After Inside Out’s critical and commercial success, filmmaker Pete Docter was trying sequel ideas when the film was nominated for an Academy Award back in 2016. Development began in 2020 after director Kelsey Mann revisited photos of one of his childhood birthday parties. To utilize “truthful” worldbuilding, Mann used Docter’s “5 to 27 emotions” idea from the first film he pitched during production. Mann’s final pass included 9 new emotions to make Joy feel all overwhelmed with them all showing up. But felt that the story couldn’t keep track with taking up the spotlight or not adding to the story. So he decided to simplify the number. The production team frequently consulted psychologists Lisa Damor and David Keltner, using the former’s book as guidance on accurately portraying teenagers’ emotions change during puberty. While Pixar selected 9 teenagers dubbed as “Riley’s Crew” to provide feedback on the film to ensure that it accurately portrayed teenage life. Mann and producer Mark Nielsen were also inspired by their own daughters when making the film. Initially the plot was to involve a talent show but that idea got scrapped. As Nielsen, Mann, and screenwriter Meg LaFaurve decided it was best to center the plot on Riley playing hockey, feeling it was the most unique aspect of her character. Due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the production team struggled against the clock to finish Inside Out 2 in the final stages in “the largest crunch in the studio’s history.” Lightyear and Elemental’s underperformance at the box office also added stress. Upon its 2024 release, Inside Out 2 received positive reviews and $1.699 billion at the box office.

              The initial inception of Moana 2 began as a long-form musical comedy series comprising of 5 episodes and released on Disney+. Yet as it entered development alongside the live action Moana, the director and writers began receiving feedback such as We love this story. Why is it not going on the biggest screen you can possibly imagine?” At the start of 2024, Walt Disney Studios president Alan Bergman “informed the team that they needed to shift rapidly from making a five-episode streaming series to a second Moana feature film.” And considering that Moana 2 came out near the end of the year, this was a real last-minute decision. We should also consider that nearly all the animation work for Disney animated films isn’t done until the final year before the official release date. Animation was handled at Disney’s Vancouver studio who was already charged with the job while Moana 2 was a series. But this outsource was highly controversial since the Animation Guild reported that this move resulted in California losing 817 jobs, $87 million in wages, and $178 million in the state’s gross domestic product. In addition, while the first Moana movie had songs written by Lin Manuel Miranda, Miranda was working on Mufasa at the time. So songwriting duties landed on Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. Upon its 2024 release, Moana 2 opened to a 61% Rotten Tomatoes score and grossed $1.059 billion at the box office. In this post, we’ll meet the voices behind Disgust, Envy, Ennui, Embarrassment, Bloofy, Pouchy, Foreman, Margie, Loto, and Kele.

591. Liza Lapira

Dates: 1981-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Queens, New York City. Began her career acting on stage and in independent films. Moved to Los Angeles to work in television in 2004.

Movies and Cartoons: Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as the show Dream Productions.

Characters: Disgust

Also Known For: Actress best known as Kianna in 21, Special Agent Michelle Lee in NCIS, Ivy in Dollhouse, Shaquan in The Parkers, and “Mel” Bayani in The Equalizer. Film appearances include Autumn in New York, Brown Sugar, Domino, The Big Bad Swim, Cloverfield, Fast & Furious, Repo Men, See You in September, Marmaduke, Crazy, Stupid Love, Someone Marry Barry, All I Wish, The Samuel Project, and The Fabulous Filipino Brothers. TV appearances include Traffic Light, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, Super Fun Night, 9JKL, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order, The Education of Max Bickford, Sex and the City, Without a Trace, The Sopranos, Huff, Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, Monk, ER, Dexter, Psych, Drop Dead Diva, Royal Pains, Blue Bloods, Power, Battle Creek, Con Man, Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life, The Good Doctor, NCIS: New Orleans, and Nancy Drew.

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

Later Life: Is an avid supporter of LA’s Best, which provides school services to 28,000 children in 189 schools the neighborhoods with the highest needs around Los Angeles. Also participates in the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Triathlon each fall in Malibu. Is currently working with The Impact Theatre in Harlem while living on the east coast.

Trivia: None.

592. Ayo Edebiri

Dates: 1995-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Boston and grew up in its Dorchester neighborhood. Mother’s from Barbados. Father’s from Nigeria. First became interested in comedy through her 8^th grade drama class, leading her to join an improv club at Boston Latin School. Went to New York University where she initially intended to study teaching before switching her major to dramatic writing. During her junior year, she began pursuing a comedy career with the Upright Citizens Brigade. Made her screen debut in 2014.

Movies and Cartoons: Inside Out 2 (2024)

Characters: Envy

Also Known For: Actress, comedian, and television writer best known as Sydney Adamu in The Bear. Film appearances include Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Theater Camp, Bottoms, Cicada, Shithouse, The Sweet East, Omni Loop, and Opus. TV appearances include Big Mouth, Dickinson, The Premise, Abbott Elementary, History of the World Part II, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, Black Mirror, Clone High, Mulligan, Saturday Night Live, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Everybody Still Hates Chris. Has written episodes for Big Mouth, What We Do in the Shadows, Sunnyside, Craig of the Creek, and The Eric Andre Show.

Personal Life: Identifies as queer.

Later Life: Is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and has canvassed with the organization.

Trivia: Has won an Independent Spirit Award, Emmy, Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics’ Choice Award for The Bear as well as a Directors Guild of America nomination for the episode “Napkins.”

593. Adele Exarchopoulos

Dates: 1993-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Paris, France. Grew up in its 19^th arrondissement near the Place des Fetes. Father’s a restaurant manager at the Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy, film producer, and president of the company 1660 Productions. Mother’s a nurse. In 2006, she was spotted by an agent and made an appearance on a French cop show. Made her film debut in 2007.

Movies and Cartoons: Inside Out 2 (2024)

Characters: Ennui

Also Known For: French actress best known as Adele in Blue Is the Warmest Colour. Film appearances include All Your Faces, Mandibles, Zero Fucks Given, Racer and the Jailbird, The White Crow, Sibyl, The Five Devils, Passages, Boxes, Trouble at Timpetill, The Round Up, Turk’s Head, Pieces of Me, I Used to Be Darker, Insecure, Les Anarchistes, Down by Love, The Last Face, Orphan, Back Home, BAC Nord, Smoking Causes Coughing, The Animal Kingdom, A Real Job, Wingwomen, Beating Hearts, and Planet B. TV appearances include R.I.S. police scientifique, La Flamme, La Flambeau, les adventuriers de Chupacabra, and LOL: Qui, rit, sort!.

Personal Life: Has been in 2 long-term relationships. First with actor Jérémie Laheurte from 2012-2015. Second with rapper and L’entourage member Mamadou Coulibaly a.k.a Doums from 2016-2021. They have a son born in 2017.

Later Life: During Variety’s 2013 Actresses Roundtable, Exarchopoulos expressed frustration over losing a role that went to a “brown girl” after an audition. She replied, Yeah, but it’s cinema, you can make me brown.” In November 2020, after director Abdellatif Kechiche was accused of sexual assault by an unnamed 29-year-old actress, Exarchopoulos told French Elle magazine: He’s someone I’ll love all my life. I think of him often, I hope he is happy. My meeting with him was decisive in my desire to make cinema. Certainly, Abdellatif is a complex being. But it upsets me because I really know him.” She even thanked him in a Cesar Awards speech in 2024. That same year, she signed a petition addressed to President Emanuel Macron that France officially recognize the State of Palestine.

Trivia: Played Ember Lumen in the French dub of Elemental (2023). Has won 2 Cesar Awards. Was the youngest person to be awarded the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or.

594. Paul Walter Hauser

Dates: 1986-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and raised in Saginaw. Father’s a Lutheran minister. Attended Valley Lutheran High School and Concordia University Chicago before dropping out from the latter to pursue an entertainment career. Made his screen debut in 2005.

Movies and Cartoons: Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as the live-action Cruella.

Characters: Embarrassment

Also Known For: Actor and wrestler best known as Stingray in Cobra Kai, the title character in Richard Jewell, and Larry Hall in Black Bird. Film appearances include Super Troopers 2, Beats, Adam, Old Dads, Virginia, iSteve, I, Tonya, BlacKkKlansman, Late Night, Da 5 Bloods, Eat Wheaties!, Songbird, Silk Road, Queenpins, Delia’s Gone, Americana, Orion and the Dark, The Instigators, and The Luckiest Man in America. TV appearances include Too Late with Adam Carolla, Community, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Key & Peele, Betas, Kingdom, Superstore, A Midsummer’s Nightmare, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, WWE Smackdown, Reno 911!, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Afterparty.

Personal Life: Married to Amy Elizabeth Boland since 2020. They have 2 sons: Harris Boland Hauser born in 2021 and Jonah Maverick Hauser born in 2023.

Later Life: He and his wife were featured in the Christian multimedia movement I Am Second.

Trivia: Has won a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe. Is also an occasional professional wrestler signed to Major League Wrestling.

595. Ron Funches

Dates: 1983-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Carson, California. Spent his early life with his social worker mother and sister in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Moved to Salem, Oregon to be with his pipefitter father. Graduated from Salem’s Douglas McKay High School where he took English courses and was inspired by authors William Faulkner, J. D. Salinger, Moliere, and Erich Maria Remarque. After high school, Funches moved to Portland where he worked a variety of jobs including at a bank call center and as a clerk at a Grocery Outlet store. Began pursuing stand-up comedy at 23. Moved to Los Angeles in 2012 after appearing in Portlandia in 2011.

Movies and Cartoons: Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as the series Ariel along with The Lion Guard and the film Noelle.

Characters: Bloofy

Also Known For: Comedian and actor best known as Cooper in the Trolls franchise, King Shark in Harley Quinn, Ron in Hoops, Fox in Final Space, and Kevin in Poorly Drawn Lines. Film appearances include Get Hard, Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal: The Movie, Once Upon a Time in Venice, Killing Hasselhoff, Jexi, 6 Underground, Lucky, Sylvie’s Love, The One and Only Ivan, Golden Arm, Dark Web: Cicada 3301, Cheaper by the Dozen (2022), 80 for Brady, Under the Boardwalk, and Good Burger 2. TV appearances include @midnight, Mulaney, Kroll Show, Undateable, BoJack Horseman, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Adventure Time, Transparent, Black-ish, Portlandia, Crash & Bernstein, New Girl, Selfie, Bob’s Burgers, Drunk History, Cougar Town, Great Minds with Dan Harmon, Cupcake Wars, Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh, The Goldbergs, Powerless, We Bare Bears, A.P. Bio, OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes, Man with a Plan, Twelve Forever, Crank Yankers, Central Park, The Last Blockbuster, Match Game, The Great North, Nailed It!, Chopped 420, Jellystone!, Inside Job, A Tale of Dark & Grimm, Loot, Rock Paper Scissors, and After Midnight.

Personal Life: Married to Christina Dawn from 2020 to their separation in 2022. Has 2 sons: Malcolm whom he fathered at 20 and has autism and a son with Dawn born in 2022. Once weighed 360 lbs but has since lost 140 lbs.

Later Life: Took classes at a wrestling school for a few months and made his debut in the ring at GCW in 2021. Started a wrestling podcast in 2022 called One Fall with Ron Funches.

Trivia: Is an avid video game and wrestling fan.

596. James Austin Johnson

Dates: 1989-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Nashville, Tennessee. During childhood, he appeared in various productions by Lifeway Christian Resources. Began performing stand-up comedy as a teenager. Attended Davidson Academy and Trevecca Nazarene University in 2011. Regularly performed at open mics in Nashville before moving to Los Angeles in 2013. Began his acting career in independent Christian films. In 2016, he appeared in a Direct TV ad alongside Peyton Manning. In August 2020, his impression of Donald Trump went viral in a video uploaded to Twitter, amassing a million views. Joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2021.

Movies and Cartoons: Inside Out 2 (2024)

Characters: Pouchy

Also Known For: Comedian and actor best known as a current cast member on Saturday Night Live since 2021. Film appearances include October Baby, Blue Like Jazz, Hail, Caesar!, She Said, and A Complete Unknown. TV appearances include Adam Ruins Everything, Future Man, Better Call Saul, All Rise, Tuca & Bertie, Fairview, The G View, Barry, and John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA.

Personal Life: Married to Rebekah Lain and they have a child together.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

597. Kirk Thatcher

Dates: 1962-present

Early Life and Career: Born and raised in Los Angeles. At 10, he was making films all involving creatures, space ships, and broad comedy. While attending Harvard-Westlake Upper School, he met Star Wars production designer Joe Johnston. Began his career at 18, leaving UCLA Film School to work at George Lucas’ special effects facility Industrial Light and Magic where he was a technical assistant for Return of the Jedi and a production designer for David Fincher’s first music videos. Later hired by Leonard Nimoy to associate produce Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home where he also plays a punk rock fan that Kirk and Spock encounter.

Movies and Cartoons: Inside Out 2 (2024)

Characters: Foreman

Also Known For: Writer, producer, director, and production designer known for his many collaborations with the Muppets and the Jim Henson Company. Has written episodes for Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Lazytown, Sid the Science Kid, and Crank Yankers.

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

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Was once a power lifter in high school and college where he was known for his ability to lift cars. Also knows how to play the ukulele. Directed The Muppets’ “Bohemian Rhapsody” video that later won a Webby Award.

598. Sarayu Rao Blue

Dates: 1975-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Madison, Wisconsin to a Telugu family from India. Parents are article and short story writers Narayana Rao and Nidadavolu Malathi. Attended West High School. Earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in acting in 2005 from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Made screen debut in 2002.

Movies and Cartoons: Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as a few series.

Characters: Margie

Also Known For: Actress best known as Angela in Sons of Tucson and Dr. Sydney Napur in Monday Mornings. Film appearances include Leela, Lions for Lambs, Dealin’ with Idiots, Blockers, To All the Boys: P. S. I Still Love You, Happiest Season, To All the Boys: Always and Forever, Hollywood Stargirl, and A Million Miles Away. TV appearances include Bones, The Big Bang Theory, Life, Hawthorne, Outsourced, Harry’s Law, In Plain Sight, Franklin and Bash, NCIS: Los Angeles, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Grey’s Anatomy, Two and a Half Men, The Real O’Neals, Veep, Rizzoli & Isles, No Tomorrow, Station 19, The Unicorn, Medical Police, The Shrink Next Door, Never Have I Ever, History of the World Part II, XO, Kitty, Velma, Expats, and Good American Family.

Personal Life: Married to Jonathan Blue who’s Director of the Creative Development at ReKon Productions.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

599. Rose Matafeo

Dates: 1992-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Auckland, New Zealand. Father’s Samoan who joined the Polynesian Panthers when he was a teenager and later worked an administrative role at the Rastafarian Church. Mother’s a teacher who moved to Kampala, Uganda to teach English in the 2010s. Grew up in Ponsonby, Auckland and attended Auckland Girls’ Grammar School where she was head girl. At 15, she began doing stand-up comedy through the platform of the “Class Comedians” program put on by the New Zealand Comedy Trust. Went on to win the “Nailed It on the Night” award at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival in 2007. She’s been a regular at the festival since. Since graduating from the “Class Comedians” program, Matafeo went on to host the popular comedy show “Fanfiction Comedy” in 2012. Made her screen debut in 2010.

Movies and Cartoons: Moana 2 (2024)

Characters: Loto

Also Known For: New Zealand comedian, actress, and TV presenter. Film appearances include The Breaker Uppers and Baby Done. TV appearances include 7 Days, Pocket Protectors, Best Bits, Funny Girls, W1A, Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier, Squinter, Taskmaster, Golden Boy, Richard Osman’s House of Games, QI, Dead Pixels, Starstruck, Pointless, and The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off.

Personal Life: Has dated comedian Guy Williams and was in a relationship with British comedian James Acaster during the mid-2010s where they shared an apartment with comedian Nish Kumar in London from 2015-2017.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

600. David Fane

Dates: 1966-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Auckland, New Zealand. Educated at St. Pauls College in Grey Lynn. Got into acting quite late and trained at the New Zealand Drama School Toi Whakaari, graduating with a Diploma in Acting in 1992, which he upgraded to a Bachelor of Performing Arts (in Acting) in 2003. Made his screen debut in 1993.

Movies and Cartoons: Moana 2 (2024)

Characters: Kele

Also Known For: New Zealand actor. Film appearances include Tongian Ninja, The Legend of Johnny Lingo, Sione’s Wedding, Eagle vs Shark, The Tattooist, Love Birds, Sione’s 2: Unfinished Business, Gary of the Pacific, and Next Goal Wins. TV appearances include Target, Revelations – The Initial Journey, The Strip, Bro’Town, The Market, Outrageous Fortune, Diplomatic Immunity, Island Wars, 800 Words, Westside, and Our Flag Means Death.

Personal Life: Married to Bronwyn Bradley. They have 3 children.

Later Life: During the 2010 inaugural Radio Roast, Fane pushed insult comedy boundaries when roasting advertising executives in front of a celebrity audience. Said that “Hitler had a right,” people living with HIV deserve to be “roasted,” and “Jews were expendable.” Taking his routine out of context, the media suggested it as a drunken tirade rather than in line with the theme of the night. Fane later apologized to the New Zealand AIDS Foundation and the New Zealand Jewish Council.

Trivia: Has been nominated for a Peabody Award. Received the Order of New Zealand Order of Merit in 2023.

Peter Sohn pitched the concept of Elemental to Pixar based on the idea of whether fire and water could ever connect or not. The film was also inspired by his experiences as a son of Korean immigrants in New York City during the 1970s. He stated: “My parents emigrated from Korea in the early 1970s and built a bustling grocery store in the Bronx. We were among many families who ventured to a new land with hopes and dreams — all of us mixing into one big salad bowl of cultures, languages, and beautiful little neighborhoods. That’s what led me to Elemental.”  In addition, he also cited his relationship with his eventual wife Anna Chambers which led to a culture clash within his family and world as an inspiration as well. Thus, he says the film’s 7-year development is closely tied to his relationships with family.  As for the city, Sohn stated: “The concept of the city itself started off with Ember. We thought, ‘What’s the best city we can build to support Ember’s journey of identity and belonging?’ It started by thinking about a city that would be hard for fire, and so we based it off of water. The idea is that Water got to this area first, and then Earth came, so it became a delta. Then, they built a water infrastructure with water canals and elevated water channels everywhere, making it even tougher for Ember. Then, Air came in after that, and Fire was one of the last groups to come into the city.” When Sohn first pitched the story and started developing it, he asked himself: “What’s fire? People can see it as a temper. People can see it as passion. As a practical thing, fire burns and sparks—but what does it mean to burn bright? There are all these ingredients to what we already perceive as fire, and that started to form Ember’s personality. It’s the same thing for Wade. Water can be transparent. What does that mean? He wears his emotions on his sleeve. He goes with the flow. That helped form these personalities that were already pretty opposite, and then we had to find that Venn diagram of where they overlapped. That’s the hopeful magic. I hope people can buy into the sparks, the chemical reaction, that could form a relationship.”  Sohn also cited romantic comedy films as particular influences when he enjoyed leaning into the rom-com as a storytelling genre. He also used a doodle of the periodic table in high school as an early form of expression within the movie’s genesis: “There was this funny drawing that I remember discovering about like a fire and a water character, and that triggering a whole lot of different ideas, and I just couldn’t stop drawing these new, little things.”

              Element City was modeled after New York City as a series of immigrant neighborhoods composed of organic materials that would complement each element. Firetown’s built with ceramic, metal, and brick, for instance. Production designer Don Shank said, “design ideas inspired new technology, which inspired new design.” Sohn also noted that he “went into more detail about how the design and tech process went for designing Ember and Wade.” He saw personifying elements as a difficult challenge. Although personifying air wasn’t nearly as hard as fire and water. For example, Wade was incredibly complex with the biggest challenge through creating visual effects. While the animators needed to find some middle ground to create the character and make him transparent enough. Studio set designers looked to cities like Amsterdam and Venice for inspiration with their water canals and the buildings that surround the cities have immense detail and thought put into them. Since the Covid 19 pandemic made travel to those places impossible, they had to watch many hours of point-of-city tours on YouTube for inspiration. Upon its 2023 release, Elemental received positive reviews and grossed $496.4 million at the box office. In this post, you’ll meet the voices behind one more character from Strange World, voice actor Matt Yang King, as well as Ember, Wade, Gale, Fern Grouchwood, Flarry, and 3 characters from Wish.

571. Emily Kuroda

Dates: 1952-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Fresno, California. Began acting and directing in high school. Majored in drama at California State University Fresno before launching her career on stage and screen. Made her screen debut in 1982.

Movies and Cartoons: Strange World (2022) as well as the series Baymax!.

Characters: Ro

Also Known For: Actress best known as Mrs. Kim in Gilmore Girls as well as had a long career on stage and screen. Is a veteran of the East West Players, Los Angeles’ premiere theater group. Film appearances include Worth Winning, Dad, Why Me?, Late for Dinner, Broken Words, Yellow, The Suburbans, Stranger Inside, Shopgirl, The Sensei, Hotel for Dogs, Peep World, RED, Yellow Face, Alex Mapa: Baby Daddy, Take the 10, and Kimi. TV appearances include Remington Steele, CBS Storybreak, Gung Ho, Matlock, MacGyver, L.A. Law, Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone, Columbo, Knots Landing, Dynasty: The Reunion, Doogie Howser M.D., Sisters, The Jackie Thomas Show, ER, The Young and the Restless, Party of Five, The Practice, Chicago Hope, The King of Queens, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Six Feet Under, The Agency, Under One Roof, Grey’s Anatomy, Drop Dead Diva, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Resident, The Good Doctor, All Rise, and The Power. Stage appearances include Red, Winter People, Innocent When You Dream, and No-No Boy.

Personal Life: Married to actor/director Alberto Isaac since 1980.

Later Life: Still working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

572. Leah Lewis

Dates: 1996-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Shanghai, China. Adopted from an orphanage at 6 months and raised in Windermere, Florida. Parents are realtors. Discovered performing arts at Crenshaw School in Orlando, Florida. Attended Thornebrooke Elementary School in Ocoee, Florida and Orlando’s Southwest Middle School. During her teenage years, she and her mother often moved back and forth between Orlando and Los Angeles. At 17, she went back to finish high school at Olympia High School before moving back to Los Angeles at 20 in 2016. Started acting in  commercials at a young age. Made her screen debut in 2006.

Movies and Cartoons: Elemental (2023)

Characters: Ember Lumen

Also Known For: Actress best known as Georgia “George” Fan in Nancy Drew, Ellie Chu in The Half of It, and Sarah in Matlock. Film appearances include Nanking, How to Deter a Robber, and The Tiger’s Apprentice. TV appearances include The New Adventures of Old Christine, Paloozaville, The Voice, The Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything, The Good Doctor, Charmed, Station 19, It’s Pony, and Batwheels. Web appearances include Sing It!, Teens React, Guidance, and My Dead Ex.

Personal Life: Has a younger sister who was adopted in the same orphanage as her. Began dating singer Payson Lewis in 2016.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Aside from acting, Lewis sings, plays guitar, and does photography.

573. Mamoudou Athie

Dates: 1988-present 

                                                                            

Early Life and Career: Born in Mauritania. Father was a diplomat who received asylum in the United States when he was 6 months old. Grew up in North Carrollton, Maryland outside Washington D.C. Studied acting at the William Esper Studio in the Two-Year Professional Actor Training Program. Graduated with an MFA at the Yale School of Drama in 2014. Began his career in theater, starring off-Broadway in The Mystery of Love and Sex in 2015. Made first screen appearance in 2015.

Movies and Cartoons: Elemental (2023) as well as the short An Almost Christmas Story.

Characters: Wade Ripple

Also Known For: Actor best known as Elijah in Uncorked, Noah Wright in Black Box, Hal Dockins in The Burial, Matt Greer in Sorry for Your Loss, and Jerome in Cake. Film appearances include Kinds of Kindness, Experimenter, Jean of the Joneses, Patti Cake$, The Circle, Unicorn Store, Underwater, Jurassic World Dominion, and They Boy and the Heron. TV appearances include Archive 81, Madam Secretary, The Get Down, The Detour, and Strange Planet.

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

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has been nominated for an Emmy.

574. Wendi McLendon-Covey

Dates: 1969-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Bellflower, California. Grew up in Long Beach. Attended De Mille Junior High and graduated from Milikan High School. Attended Long Beach City College, Golden West College, and California State University, Long Beach where she graduated with a B.A. in liberal studies and creative writing. While working at a hotel in Anaheim and after graduating from college, she enrolled for weekend classes for non-actors at The Groundlings, whom she officially joined in 2002. All while she worked as an editor for California State University’s academic journal of social work until 2012. Made her screen debut in 2001.

Movies and Cartoons: Elemental (2023) and Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation (2024) as well as a few series.

Characters: Gale Cumulus

Also Known For: Actress best known as Beverly Goldberg in The Goldbergs and Deputy Clementine Johnson in Reno 911!. Film appearances include Bewitched, Over Her Dead Body, Bridesmaids, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, The Single Moms Club, Blended, Think Like a Man Too, Hello, My Name Is Doris, Goosebumps 2: Happy Halloween, What Men Want, Sylvie’s Love, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Blush, Cook Off!, Jesus People: The Movie, Douchebag, Tug, The Search for Santa Paws, 10 Rules for Sleeping Around, Date and Switch, A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, The Breakup Girl, Army of One, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House, Braking for Whales, Long Weekend, Prom Pact, Paint, and Sick Girl. TV appearances include Lovespring International, Rules of Engagement, The Office, 10 Things I Hate About You, Cougar Town, Svetlana, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Hot in Cleveland, Bob’s Burgers, The Looney Tunes Show, RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars, Modern Family, Mike Tyson Mysteries, American Dad!, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Schooled, Crossing Swords, M.O.D.O.K., History of the World, Part II, Grimsburg, and St. Denis Medical.

Personal Life: Married to property manager and former corporate executive Greg Covey since 1996.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

575. Joe Pera

Dates: 1988-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Buffalo, New York. Raised in the suburb of Amherst. Studied film at Ithaca College where he competed and won its stand-up competition 3 times and graduated in 2010. Moved to New York City to pursue comedy and participated in open mic nights as often as possible. Made screen debut in 2013.

Movies and Cartoons: Elemental (2023)

Characters: Fern Grouchwood

Also Known For: Comedian, writer, and actor best known as the creator and star of Joe Pera Talks with You, which ran for 3 seasons. TV appearances include The Chris Gethard Show, Conan, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, F Is for Family, Search Party, and Bob’s Burgers.

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

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Is a huge tomato enthusiast with numerous tomato photos on his Instagram. He stated, “Oh, I’ve been into tomatoes for years. It’s a bit of a challenge when so many people bring me tomatoes after shows and I have to eat them whether I’m in the mood for a tomato or not. Because people are so kind about offering them. They aren’t the easiest produce to transport so I try to eat them fresh when someone brings them. And, it is hard to turn down a good heirloom tomato.”

576. Matt Yang King

Dates: 1974-present

Early Life and Career: Studied acting at New York University Tisch School of the Arts and lived in New York City until 1998. Left to tour the United States with the musical Titanic, playing quartermaster Robert Hichens and Bandsman Bricoux that began in Los Angeles. Made his screen debut in 2001.

Movies and Cartoons: Elemental (2023) and Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as the TV movie The Even Stevens Movie and the series The Lion Guard.

Characters: Alan Ripple, Lutz, and Earth Pruner

Also Known For: Actor best known as Appa and Momo in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Film appearances include Only Yesterday, Species III, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, The Kreutzer Sonata, Red Dawn (2012), Sightless, Turok: Son of Stone, Back to the Sea, Batman Ninja, Bright: Samurai Soul, and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. TV appearances include Riverdale, Powers, Strong Medicine, Numb3rs, 24, Love, Death & Robots, G. I. Joe Renegades, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Supah Ninjas, Crossing Jordan, ER, The West Wing, Friends, Fraiser, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: NY, Eli Stone, Bones, Steam Punk’d, Grimm, Lucifer, Rosewood, Naruto, Regular Show, Robot Chicken, Squid Game, and Creature Commandos. Video game appearances include the World of Warcraft franchise, Cyberpunk 2077, Fortnite, Marvel Heroes, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Valkyria Chronicles, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, The Saboteur, Dragon Age: Origins, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, Dead to Rights: Retribution, Final Fantasy XIII-2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, Nicktoons MLB, Might & Magic Heroes VI, Skylanders: Giants, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Resident Evil 6, Diablo III, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, BioShock Infinite, Hearthstone, Fallout 4, Agents of Mayhem, Injustice 2, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Death Stranding, Judgement, Ghost of Tsushima, Lost Judgement, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and Rosewater. Stage appearances include Titanic: A New Musical, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Tempest.

Personal Life: Has 3 children.

Later Life: Has been working on a couple crowdfunding projects such as The Goblins Animated and a web series called The World of Steam. The latter has established as leader in the Steampunk Creative community.

Trivia: None.

577. Jonathan Adams

Dates: 1967-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and grew up in Wilkinsburg. Graduated from Wilkinsburg High School in 1985 and studied acting at Carnegie Mellon University for a year and a half before having to drop out due to his inability to afford tuition. Made screen debut in 1990.

Movies and Cartoons: Planes (2013) and Elemental (2023) as well as the Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 2, the video game Kinect Disneyland Adventures, and the series Cars Toons and Sofia the First.

Characters: Flarry

Also Known For: Actor best known as Henry Walker in American Dreams, Daniel Goodman in Bones, and Chuck Larabee in Last Man Standing. Also known for his voice acting with roles such as Galactus, Dormammu, Kang the Conqueror, Darkseid, and Atrocitus. Film appearances include Air Bud: Golden Receiver and Osmosis Jones. TV appearances include Frasier, Felicity, The American Embassy, Crossing Jordan, The Unit, One Tree Hill, NCIS, Women’s Murder Club, 24, Medium, Boston Legal, Numb3rs, NCIS: Los Angeles, Black Panther, Desperate Housewives, Hellcats, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Memphis Beat, Burn Notice, Prophets of Science Fiction, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Castle, Up All Night, Uncle Grandpa, The Legend of Korra, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Drop Dead Diva, Dallas, Once Upon a Time, Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Stinky & Dinky Show, Masters of Sex, Justice League Action, Man with a Plan, The Orville, Designated Survivor, Detroiters, Teen Titans Go!, Dark Winds, All Rise, Bob Hearts Abishola, Grey’s Anatomy, and Dexter: Original Sin. Video game appearances include Army of Two: The 40^th Day, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Diablo III, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, Hitman: Absolution, Hearthstone, The Elder Scrolls Online, Skylanders series, Heroes of the Storm, StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, World of Warcraft: Legion, and For Honor.

Personal Life: Married to Monica Farrell since 1994. They have 2 children.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

578. Ariana DeBose

Dates: 1991-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Wilmington, North Carolina. Mother is a middle school teacher. Trained in dance at CC & Co. Dance Complex in Raleigh, where she also grew up. Made her TV debut in 2009 as a contestant in So You Think You Can Dance where she made it to the Top 20. Debuted on Broadway in 2011.

Movies and Cartoons: Wish (2023) as well as the short Once Upon a Studio.

Characters: Asha

Also Known For: Actress and singer best known as Anita in West Side Story (2021), Jane in A Bronx Tale (2016-2017), and Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Film appearances include The Prom, Company, Hamilton, I.S.S., Argylle, House of Spoils, Kraven the Hunter, and Love Hurts. TV appearances include So You Think You Can Dance, Schmigadoon!, Blue Bloods, Hamilton’s America, Saturday Night Live, Human Resources, Westworld, Bubble Guppies, and Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock. Stage appearances include Bring It On: The Musical, Motown: The Musical, Pippin, Hairspray, Les Miserables, and Gutenberg! The Musical!.

Personal Life: Identifies as queer and came out to her grandparents in 2015. Has been in 2 relationships. First with theater props master Jill Johnson. Second with costume designer and professor Sue Makkoo from 2017-2023.

Later Life: In 2020, she and Jo Ellen Pellman launched the Unruly Hearts Initiative, created to help young people connect with organizations and charities that advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.

Trivia: Has won an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe. Has been nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys and a Tony Award. Hosted the Tony Awards in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.

579. Angelique Cabral

Dates: 1979-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Grew up in Carmel Valley, California and attended All Saint’s Day School and Santa Catalina School as well as Indiana University in Bloomington. Booked her professional job at 6 months in a United Airlines commercial. Has since appeared in various commercials such as Citibank, The Home Depot, Captain Morgan, New York Lotto, and Blue Cross, and Toyota. Print campaigns include Verizon, Western Union, Olympus, Redbook, Fed Ex, and Loestrin. Made her screen debut in 2004.

Movies and Cartoons: Wish (2023)

Characters: Queen Amaya

Also Known For: Actress best known as Colleen Brandon-Ortega in Life in Pieces and Staff Sergeant Jillian Perez in Enlisted. Film appearances include The Perfect Family, Friends with Benefits, Band Aid, All About Nina, and How It Ends. TV appearances include Guiding Light, All My Children, One Life to Live, Melrose Place, Two and a Half Men, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, Talking Marriage with Ryan Bailey, The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, NCIS: Los Angeles, Chicago P.D., The Odd Couple, Transparent, Fresh Off the Boat, Grey’s Anatomy, Undone, Grace and Frankie, With Love, DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms, Maggie, Big Sky, and The Neighborhood.

Personal Life: First cousin once removed of actress Edie McClurg. Married to marketing director Jason Osbourn since 2013. They have a daughter Adelaide and a son Alden.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

580. Victor Garber

Dates: 1949-present

Early Life and Career: Born in London, Ontario in Canada. Mother was actress, singer, and host of At Home with Hope Garber Bessie Hope Wolf. Attended Ryerson Elementary School and London Central Secondary School. Began acting at 9 in 1958. Enrolled in the children’s program of the Grand Theatre. At 16, he was accepted at a 6-week summer theatre training program at the University of Toronto. Studied acting at HB Studio in New York. After a period as a solo folk singer, Garber formed folk group called The Sugar Shoppe in 1967, which enjoyed moderate success with 4 songs charting the Canadian charts as well as performed The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson before breaking up. Made his screen debut in 1973.

Movies and Cartoons: Wish (2023) as well as the live action TV movie Cinderella.

Characters: Sabino

Also Known For: Canadian actor and singer best known as Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), Garry LeJuene in Noises Off, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, Bernard Nightingale in Arcadia, Serge in Art, Clifford Anderson in Deathtrap, The Men in Belle’s Life in Little Me, Applegate in Damn Yankees, John Wilkes Booth in Assassins, Horace Vandergelder in Hello Dolly!, Jesus Christ in Godspell, Jack Bristow in Alias, Sidney Luft in Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, and Martin Stein/Firestorm in The Flash and Legends  of Tomorrow. Film appearances include Titanic, Milk, Argo, Sleepless in Seattle, The First Wives Club, Annie (1999), Legally Blonde, Sicario, Dark Waters, Happiest Season, Monkeys in the Attic,  Mixed Nuts, Life with Mikey, Exotica, Jeffrey, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Tuck Everlasting, Home Room, Star Trek, You Again, The Town, Kung Fu Panda 2, The Entitled, Take Me Home, Moving Day, I’ll Follow You Down, Big Game, Self/less, Consumed, Rebel in Rye, Funny Face (2020), Fly Me to the Moon, and Relay. TV appearances include Frasier, Will & Grace, ABC Afterschool Special, Hallmark Hall of Fame, The Twilight Zone, Guiding Light, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Liberace: Behind the Music, Alex Haley’s Queen, Dieppe, Sesame Street, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Law & Order, The Outer Limits, Liberty! The American Revolution, Call Me Claus, The Music Man, American Masters, Ugly Betty, ReGenesis, Eli Stone, The Last Templar, Glee, Nurse Jackie, Web Therapy, Republic of Doyle, Stargate Universe, Suits, Murdoch Mysteries, Flashpoint, 30 Rock, Law & Order: LA, William & Catherine: A Royal Romance, Charlie’s Angels, The Big C, Damages, The Firm, Deception, The Hunters, The Good Wife, Louie, Blue Bloods, Power, Motive, The Slap, The Orville, Modern Family, Spirit Riding Free, Tales of the City, Schitt’s Creek, Power II: Ghost, Family Law, The Simpsons, And Just Like That…, and American Horror Stories. Stage appearances include Godspell, Ghosts, The Shadow Box, Tartuffe, They’re Playing Our Song, You Can Never Tell, The Devil’s Disciple, Love Letters, Merrily We Roll Along, A Little Night Music, Follies, Present Laughter, She Loves Me, and Gutenberg! The Musical!.

Personal Life: Prefers to keep his personal life private and stays out of the tabloids. Referred publicly to being gay in 2012 saying, “I don’t really talk about it but everyone knows.” Has been married to Canadian artist and model Rainer Andreesen since 2015 and they’ve been together since 2000. Was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at 12 in 1962.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has been nominated 3 Gemini Awards, 4 Tony Awards, 3 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and 6 Primetime Emmys. Made Officer of the Order of Canada in 2022. Officiated Jennifer Gardner’s wedding with Ben Affleck in 2005.

              After directing Finding Dory with Andrew Stanton in 2016, filmmaker pitched the idea of making a Buzz Lightyear film. Since he always wondered what movie Andy saw in the original Toy Story to get interested in a Buzz Lightyear action figure. An avid science fiction fan, MacLane had felt attracted to Buzz since he began working at Pixar and felt that the film’s story was very “personal” to him. Since A New Hope had been his favorite movie since childhood. An aspect in the Toy Story films that Lightyear explores is Buzz’s disagreement over reality’s nature, which coupled with his heroic ideals, made an amalgam of sci-fi cliches that MacLane wanted to make more than just a punchline. For the look, the animators wanted the film to seem “cinematic” and “chunky” in order to evoke the feeling of the science fiction films that MacLane grew up with. To achieve this, they asked a former Industrial Light & Magic employee to build a spaceship model for them, from which they drew inspiration: a technique inspired by designers for early science fiction films using models for inspiration for their sets and props. MacLane said the animation took several “visual lessons” from early science fiction and space operas like the Star Wars films. Though without intentionally imitating such films. To design the film’s vehicles, MacLane used Legos to build various ships and pitch them to the designers and artists. Influenced by anime robots, Zurg was redesigned to look more grounded and menacing than his previous appearances. The animation team also went to NASA to research about spaceships, space suits, and overall set pieces since they wanted “everything to look like a live-action film rather than an animation.” Upon its release in 2022, Lightyear grossed $226 million at the box office against a $200 million budget, making it a box office bomb. While reviews were generally positive but not the degree of its predecessors. Still, Lightyear’s underperformance at the box office would result in Pixar putting MacLane out of a job.

              After finishing co-directing Moana, filmmaker Don Hall pondered the origins of a generational family with the concept of “environmental overtones” which was described as “Indiana Jones meets National Lampoon’s Vacation.” According to Hall, Strange World takes influence from early 20^th century pulp magazines along with science fiction works like Journey to the Center of the Earth, Fantastic Voyage, and King Kong. Hall said he “loved reading the old issues of pulps growing up. They were big adventures in which a group of explorers might discover a hidden world or ancient creatures. They’ve been a huge inspiration for Strange World.” The miracle plant Pando is named after a forest in Utah. The land of Avalonia is derived from the land Avalon in King Arthur legend that’s presented as a utopic community. While it was also given “warm, nostalgic” color scheme to contrast with the titular strange world inside the creature, for which the filmmakers “avoided earth tones and leaned into reds and magentas.” The film’s production team conducted research on climatologists, paleontologists, and biologists as well as a farmer. While filmmakers visited National Geographic for research which the film’s setting and inhabitants reflect. Upon its release, Strange World opened to positive reviews but only grossed $73.6 million at the box office. In this post, we’ll meet the voices behind one more Turning Red character as well as Izzy Hawthorne, Mo Morrison, Darby Steel, Alisha Hawthorne, Airman Diaz, Meridian, Caspian, Kardez, and Azimuth.

561. Josh Levi

Dates: 1998-present

Early Life and Career: Born Joshua Levi Bolden in Houston, Texas. Began his career on the show Friday Night Lights as Dennis Merriwether, whom he’d play for 2 seasons. In 2013, he was a finalist on season 3 for The X Factor USA. Afterwards, he made guest appearances on Nickelodeon shows called The Thundermans and Game Shakers. Released his debut single in 2014. Became part of the group Citizen Four in 2017.

Movies and Cartoons: Turning Red (2022)

Characters: Aaron Z.

Also Known For: Actor and singer best known as Darius Merriwether in Friday Night Lights. TV appearances include The Thundermans and Game Shakers.

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

Later Life: After leaving Citizen Four, Levi has shifted his attention to his full attention to education and solo ventures. In 2019, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in science in business and finance from Full Sail University. Released his first EP in 2020. Signed to Issa Rae’s Raedio and Atlantic Records in 2021.

Trivia: None.

562. Keke Palmer

Dates: 1993-present

Early Life and Career: Born Lauren Keyana Palmer in Harvey, Illinois and raised in nearby Robbins. Parents were professional actors before settling into full-time jobs. Father’s a Catholic deacon who works for a polyurethane company. Mother’s a high school teacher who works with autistic children. “Keke” was the name of her sister’s imaginary friend that she had before Palmer was born. Sang in church and performed in a stage show at a Chicago tourist destination. In 2002, she auditioned for a stage production of The Lion King at 9. Made her first film in 2004. Signed a record deal with Atlantic Records in 2005.

Movies and Cartoons: Lightyear (2022) as well as The Disney Family Singalong Volume II, the TV movie Jump In!, and the series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

Characters: Izzy Hawthorne

Also Known For: Actress, singer, and television personality best known as Akeelah Anderson in Akeelah and the Bee, True Jackson in True Jackson, VP, Aisha in Winx Club, and Ella in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Film appearances include Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Madea’s Family Reunion, The Longshots, Shrink, Animal, Pimp, Hustlers, Nope, One of Them Days, Cleaner, Unstable Fables: The Tortoise and the Hare, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Imperial Dreams, Brotherly Love, Ice Age: Collision Course, 2 Minutes of Frame, Alice, Under the Board Walk, and This Is Me…Now: A Love Story. TV appearances include The Wool Cap, Rags, Berlin Station, Scream, CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, Just Keke, Strahan, Sara and Keke, Password, Cold Case, ER, Knights of the South Bronx, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, The Cleveland Show, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Abducted: The Carlina White Story, 90210, Key & Peele, Family Guy, Grey’s Anatomy, Masters of Sex, Scream Queens, Bubble Guppies, Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade, Grease: Live, Robot Chicken, Singled Out, Big Mouth, Insecure, Legendary, Karma’s World, Saturday Night Live, That’s My Jam, The Afterparty, The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Hit album is So Uncool.

Personal Life: Doesn’t want labels attached to her sexuality. Was in a relationship with Darius Jackson from 2021 to 2023. They have a son. In 2019, she shared on Twitter that she had an abortion at 24 as part of the #YouKnowMe campaign. In an interview with People magazine, she disclosed she was molested as a child but didn’t realize it until she read a book about sexual abuse. Has amblyopia as well as dealt with polycystic ovary syndrome. Has also struggled with anxiety and depression. Had a turbulent relationship with singer TreySongz, alleging that he tricked her into appearing in a music video while at a party in 2017. Has accused him of “sexual intimidation,” disclosing that she hid in a closet to avoid being filmed and berated by Songz, only to later realize that he and his friends had recorded her without prior knowledge or consent. Songz has denied the claims during an interview on The Breakfast Club radio show, stating “I did not put her in the video without her permission. I don’t care that much to sneak Keke Palmer in the video for two seconds.” Was in a relationship with fitness instructor Darius Jackson from 2021-2023. They have a son born in February. But the couple later broke up after a series of incidents surrounding domestic violence throughout their relationship. Palmer soon received a temporary restraining order against Jackson as well as temporary sole custody of their son. Later dropped the requests in 2024 and their domestic violence restraining order hearing was canceled.

Later Life: Has released 2 books titled: I Don’t Belong to You: Quiet the Noise and Find Your Voice in 2017 and Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative in 2024. Works with Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs’ Cool to Be Smart program, speaking to children on the importance of learning. Also worked with the YWCA and Saving Our Daughters, where she’s been a representative in 2010. Supports the Black Lives Matter movement and marched in Hollywood as part of the George Floyd protests.

Trivia: Has been nominated for 4 Emmys and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Was included in Time’s 100 Next list in 2019, which “spotlights 100 rising stars who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, science, health and more.” Sang the US national anthem during the 2021 World Series. Hosted the MTV Music Awards in 2020.

563. Taika Waititi

Dates: 1975-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Wellington, New Zealand and grew up in its Aro Valley suburb Raukokore, a small town in the Bay of Plenty. Father was an artist. Grandfather served in the Maori Battalion during World War II. Parents divorced when he was 5 and he was primarily raised by his mother. Attended Onslow College. Studied theatre at Victoria University of Wellington where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1997. While in college, Waititi was part of a 5-member comedy ensemble called So You’re a Man which toured New Zealand and Australia with some success. He and Jermaine Clement formed a duo called the Humourbeasts who received New Zealand’s highest comedy accolade the Billy T Award in 1999. After starring in a condom commercial, Waititi began making comical shorts for New Zealands 48Hours film contest. Made his first screen appearance in 1999.

Movies and Cartoons: Lightyear (2022)

Characters: Mo Morrison

Also Known For: New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian best known as Adolf Hitler in Jojo Rabbit and IG-11 in The Mandalorian. Film appearances include Boy, The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What We Do in the Shadows, Scarfies, Snakeskin, Futile Attraction, Eagle vs. Shark, Green Lantern, Coffee Town, Thor: Ragnarok, Seven Stages to Achieve Immortal Bliss, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Next Goal Wins. Has directed Boy, The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Eagle vs. Shark, What We Do in the Shadows, Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Next Goal Wins. TV appearances include Our Flag Means Death, What We Do in the Shadows, The Strip, Flight of the Conchords, Radiradirah, Rick and Morty, Home Movie: The Princes Bride, RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, What If…?, History of the World Part II, The Simpsons, Time Bandits, and The Masked Singer. Has directed episodes for Flight of the Conchords, Super City, The Inbetweeners, What We Do in the Shadows, The Mandalorian, Our Flag Means Death, Time Bandits, and Interior Chinatown. Co-created Wellington Paranormal, Reservation Dogs, and Time Bandits.

Personal Life: Cousin of director and producer Tweedie Waititi. Although he legally goes by the name Cohen, Waititi has been primarily known by his father’s name for most of his life and was likely born under that name as well. Was in a relationship with New Zealand actress and writer Loren Horsey for 10 years. She co-wrote and acted in Eagle vs. Shark. Married twice. First wife was New Zealand film producer Chelsea Winstanley from 2011 to their divorce in 2018. They have 2 daughters. Second and current wife is British singer Rita Ora since 2022.

Later Life: Has a number of upcoming projects. Often incorporates his Maori heritage into his projects, such as by including indigenous interns and having traditional owners conduct a Welcome to Country ceremony during the start of filming on set in Australia. Has also served as executive producer in a variety of Maori and indigenous-made films. Not to mention, directed Maori language versions of Disney movies.

Trivia: Has won an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and a Grammy. Was appointed Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to film in 2020. Named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.

564. Dale Soules

Dates: 1946-present

Early Life and Career: Born in New Jersey. Grew up in the Greenwood Lake section of West Milford, New Jersey. Attended West Milford High School. While in high school, Soules became interested in acting and acted in summer stock theater, sang in church choirs, and later studied acting at HB Studio. Moved to New York in the mid-1960s to pursue an acting career and initially worked behind the scenes in theater in a variety of positions. Big break on Broadway came in 1968 in Hair. Made screen debut in 1971.

Movies and Cartoons: Lightyear (2022)

Characters: Darby Steel

Also Known For: Actress best known as Frieda Berlin in Orange Is the New Black. Film appearances include The Messenger, Blood Orgy of the Leather Girls, Diggers, Motherhood, Watching TV with the Red Chinese, AWOL, Aardvark, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, My Love Affair with Marriage, and She Came to Me. TV appearances include Really Rosie, American Playhouse, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order, American Masters, How to Make It in America, Big Lake, Unforgettable, At Home with Amy Sedaris, New Amsterdam, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Invasion, Digman!, and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

Personal Life: Is openly lesbian.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

565. Uzo Aduba

Dates: 1981-present

Early Life and Career: Born Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba in Boston, Massachusetts to Igbo parents from Nigeria. Grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts, graduating from Medfield High School in 1999. Attended Boston University where she studied classical voice and competed in track and field. Made her screen debut in 2012. Made her big break in 2013.

Movies and Cartoons: Lightyear (2022)

Characters: Alisha Hawthorne

Also Known For: Actress best known as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in Orange Is the New Black and Shirley Chisolm in Mrs. America. Film appearances include American Pastoral, My Little Pony: The Movie, Candy Jar, Steven Universe: The Movie, Miss Virginia, National Champions, Pearly Gates, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, Tallulah, Showing Roots, We Are Boats, Beats, Really Love, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, and Greedy People. TV appearances include The Residence, Bluebloods, Saturday Night Live, Comedy Bang! Bang!, The Wiz Live, Steven Universe, 3Below: Tales of Arcadia, Solos, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Animal, and Painkiller. Stage appearances include Clyde’s, The Seven, Coram Boy, Eclipsed, Godspell, Venice, and The Maids.

Personal Life: Married to filmmaker Robert Sweeting since 2020. They have a daughter born in 2023.

Later Life: In 2020, she was announced as a minority investor of the Angel City FC as part of the National Women’s Soccer League.

Trivia: Has won an Emmy, 2 Critics’ Choice Awards, and 5 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Has also been nominated for a Tony. Received the Point Courage Award from the Point Foundation for her support of the LGBT community in 2017. Became Heifer International’s first-ever celebrity ambassador to Africa.

566. Efren Ramirez

Dates: 1973-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Los Angeles to Salvadoran parents. Made his screen debut in 1994.

Movies and Cartoons: Lightyear (2022) as well as the series Even Stevens.

Characters: Airman Diaz

Also Known For: Actor best known as Pedro Sanchez in Napoleon Dynamite. Film appearances include Tammy and the T-Rex, Jury Duty, Kazaam, Melting Pot, King Cobra, Tomorrow’s Yesterday, Crank, Employee of the Month, Walkout, The Pool Boys, Gamer, When in Rome, Casa de mi padre, School Dance, Endgame, Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, Trafficked, Mad Families, and Satanic Hispanics. TV appearances include Boston Public, Judging Amy, ER, The District, George Lopez, Robot Chicken, Mad TV, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, American Dad!, Celebrity Rap Superstar, Eastbound & Down, Constantine, Perpetual Grace LTD, The Casagrandes, and FBI: Most Wanted.

Personal Life: Married to Mexican-American actress Iyari Limon from 1998 to their annulment in 1999.

Later Life: Is also a DJ who’s performed worldwide in over 50 cities across 5 continents. Sets include a variety of much such as hip hop, funk, disco, and hard house. His production company “Nocturnal Rage” throws a recurring rave every summer in Austin, Texas. Co-founded Powerhouse Pictures LLC with Chris Barrett and co-authored a book called Direct Your Own Life: How To Be A Star in Any Field You Choose that was published by Kaplan Publishing in 2008.

Trivia: None.

567. Gabrielle Union

Dates: 1972-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Omaha, Nebraska. Mother’s a phone company manager and social worker. Father’s a military sergeant. Said her mother taught her to have a “world perspective” and took her to a gay pride parade at 8 after the family moved to Pleasanton, California. Attended Foothill High School where she was a year-round student athlete competing Varsity soccer, track, and basketball. As one of the few black kids in her environment she grew up having self-esteem issues of colorism reflecting that “blonde was the ideal of beauty, and if I looked nothing like that, then I must be ugly.” Attended University of California, Los Angeles where she earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology. Yet, during the summer before her sophomore year at 19, Union was attacked and raped at gunpoint during her part-time job at Payless shoe store by a robber. Stated that she wouldn’t have survived that attack had it not been for self-defence lessons that she learned from Oprah Winfrey’s talk show. L ater successfully sued Payless for negligence, alleging that the store failed to warn employees about the assailant, who had been positively identified robbing another Payless location prior to when he raped her. Started her acting career with minor roles with her first audition being for Saved by the Bell. Made her big break with Bring It On in 2000.

Movies and Cartoons: Strange World (2022) as well as several series.

Characters: Meridian Clade

Also Known For: Actress best known as best known as Mary Jane Paul in Being Mary Jane. Film appearances include She’s All That, 10 Things I Hate About You, Bring It On, The Brothers, Deliver Us from Eva, Daddy’s Little Girls, Think Like a Man, Think Like a Man Too, Bad Boys II, Cradle 2 the Grave, Neo Ned, Cadillac Records, Top Five, Breaking In, The Perfect Find, The Birth of a Nation (2016), Almost Christmas, Sleepless, Love & Basketball, Two Can Play at That Game, Welcome to Collinwood, Ride or Die, Breakin’ All the Rules, The Honeymooners, Running with Scissors, Constellation, The Box, The Perfect Holiday, Meet Dave, Good Deeds, Cheaper by the Dozen, Space Cadet, and Riff Raff. TV appearances include City of Angels, L.A.’s Finest, Family Matters, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Moesha, 7^th Heaven, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sister, Sister, Clueless, ER, Friends, The West Wing, Something the Lord Made, Family Guy, Night Stalker, Football Wives, Ugly Betty, Life, FlashForward, Army Wives, Unsung Hollywood, Family Feud, America’s Got Talent, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Live in Front of a Studio Audience, Gabrielle Union: My Journey to 50, and Truth Be Told.

Personal Life: Cousin of rapper Saweetie. Parents divorced after 30 years of marriage. Dated basketball coach Jason Kidd during her junior year in high school. Has been married twice. First husband was former NFL player Chris Howard from 2001 to their divorce in 2006. Second and current husband is former NBA player Dwayne Wade since 2014. Has a daughter named Kaavia born in 2018 and 3 stepchildren.

Later Life: Has written 4 books. These comprise of 2 memoirs titled We’re Going to Need More Wine and You Got Anything Stronger? and 2 children’s books titled Welcome to the Party and Shady Baby. Has been an outspoken advocate for issues involving women’s health, LGBTQ+ equality, racism, and violence against women. Was a spokeswoman for Neutrogena in 2004 as well as is a part of several business ventures. Is also part-owner of the Angel City FC of the National Women’s Soccer League.

Trivia: Was included on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020. Has received the President’s Award from the NAACP Image Awards alongside her husband Dwayne Wade. Hosted the BET Honors in 2009-2013.

568. Karan Soni

Dates: 1989-present

Early Life and Career: Born in New Delhi, India. Attended the international school there. Came to the United States to study business at the University of Southern California. But ended up graduating from its Dramatic Arts department. Made his film debut in 2010.

Movies and Cartoons: Strange World (2022) as well as the series Mickey Mouse Funhouse.

Characters: Caspian

Also Known For: Indian-American actor best known as Dopinder in the Deadpool franchise and Pavitr Prakhakar / India Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Film appearances include Safety Not Guaranteed, Ghostbusters (2016), Office Christmas Party, Pokemon Detective Pikachu, Supremacy, Goosebumps, Chee and T, The Sweet Life, Rough Night, And Then There Was Eve, Unicorn Store, Creep 2, Little Bitches, Better Start Running, Office Uprising, Corporate Animals, Always Be My Maybe, Like a Boss, Trolls World Tour, Superintelligence, 7 Days, The People We Hate at the Wedding, Four Samosas, World’s Best, A Nice Indian Boy, and Stealing Pulp Fiction. TV appearances include Betas, Other Space, Blunt Talk, Miracle Workers, 1600 Penn, The Neighbors, The Middle, Melissa & Joey, The Goldbergs, Silicon Valley, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Will & Grace, Cake, Big Mouth, Karma’s World, Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail, Trolls: Holiday in Harmony, The Great North, Home Economics, Abbott Elementary, and American Dad!.

Personal Life: Is gay and is married to writer and director Roshan Sethi.

Later Life: Became a US citizen. Said to reprise his role as Spider Man India in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

Trivia: None.

569. Nik Dodani

Dates: 1993-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Dallas, Texas. Began his acting career in Phoenix-area community theater. Graduated from BASIS Scottsdale in 2011 and studied politics at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

Movies and Cartoons: Strange World (2022) as well as a few series.

Characters: Kardez

Also Known For: Actor, writer, and comedian best known as Zahid in Atypical and Pat Patel in Murphy Brown. Film appearances include Other People, The Good Neighbor, Alex Strangelove, Dark Was the Night, Escape Room, Dear Evan Hansen, Twisters, and The Parenting. TV appearances include The Comeback, Selfie, Kevin from Work, The Player, Idiotsitter, Angie Tribeca, Trinkets, and Big Nate.

Personal Life: Is openly gay.

Later Life: As a producer for MoveOn, he organized a comedy tour in 2016 called Laughter Trumps Hate. Also worked as a communications consultant at RALLY as well as a graphic designer and student organizer on Elizabeth Warren’s 2012 Senate campaign. Co-founded The Salon which is a forum for South Asian creatives in western creative arts. Has also played active roles in organizing support for Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024. Also played an active role in organizing other entertainers in the Black Lives Matter movement. Launched his own production banner Cosmic Pomegranate in 2022.

Trivia: None.

570. Francesca Reale

Dates: 1994-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Los Angeles. Received a BFA in acting at New York University. Also studied at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute and Stonestreet Studios. R eceived a 2012 National Youth Arts Award for Outstanding Youth Choreography for “Bordan vi Haller” in Winter Dance Concert, Hamilton Academy of Music. Made screen debut in 2016.

Movies and Cartoons: Strange World (2022)

Characters: Azimuth

Also Known For: Actress best known for her roles in Haters Back Off and Stranger Things. Film appearances include Dating and New York, Do Revenge, Parachute, and Musica. TV appearances include Blue Bloods, Wireless, and Entergalactic.

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

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

After completing the short Bao in 2017, Pixar invited filmmaker Domee Shi to pitch 3 ideas for a full-length film. Her proposed concepts were all coming-of-age stories involving teenage girls. The one becoming Turning Red was based on a girl going through “magical puberty,” which Shi based on her own personal experiences. Shi said, “Everyone has been there. Everyone has been thirteen and feeling like they’re turning into some wild, hairy, hormonal beast, and I think that’s why Pixar was drawn to it.” According to producer Lindsay Collins, the Pixar staff were drawn to the Turning Red idea as “it was so clear that Domee had such a sense of who these two main characters were, that Mei and Ming were really clear and special and unique, more than any of the other ideas” and that “she had this really personal experience with these two characters that were kind of versions of her own life. That’s like the magic equation, right there.” Shi would later be announced as writer and director. While the creative leads comprised of Pixar’s first all-female team. Although the film takes place in Toronto in Canada, the entire environment was stylized to convey a specific feeling of what Shi described as an “Asian tween fever dream.” According to executive producer Dan Scanlon, “It feels more like a very soft, colorful, magical, idyllic, almost youthful version of the city.” Part of this desired setting was capturing boy bands’ popularity around the turn of the millennium and how teenage girls reacted to them. Pixar animators also visited around Northern California for inspiration and visual references. They studied red pandas at the San Francisco Zoo and looked at architecture in Chinatown in San Francisco and the Bok Kai Temple in Marysville. Other influences included anime, Nintendo video games, and the plot of A Goofy Movie. While Turning Red can be an allegory of menstruation (a topic that I think should be perfectly appropriate to discuss around children), it also reflects other feelings that teenagers experience like embarrassment and lust. Given that the world was only emerging from the Covid 19 pandemic in 2022, Turning Red was released on Disney+ with critical acclaim, earning $21 million. In this post, you’ll meet the voices behind 2 characters from Encanto as well as Mei, Priya, Jin, Mr. Kielowski, Chen, Helen, Robaire, and Jesse.

551. Adassa

Dates: 1981-present

Early Life and Career: Born Hadassa Nohemi in Miami, Florida to Colombian parents. Raised in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Has been active in the music industry since 2004.

Movies and Cartoons: Encanto (2021)

Characters: Dolores Madrigal

Also Known For: Urban reggaton singer and songwriter known for her Latin-infused dance pop music and has released several albums throughout her career. Music spans from urban reggeton to Christian music. Has toured and collaborated with artists such as Daddy Yankee, Lil’ Flip, Pitbull, Taino, Ivy Queen, Don Omar, Lil Jon, Kevin Lyttle, Vico C, Baby Rasta & Gringo, R.K.M & Ken-Y, Wisin & Yandel, Sasha, Baby Bash and Juvenile.

Personal Life: Married to Gabriel Candiani. They’re said to have 6 children.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Performed the US National Anthem at the Homestead Miami Speedway for the Dixie Vodka 400 NASCAR.

552. Maluma

Dates: 1994-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Medellin, Antioquia in Colombia. Took an interest in soccer that he played from toddler to middle school, competing in the lower divisions in the reserve teams of Atlético Nacional and La Equidad. Developed a keen interest in music during his teenage years and was famed as a good singer in his high school. Graduated from Hontanares School in El Retiro where he was encouraged by many of his friends to enter local singing competitions. Got his first musical break at 15 when he composed “No quiero” with a close friend. A year later his uncle offered him an opportunity to record it in a studio as a birthday present. After impressing a group of music producers, he was asked to choose a name that would be easy to remember and be accepted by followers of the urban genre. He chose the name Maluma, a combination of the first syllable of his parents’ and sister’s names. Began his musical career in 2010.

Movies and Cartoons: Encanto (2021)

Characters: Mariano Guzman

Also Known For: Colombian singer who’s sold more than 18 million records and has become one of the best-selling Latin music artists. Specializes in genres such as reggaeton, Latin trap, and pop. Singles include “Felices los 4”, “Borró Cassette”, “Corazón,” “Chantaje,” “Medellin,” and “Hawai.” Albums include Magia, Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy, F.A.M.E., 11:11, Papi Juancho, and Don Juan. TV appearances include Desperter contigo and La Voz…Mexico.

Personal Life: Has been in a relationship with Susana Gomez since 2020.

Later Life: His music video for “El Perdedor” that showcased the racism and discrimination of Latino people in the US by the police. Song “Cuatro Babys” received controversy over its lyrics, alleged to objectify women. That a Change.org petition demanded the removal of the song from digital platforms. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he left a live TV interview broadcast on Israeli public television after the reporter suggested that he could be accused of whitewashing Qatari human rights abuses. Has done a number of venture capital investments, including TREBEL Music and Colombian proptech company La Haus.

Trivia: Was a presenter at Colombia’s Kids’ Choice Awards in 2014. Has won a Latin Grammy Award, an MTV Video Music Award, and two Latin American Music Awards. Also has been nominated for a Grammy.

553. Rosalie Chiang

Dates: 2005-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Fremont, California. Mother’s Taiwanese. Father’s Singaporean. Mother used to call her “Mei-Mei” as a child. Before acting, Chiang wrote 2 poetry books called A is for Albatross: Birds A to Z and A is for Arowana: Freshwater Fish A to Z. The former received a Skipping Stones Award. Started out in short films and commercials before she was hired for the lead in Turning Red (2022). Chiang auditioned using her mom’s iPhone 6. During the film’s development, Pixar hired Chiang to record scratch vocals as a temporary placeholder, with the understanding that director Domee Shi and producer Lindsay Collins would later cast a professional actress to re-record her lines before the film’s release. However, Chiang’s scratch vocals were so strong that Shi and Collins couldn’t envision anyone else in the lead role.

Movies and Cartoons: Turning Red (2022)

Characters: Meilin “Mei” Lee

Also Known For: Actress best known as Meilin “Mei” Lee in Turning Red (2022). TV appearances include American Born Chinese, The Simpsons, and Sakamoto Days.

Personal Life: Is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

554. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

Dates: 2001-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Mississaugua, Ontario in Canada to Sri Lankan Tamil parents who came to the country as refugees fleeing the country’s civil war. Attended Lisgar Middle School and graduated from Meadowvale Secondary School. Decided to pursue an acting career in her senior year and got the lead role in Never Have I Ever for Netflix.

Movies and Cartoons: Turning Red (2022)

Characters: Priya Mangal

Also Known For: Canadian actress best known as Devi Vishwakumar in Never Have I Ever. TV appearances include My Little Pony: Make Your Mark and Big Mouth.

Personal Life: Once said in an interview that she doesn’t care about labels or the gender of the person she dates. Described herself as “very much a personality person.”

Later Life: Has deferred her acceptance to York University in Toronto where she planned to study in the theater program. In 2021, she deferred a second time but switched her major to human rights and equity studies. In 2020, she became a global ambassador for Plan International in Canada to promote girls’ and women’s rights. The next year, she starred in a campaign for Nobis’ #No Cold Shoulder initiative, which focuses on collecting and donating used jackets every November. In 2022, she fronted a spring campaign, “Members Always: Future Together,” for American Eagle.

Trivia: None.

555. Orion Lee

Dates: 1980-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Hong Kong. Later lived in Malaysia, Australia, New York, San Francisco, Zurich, and London. Was a fund manager in the finance industry before attending the London Academy of Dramatic Art. Has performed at various theaters in Scotland, Ireland, and England.

Movies and Cartoons: Turning Red (2022)

Characters: Jin Lee

Also Known For: Hong Kong-born Chinese-Australian theater and film actor. Film appearances include X+Y, Narcopolis, I Am Vengeance, Catacombe, Only You, First Cow, Followers, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and The Pirate Queen. TV appearances include Silent Witness, Critical, Tyrant, and Rematch.

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

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

556. Sasha Roiz

Dates: 1973-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Tel Aviv, Israel to Russian Jewish parents. Family moved to Montreal in 1980. Studied history before joining a theater school there. Later graduated from the Guildford School of Acting in Guildford, Surrey in England. Made first screen appearance in 2001.

Movies and Cartoons: Turning Red (2022)

Characters: Mr. Kieslowski

Also Known For: Israeli-Canadian actor best known as Sam Adama in Caprica and Captain Sean Renard in Grimm. Film appearances include The Day After Tomorrow, Assault of Precinct 13, Land of the Dead, 16 Blocks, Man of the Year, Unthinkable, Extracted, and Pompeii. TV appearances include Playmakers, Tilt, Show Me Yours, Beautiful People, G-Spot, The Jane Show, The Path to 9/11, Jeff Ltd., NCIS, CSI: Miami, Across the River to Motor City, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Victor, Lie to Me, The Mentalist, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, House, Castle, Warehouse 13, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Husbands, Salvation, Lucifer, Suits, Departure, 9-1-1, The Endgame, and Chicago Med. Video game appearances include The Godfather II and Wolfenstein.

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

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

557. Lori Tan Chinn

Dates: 1948-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Seattle, Washington to Hoisan Chinese immigrants. Moved to New York City by herself in 1969. Began her acting career on Broadway. Was also a notable member of the Katherine Dunham Dance Company and performed African dance with Syvilla Fort. Made screen debut in 1982.

Movies and Cartoons: Turning Red (2022)

Characters: Chen

Also Known For: Actress and comedian best known as Miss Higa Jiga in Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen, Mei Chang in Orange Is the New Black, and Nora’s Grandmother in Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens. Film appearances include Author! Author!, She-Devil, What About Bob?, Glengarry Glen Ross, Living in Oblivion, Ransom, Mickey Blue Eyes, Year of the Fish, The Guitar, Final Recipe, Joy Ride, and Kung Fu Panda 4. TV appearances include South Pacific, Roseanne, Spin City, Law & Order, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Strange Planet, A Man on the Inside, and Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld. Stage appearances include G.R. Point, M. Butterfly, Gotta Dance, and Triassic Parq.

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

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

558. Sherry Cola

Dates: 1989-present

Early Life and Career: Grew up in Temple City, California. Parents ran a restaurant and have her the Americanized name “Sherry.” Attended California State University Fullerton for 7 years where she did campus radio. Majored in communications with an emphasis on entertainment studies. After graduation, she worked at 97.1 FM in Los Angeles. Devised her name “Sherry Cola” as a stage name in 2011 as her username for Yelp. Later worked on Carson Daly’s radio show on 97.1 AMP Radio. Soon began pursuing comedy by taking Upright Citizens Brigade classes and doing stand-up comedy. During this time, Cola developed her Lil Tasty persona for the online parody web series, Drive Luber. The character went viral online which caught Daly’s attention. This gave her the opportunity to host comedic segments on AMP radio, which eventually led to her own show, The BAE Show at the station. Got her break in television in 2017.

Movies and Cartoons: Turning Red (2022)

Characters: Helen

Also Known For: Actress and comedian best known as Alice Kwan in Good Trouble. Film appearances include Joy Ride, Shortcomings, A Family Affair, Music, Sick Girl, The Tiger’s Apprentice, Thelma the Unicorn, and Bride Hard. TV appearances include I Love Dick, Nobody Wants This, Transparent, Life in Pieces, Claws, Baby Shark’s Big Show!, Transformers: EarthSpark, That ‘90s Show, Primos, Grimsburg, and Poker Face.

Personal Life: Is bisexual.

Later Life: Still working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

559. Jordan Fisher

Dates: 1994-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Birmingham, Alabama. Grew up in nearby Trussville. Biological mother was 16 at his birth and struggled with substance abuse. Was legally adopted at 11 and grew up with his maternal grandparents. Began learning gymnastics at 2. Started musical theater in 5^th grade after being cast in as school production of School House Rock Jr. Was later home-schooled as a child and earned a high school diploma from Harvest Christian Academy. Joined the Red Mountain Theatre Company in Birmingham and was part of their youth performing ensemble for many years. There, a talent scout spotted him and offered to represent him. Enrolled in courses at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama in 2011. Later that year, he moved to Los Angeles with his grandparents and siblings. Released 3 pop soul songs at Radio Disney in 2014 before signing a record deal with Hollywood Records 2 years later. Made his screen debut in 2009.

Movies and Cartoons: Turning Red (2022) as well as The Disney Family Singalong special, the Teen Beach and Teen Beach 2 TV movies, and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Characters: Robaire

Also Known For: Actor, singer, and dancer best known as John Laurens in Hamilton (2016-2017, Even Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen (2020-2022), Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2023), Orpheus in Hadestown, Christian in Moulin Rouge!, and Sea Hawk in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Film appearances include To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, Work It, and Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between. TV appearances include The Secret Life of the American Teenage, Liv and Maddie, Grease Live, The Flash, Rent: Live, Dancing with the Stars, Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, Fortnite World-Cup, iCarly, The Thundermans, The Chew, Teen Wolf, Bones, Archibald’s Next Big Thing, Butterbean’s Café, Royalties, It’s Pony, Robot Chicken, Star Wars: Visions, and Karma’s World. Stage appearances include Grease, Rent, MJ the Musical, Freestyle Love Supreme, Gutenberg! The Musical!, and Urinetown.

Personal Life: Married to his childhood sweetheart Ellie Woods since 2020. They have a son named Riley William born in 2022.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: He and dance partner Lindsay Arnold won the 25^th season of Dancing with the Stars. Host of Dancing with the Stars: Juniors and commentator for the Fortnite World-Cup.

560. Finneas O’Connell

Dates: 1997-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Los Angeles. Mother is actress and screenwriter Maggie Baird. At 12, he took a songwriting class with his mom in 2010 and began writing and producing songs. Got his start in the music industry by writing songs and performing with his younger sister Billie Eilish. Yet, had originally written and produced his song “Ocean Eyes” for his band before giving it to Eilish when her dance teacher asked them to write a song for a choreography. They posted the song on SoundCloud garnering praise from various websites. O’Connell’s brother reached him in 2015 to talk of Eilish’s potential and he helped her sign to the A&R company Platoon. He then co-wrote and produced Eilish’s debut EP Don’t Smile at Me which peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200. Also co-wrote and produced Eilish’s debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? which debuted atop the US and UK charts.

Movies and Cartoons: Turning Red (2022)

Characters: Jesse

Also Known For: Singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor who’s written and produced for various artists, most notably, his younger sister Billie Eilish and is credited with all of her projects. Other artists he’s worked with include Drake, Kid Cudi, Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez, Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato, Halsey, Justin Bieber, Karol G, Girl in Red, Rosalía, Tove Lo, Ringo Starr, and Tate McRae, and contributed to several film scores. Albums include Optimist, For Cryin’ Out Loud, Blood Harmony, The Fallout, Disclaimer, and Vengeance. Songs include “Break My Heart Again,” “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night,” “I Lost a Friend,” “Shelter,” “I Don’t Miss You at All,” “What They’ll Say About Us,” “Can’t Wait to Be Dead,” “Till Forever Falls Apart,” “The 90s,” and “Nobody Like U.” Film appearances include Bad Teacher, Life Inside Out, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, and The Trainer. TV appearances include Modern Family, Glee, Aquarius, Saturday Night Live, and Laid.

Personal Life: Older brother of singer Billie Eilish. Nephew of psychologist and politician Brian Baird. Has been in a relationship with YouTuber and actress Claudia Sulewski since 2018. Raised vegetarian before becoming a vegan.

Later Life: Lives in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Trivia: Has won 2 Academy Awards, 2 Golden Globes, and 10 Grammys. He and Eilish are among the youngest 2-time Academy Award winners ever.