Ever sat there watching a frantic orange clownfish scream for his son and thought, "I know that voice from somewhere"? You aren't alone. Finding Nemo is one of those rare movies where the voices don't just feel like actors in a booth. They feel like the fish.
Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone but Albert Brooks playing the neurotic Marlin or Ellen DeGeneres as the forgetful Dory. But here’s the kicker: the cast we know and love almost didn't happen. From last-minute firings to directors "accidentally" becoming stars, the story of who plays in Finding Nemo is actually a bit of a chaotic mess behind the scenes.
The Father-Son Duo: Marlin and Nemo
Most people know that Albert Brooks plays Marlin. He brings that specific, high-strung energy that makes the overprotective father relatable instead of just annoying.
But did you know he wasn't the first choice?
Pixar originally hired William H. Macy for the role. He actually recorded the entire script. The animators even started syncing the character's mouth movements to his voice. However, when the producers watched the early footage, they realized Macy’s performance was too dramatic. It felt heavy. It wasn’t funny. They realized they needed a comedian who could sound stressed but still keep the audience laughing. Enter Albert Brooks, who basically saved the film's tone.
Then you’ve got Nemo. Alexander Gould was only about seven or eight years old when he landed the role. Pixar is pretty stickler-ish about using actual kids to play kids, rather than adults doing high-pitched voices. Gould eventually grew up to play Shane Botwin in Weeds, which is a wild jump from a cute little clownfish. Because he aged during production, he had to record his lines quickly before his voice dropped!
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How Ellen DeGeneres Changed Dory Forever
It’s basically impossible to talk about who plays in Finding Nemo without mentioning Ellen DeGeneres. Her performance as Dory is legendary, but the character was originally written as a guy.
Director Andrew Stanton was struggling with the script. He was watching TV one night and saw Ellen on her sitcom. She changed the subject five times in one sentence, and a lightbulb went off. He realized that's exactly how a fish with short-term memory loss would talk.
He didn't just cast her; he rewrote the entire character to be female specifically for her.
The Tank Gang and Notable Cameos
The fish in the dentist's office are a "who's who" of character actors.
- Willem Dafoe plays Gill, the battle-scarred leader of the Tank Gang. Dafoe’s gravelly voice was perfect for a Moorish Idol who’s seen too much.
- Allison Janney voices Peach, the starfish who spends her life stuck to the glass.
- Brad Garrett (of Everybody Loves Raymond fame) is Bloat, the pufferfish with anger issues.
- Stephen Root plays Bubbles, the yellow tang obsessed with—you guessed it—bubbles.
One of the funniest casting stories involves Megan Mullally. She was originally cast in a role but was reportedly fired because she refused to use her high-pitched "Karen Walker" voice from Will & Grace. She wanted to use her natural voice, but Pixar wanted the character. They couldn't agree, so she was out.
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The Secret Voices Behind the Scenes
Sometimes the best talent is already in the building. Andrew Stanton, the director, didn't actually intend to play Crush, the surfer-dude sea turtle. He did the voice as a "scratch track"—a temporary recording for the animators to use while they looked for a "real" actor.
He did the lines while lying on a couch in his office to get that relaxed, "totally tubular" vibe. The test audiences loved his version so much that he stayed in the movie.
He also voices all the seagulls. You know the ones. "Mine! Mine! Mine!" That’s all the director.
And if you're a Pixar superfan, you probably noticed the "Fish School." That’s John Ratzenberger. He’s appeared in every single Pixar movie for years, usually as a sort of good luck charm.
A Breakdown of the Major Roles
To keep it simple, here’s a quick rundown of the main players:
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The Travelers
- Marlin: Albert Brooks
- Dory: Ellen DeGeneres
- Nemo: Alexander Gould
The Ocean Residents
- Crush: Andrew Stanton
- Bruce (the Shark): Barry Humphries
- Nigel (the Pelican): Geoffrey Rush
- Squirt: Nicholas Bird (son of The Incredibles director Brad Bird)
The Dentist’s Office
- Gill: Willem Dafoe
- Peach: Allison Janney
- Gurgle: Austin Pendleton
- Deb/Flo: Vicki Lewis
- Jacques: Joe Ranft
Why the Casting Worked So Well
The reason who plays in Finding Nemo matters is because Pixar prioritizes "vocal texture" over star power. Sure, Ellen and Albert Brooks were famous, but they weren't cast just for their names. They were cast because their natural speaking patterns fit the biological and psychological traits of the fish.
For example, Geoffrey Rush (Nigel) actually held his tongue while recording his lines to simulate what it would sound like to talk with a mouthful of water and fish. That’s the kind of dedication that makes the movie still hold up decades later.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of animation, your best next step is to watch the "Making Of" documentaries on Disney+. They show the actual recording sessions where you can see Ellen DeGeneres trying to "speak whale" in a booth, which is honestly just as funny as the movie itself. You can also check out the 2016 sequel, Finding Dory, to see how the cast handled returning to these roles thirteen years later.