Career: Born in San Mateo, California as the eight of 9 children to parents who were from Louisiana. Mother was a house cleaner. Father was a deputy sheriff and airline security guard. Graduated from San Mateo High School in 1972. Since he’s about 6’5,” he was offered athletic scholarships but chose to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Has been in film and television since 1978.

Movies and Cartoons: Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)

Characters: General Hologram and Zipper

Also Known For: Actor best known as Pedro Cerrano in the Major League trilogy, Secret Service Agent Tim Collin in Absolute Power, Sergeant Major Jonas Blane in The Unit, God in Lucifer, and President David Palmer in 24. Has been the opening voice for Meet the Press since 2015. Since 2013, he’s been the official spokesman for the Allstate Insurance Company. Has also done promotions for Brigham Young University and the Military Channel. Film appearances include Love Field, Navy SEALS, Heat, Waiting to Exhale, Far from Heaven, A Summer to Remember, Mr. Baseball, Alex Haley’s Queen, The Minus Man, Love & Basketball, Ticker, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Jarhead, Kung Fu Panda 2, Welcome to the Jungle, The Black Moses, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Think Like a Man Too, Life of a King, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Sniper: Legacy, Dear White People, Experimenter, Dead Rising: Watchtower, Ted 2, The Dark Tower, Kodachrome, Breakthrough, Secret Obsession, Playing with Fire, No Exit, Flamin’ Hot, Summer Camp, Lost & Found in Cleveland, and In Fidelity. TV appearances include Incorporated, American Justice, Lou Grant, The White Shadow, Laverne & Shirley, Quincy M.E., The Incredible Hulk, Galactica 1980, Buck Rogers of the 25^th Century, The A-Team, Dallas, Magnum P.I., Growing Pains, The Young and the Restless, Knots Landing, The Facts of Life, Crime Story, Just the Ten of Us, Night Court, Return to Lonesome Dove, American Playhouse, The New Batman Adventures, Superman: The Animated Series, Now and Again, The Outer Limits, Static Shock, Justice League, Newsreaders, Trophy Wife, The Boondocks, How Murray Saved Christmas, Bluebloods, Backstrom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Undercover, Puppy Dog Pals, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, and Paul T. Goldman. Video game appearances include Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow and Call of Duty: Finest Hour.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was Elena Simms from 1980 to their divorce in 1984. Second wife was Lynn Griffith from 1989 to their divorce in 2001. They have 2 children.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Officiated the coin toss in the 2007 Sugar Bowl game between LSU and Notre Dame. In 2008, he was featured in national TV ads to raise public awareness about lending discrimination, which were commissioned by the US Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

405. Horatio Sanz

Dates: 1969-present

Early Life and Career: Born Horacio Sanz in Santiago, Chile. Grew up in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Performed at various local theaters, including The Court Theater and The Second City. Was a member of the Chicago ETC theater. Was also one of the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), a sketch comedy and improv troupe. Joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1998 as the show’s first Hispanic cast member.

Movies and Cartoons: Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) as well as various series.

Characters: Duncan

Also Known For: Comedian and actor best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998 to 2006. Film appearances include Miracle on 34^th Street (1994), Road Trip, Tomcats, The New Guy, Boat Trip, National Lampoon’s Barely Legal, Rebound, The Man, School for Scoundrels, Lucky You, Step Brothers, Me Time, Year One, Freak Dance, Hollywood & Wine, High Road, Bachelorette, The Dictator, G.B.F., Search Party, Don Quixote (2015), Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?, Actors Anonymous, Zeroville, and Clifford the Big Red Dog. TV appearances include Upright Citizens Brigade, Ed, Fillmore!, 30 Rock, Players, Big Lake, Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time, The Problem Solverz, Are We There Yet?, Girls, Drunk History, Comedy Bang! Bang!, BoJack Horseman, Parks and Recreation, Unbreakable Kimmy Schimdt, Modern Family, Bubble Guppies, Long Live the Royals, Scorpion, Love, Great News, GLOW, Black Monday, The Mandalorian, The George Lucas Talk Show, Duncanville, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Personal Life: Younger brother of actor Carlos Sanz.

Later Life: Left SNL in 2006 due to budget cuts but has returned to the show a couple of times as a guest. Can still be seen regularly performing with the sketch troupe at their long-running improv show “ASSSSCAT 3000”, at both of the UCB’s comedy theaters, located in New York City and Los Angeles. In 2008, he made his first public appearance in almost a year, after losing nearly 100 lbs. Became a US citizen in 2018 in Los Angeles. Was accused of sexual assault in 2021, claiming that he groped her and made sexual comments when she was under 18. Also said that both SNL and NBC enabled him to groom and harm her and said the 2002 assault happened in front of other staff members. In 2022, Sanz settled with the accuser and the lawsuit was dismissed.

Trivia: Received “high” honors at High Times magazine’s 2003 Stony Awards, collecting the “Stoner of the Year” Award.

406. Rich Moore

Dates: 1963-present

Early Life and Career: Born and raised in Oxnard, California. Studied film and video at the California Institute of the Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1987. While there, he narrated Jim Reardon’s 1986 student film Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown. In addition to Reardon, he was classmates with Brenda Chapman and Andrew Stanton. After working on Ralph Baski’s Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, he became one of the original 3 directors for The Simpsons. Started working for Disney in 2008.

Movies and Cartoons: Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Zootopia (2016), and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Characters: Sour Bill, Zangief, Stormtrooper, Doug, and Larry

Also Known For: Film and television animation director, screenwriter, and voice actor best known for directing primetime animation series such as The Simpsons, The Critic, and Futurama. Directed Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Zootopia (2016), and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). Has worked behind the scenes of Bolt (2008), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Tangled (2010), Frozen (2013), Big Hero 6 (2014), Finding Dory (2016), Moana (2016) and Frozen II (2019) as well as several shorts. Also directed Vivo and Spellbound (2024).

Personal Life: I can’t find anything about his personal life.

Later Life: Left Disney in 2019 to join Sony Pictures Animation. Entered into an exclusive multi-year deal with Skydance Animation in 2022 and is reported to direct an untitled project on Jack and the Beanstalk.

Trivia: Has won an Academy Award, 2 Emmys, and 3 Annies.

407. Rachael Harris

Dates: 1968-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Worthington, Ohio. Graduated from Worthington High School in 1986. First award in the arts came during a first grade talent show for her rendition of “Please Mr. Postman.” Mostly due to her brother stuffing the ballot box. Attended Otterbein College where she performed in various plays. A professor there recommended that Harris do comedy instead of drama. But since she wanted to be a stage actress, Harris didn’t initially agree. First acting job during college was in Cincinnati on a showboat called The Majestic, playing Maria from The Sound of Music. Graduated in 1989, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre. Moved to New York City to secure a commercial agent. To earn extra money, she worked as a hostess at restaurants on Broadway and the Upper East Side. All while she auditioned for theater roles, eventually landing a job performing children’s theater along the East Coast. Made her film debut in 1992.

Movies and Cartoons: Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Characters: Deanna

Also Known For: Actress and comedian best known as Susan Heffley from The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Linda White in Natural Selection, Cooper in Notes from the Underbelly, Joanne Dunlevy in Surviving Jack, Dr. Linda Martin in Lucifer, Nora in Goosebumps, and Sheila Sazs in Suits. Film appearances include For Your Consideration, The Hangover, Bad Words, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, Old Dads, Mother of the Bride, Best in Show, Stuart Little 2, A Mighty Wind, Daddy Day Care, The Haunted Mansion, Starsky & Hutch, Kicking & Screaming, License to Wed, Evan Almighty, The Soloist, Lovesick, Barely Lethal, Freaks of Nature, and Unfrosted. TV appearances include Star Trek: Voyager, Sister, Sister, Two Guys and a Girl, Grosse Pointe, The Daily Show, Judging Amy, Friends, Fraiser, Reno 911!, Curb Your Enthusiasm, According to Jim, The West Wing, Fat Actress, Monk, 8 Simple Roles, The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Sarah Silverman Program, Desperate Housewives, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Pushing Daisies, Hollywood Residential, Worst Week, The Life & Times of Tim, Cougar Town, In the Motherhood, My Boys, Childrens Hospital, Party Down, Modern Family, Archer, New Girl, Newsreaders, The Office, Maron, BoJack Horseman, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Hell’s Kitchen, Ghosts, and Fantasy Island.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was Adam Paul from 2003 to their divorce in 2008. Second husband was violinist Christian Hebel from 2015 to their divorce in 2019. They have 2 sons born in 2016 and 2018.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has done commercials for Quaker Oats, Avis, GEICO, and T-Mobile. Has been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and a Saturn Award.

408. Katie Lowes

Dates: 1982-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Port Washington, New York. Graduated in 2000 from Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in acting sometime later. Had her first screen role in 2004.

Movies and Cartoons: Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Frozen (2013), Big Hero 6 (2014), Zootopia (2016), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), and Strange World (2022) as well as Zootopia+.

Characters: Candlehead, Abigail, Dr. Madge Honey Badger, and Radio Host #2.

Also Known For: Actress and theater director best known as Quinn Perkins in Scandal and Rachel DeLoache Williams in Inventing Anna. Film appearances include Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Super 8, Side Effects, and Vivo. TV appearances include Rescue Me, As the World Turns, Guiding Light, The Sopranos, Without a Trace, NCIS, Ghost Whisperer, Castle, Leverage, Private Practice, Grey’s  Anatomy, The Closer, Royal Pains, Voltron: Legendary Defender, How We Roll, and This Is Us.

Personal Life: Married to actor Adam Shapiro since 2012. Has 2 children including a boy named Albee born in 2017 and a girl named Vera in 2020.

Later Life: Lives in Los Angeles.

Trivia: None.

409. Phil Johnston

Dates: 1971-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Raised in Neenah, Wisconsin. Father was an Episcopalian minister. Through a connection at his dad’s church, Johnston received an annual pass that allowed him free entry into the Marcus Theatres, a Wisconsin-based theater chain when he was young. Graduated from Neenah High School. Later graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a journalism degree in 1994. Afterwards, he worked in regional television for 9 years, starting as a weatherman in Rochester, Minnesota despite not knowing anything about meteorology. Then worked as a bureau reporter for the Omaha, Nebraska NBC affiliate KETV before transferring to the KARE station in Minnesota. But not without meeting his future wife who was the morning anchor there at the time. Graduated with an MFA from Columbia University School of the Arts Film Program in 2004.

Movies and Cartoons: Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Zootopia (2016), and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Characters: Surge Protector, Gideon Grey, and Annoyed Citizen

Also Known For: Filmmaker and voice actor best known as one of the writers of Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Zootopia (2016), and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). Received special thanks for Moana (2016) and Frozen II (2019). Also worked on films such as The Night Listener, Savage Grace, Cedar Rapids, A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, The Brothers Grimsby, The Twits, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and The Sea Beast.

Personal Life: Married to magazine columnist Jill Cordes. They have 2 children.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Was a classmate of Jennifer Lee. Once wrote a script about a preacher’s career and his son’s pornography business, which was based on his side hustle back in middle school selling pornographic magazines he got from upperclassmen to his classmates. Even managed to buy a pair of Air Jordans before his parents found out and shut down his operation. Was neighbors with film critic Christie Lemire while living in Brooklyn. Has won 2 Annie Awards.

410. Brian Kesinger

Dates: 1975-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Los Angeles, California. Was from a family of musicians but the only one not able to play an instrument. Fondness for drawing was so apparent that his parents supported his artistic training during his school days. Started drawing steampunk art long before the term was coined. Was also raised on a steady diet of Disney creations by parents who felt it was important for him to be exposed to art. Was accepted at the Walt Disney Animation during his senior year in high school in 1996. At 18, he’d be the youngest animator in the company’s history. Started as a layout artist for Tarzan (1999) but later filled positions such as visual development and story artist.

Movies and Cartoons: Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Characters: Cyborg

Also Known For: Illustrator, author, and animation artist who’s worked at Walt Disney Studios for over 20 years. Has worked behind the scenes of Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), Treasure Planet (2002), Winnie the Pooh (2011), Tarzan (1999), Chicken Little (2005), Home on the Range (2004), Meet the Robinsons (2007), and Wreck-It Ralph (2012) as well as the Prep and Landing series. Outside Disney, he’s best known for creating the characters Victoria Prismall and her live-in octopus who serves as her friend, butler, and pet, Otto. Starting with Walking Your Octopus: A Guide to the Domesticated Cephalopod. Let’s just say, his artwork’s steeped in steampunk Victorian art.

Personal Life: Has a wife and two children as well as a dog name Scout at one point.

Later Life: Hopes to eventually produce a full-length feature film about Victoria and Otto’s adventures. Mainly to satisfy his wish to see a well-rendered animated steampunk movie. Of course, their popularity has come as a surprise to him along with the fan art, tattoos, and women cosplaying as Victoria at conventions. He also created a mashup of Kylo Ren, Darth Vader, and Calvin and Hobbes which also stars Princess Leia and Han Solor.

Trivia: Has won an Emmy for Blue Eye Samurai in 2024. Received an Annie Award for his work on the Prep and Landing series. Voiced Kano in the Mortal Kombat franchise.