Emoji Movie Voices Actors: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes

You remember 2017. It was the year everyone decided to collectively lose their minds because Sony Pictures Animation actually greenlit a movie about the little icons on your keyboard. Most people expected a disaster. Some people got exactly what they expected. But looking back, the sheer level of talent they packed into that recording booth is honestly kind of staggering. The emoji movie voices actors list reads more like a Hollywood A-list party than a cast for a film that eventually "won" four Razzie Awards.

The Weird Paradox of the Emoji Movie Voices Actors

Think about it. You’ve got a Shakespearean legend, the queen of "The White Lotus," and a late-night talk show host all playing digital yellow blobs. It shouldn't have worked on paper, and critics would argue it didn't work on screen either. Yet, the movie raked in over $217 million globally. Why? Because the voices were familiar. They were comfortable.

T.J. Miller as Gene Meh

T.J. Miller was at the peak of his Silicon Valley fame when he took the lead as Gene. Gene is a "Meh" emoji who has a "glitch"—he can actually feel emotions. Miller’s high-energy, slightly frantic delivery was a weirdly perfect fit for a character constantly trying to suppress a panic attack. It’s sort of ironic that a guy known for playing the most arrogant person in tech (Erlich Bachman) was cast as an outcast in a literal smartphone.

James Corden as Hi-5

Then there’s James Corden. Love him or hate him, the guy was everywhere in 2017. He played Hi-5, a fading emoji who’s desperate to be popular again. Corden basically played a louder, more animated version of his public persona. It was high-energy. It was theater-kid energy. It was exactly what you’d expect from a hand with a face.

The Most Bizarre Casting Choice in History

We have to talk about Sir Patrick Stewart. Honestly, how did this happen? The man is a Knight of the Realm. He is Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He is Professor X. And yet, he spent weeks in a booth voicing... the Poop emoji.

"Jonathan Frakes was 'No. 1,' but it turns out that Patrick Stewart was No. 2." — Josh Dickey, Mashable Entertainment Editor

Stewart didn't just phone it in, though. He played the role with a refined, upper-class British accent that made the character hilariously dignified. He told Conan O'Brien in an interview that he prepared for the role by... well, just living life. He called the character "distinguished." It's probably the only time in cinematic history that a pile of waste has sounded like it belongs in a Royal Shakespeare Company production.

The Supporting Heavy Hitters

If the leads weren't enough, the supporting emoji movie voices actors were basically a "who's who" of comedy.

• Maya Rudolph as Smiler: She was the villain. Rudolph is a genius at playing "repressed crazy," and Smiler—the original emoji—was exactly that. A permanent grin with a terrifyingly corporate desire for order.
• Jennifer Coolidge and Steven Wright: They played Gene’s parents, Mary and Mel Meh. If you wanted to cast the most bored-sounding people on the planet, you couldn't do better than Steven Wright’s iconic deadpan and Coolidge’s airy, "I'm barely here" vibe.
• Anna Faris as Jailbreak: Before she was revealed to be a princess (spoiler alert for a 9-year-old movie), she was a blue-haired hacker. Faris brought a level of "cool girl" cynicism that balanced out the sugary chaos of the other characters.

Did the talent save the movie?

Not really. At least not for the critics. The film sits at a brutal 6% on Rotten Tomatoes. But for Sony? The emoji movie voices actors were the marketing. You don't sell a movie about a phone to parents by talking about the script; you sell it by putting "Starring Maya Rudolph and Patrick Stewart" on the poster.

It’s a classic case of Hollywood "IP" (Intellectual Property) culture. They took something everyone recognizes—emojis—and threw enough money at the cast to ensure that even if the story was thin, the performances would be professional.

The Impact Today

In 2026, we look back at The Emoji Movie as a sort of time capsule. It represents that specific era of the mid-2010s where every studio was trying to find the next LEGO Movie. They wanted that "meta" humor and the brand recognition. While it didn't spark a massive franchise, it proved that voice acting is a massive draw.

People still talk about Patrick Stewart’s role because of the sheer absurdity of it. It’s a trivia night staple. It’s a meme. In a way, the cast's legacy is more about the "can you believe they did that?" factor than the actual plot of the film.

Take Action: How to Explore Voice Acting Roles

If you’re fascinated by how these actors transformed their careers by stepping into the recording booth, there are a few things you can do to dig deeper:

1. Check out the "Behind the Scenes" footage: Search for the recording sessions of Maya Rudolph and T.J. Miller. Seeing them pull the faces they’re making in the booth shows you that voice acting is a full-body workout.
2. Compare "The LEGO Movie" vs. "The Emoji Movie": Watch both back-to-back. One is a masterclass in using a brand to tell a story; the other is a masterclass in using a brand to sell a brand.
3. Research the "Stunt Casting" Phenomenon: Look into why studios prefer A-list celebrities over professional voice actors like Frank Welker or Tara Strong (who, by the way, actually had additional voices in this movie too).

The world of emoji movie voices actors is a weird intersection of high art and pure commercialism. Whether you think the movie is a masterpiece of modern marketing or a digital eyesore, you can't deny that the talent involved gave it their all.