Honestly, it’s rare for a sequel to actually outshine the original, but Despicable Me 2 kinda pulled it off. A huge chunk of that success boils down to the voice actors. When you look at the Despicable Me 2 cast, it’s not just a list of big names looking for a paycheck. It’s a group of people who clearly had a blast in the recording booth. You can hear it in the delivery. You can feel it in the timing. It’s the reason why, even in 2026, kids (and, let's be real, plenty of adults) are still quoting these lines.
The Man Behind the Nose: Steve Carell as Gru
Steve Carell is a genius. There, I said it. Usually, when a big-name actor does animation, you just hear the actor. You hear Tom Hanks in Toy Story. You hear Mike Myers in Shrek. But with Gru? You hear Gru. Carell developed this weird, indeterminate Eastern European accent that shouldn't work, but somehow becomes the emotional heart of the entire franchise.
In the second movie, we see Gru transitioning from a world-class supervillain to a suburban dad trying to navigate the dating world. It’s awkward. It’s cringey. It’s relatable. Carell plays the vulnerability of a guy who can fight a shark but is terrified of calling a woman for a Friday night movie. That shift in the Despicable Me 2 cast dynamic—moving Gru from antagonist to protagonist—required a level of vocal nuance that most people overlook. He’s grumbling, he’s sighing, he’s screaming in high-pitched terror. It’s physical acting, just through a microphone.
Kristen Wiig and the Lucy Wilde Energy
Then you have Kristen Wiig. Interesting fact: she was actually in the first movie as Miss Hattie, the mean lady who ran the orphanage. The producers loved her so much they brought her back as a completely different character, Lucy Wilde. That doesn't happen often.
Lucy is a "lipstick taser" wielding agent of the Anti-Villain League (AVL), and she’s basically the spark plug of the film. Wiig brings this breathless, frantic energy to the role. She talks fast. She makes weird noises. She matches Carell’s weirdness perfectly. Without her, the movie might have felt a bit too "safe." Instead, their chemistry (if you can call it that in animation) makes the romance subplot actually funny rather than just a plot necessity.
🔗 Read more: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads: Why This Live Album Still Beats the Studio Records
The Villains and the Legends
Let’s talk about El Macho. Originally, the legendary Al Pacino was supposed to play the villain. He actually recorded a lot of the lines! But "creative differences" happened, and he left the project. Enter Benjamin Bratt.
Bratt had to step in and match the animation that was already largely done for Pacino’s voice. That is incredibly hard to do. He turned Eduardo Perez/El Macho into this booming, chest-thumping caricature of masculinity that is just hilarious. The way he says "Macho" stays in your head. It’s loud, it’s proud, and it’s the perfect foil to Gru’s more reserved, grumpy nature.
Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario
Dr. Nefario is the MVP of the Despicable Me 2 cast for me. Russell Brand plays him as this incredibly old, incredibly slow-moving scientist who is constantly "hearing" things wrong. The gag where he produces a "fart gun" instead of a "dart gun" is legendary, but in the second film, his departure to go back to being "evil" adds a tiny bit of weight to the story. Brand’s voice is raspy and distant, like he’s perpetually 10 seconds away from a nap. It’s a masterclass in character voice work.
The Girls: Keeping the Heart Beat
You can't talk about this movie without the three sisters. Miranda Cosgrove (Margo), Dana Gaier (Edith), and Elsie Fisher (Agnes) bring the grounded reality to the cartoon chaos.
💡 You might also like: Wrong Address: Why This Nigerian Drama Is Still Sparking Conversations
- Miranda Cosgrove captures that "I’m too cool for this but I love my dad" teenage angst.
- Dana Gaier gives Edith that mischievous, slightly-scary-child vibe.
- Elsie Fisher as Agnes? Forget it. "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die" is the line that launched a thousand memes.
Agnes is the emotional anchor. When she’s worried about not having a mom for the Mother’s Day pageant, the movie stops being a slapstick comedy and becomes a real story. That’s the secret sauce of the Despicable Me franchise. It’s got heart. Real heart.
Why the Voice Casting Matters for SEO and Fans
People search for the Despicable Me 2 cast because the voices are iconic. When you hear a Minion (voiced by the directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, by the way), you know exactly what movie you’re watching. The Minions don't even speak a real language—it’s a mix of French, English, Spanish, Italian, and food names—but you understand every emotion.
The casting choices here reflect a specific era of Illumination Entertainment’s strategy: find actors who can improvise. A lot of the best moments in these films come from the actors riffing in the booth. It feels natural. It doesn't feel like a script being read; it feels like a group of weirdos having a conversation in a secret lab.
Surprising Cameos You Probably Missed
Did you know Ken Jeong is in this? He plays Floyd Eagle-san, the shop owner in the mall who Gru suspects of being a villain. It’s a small role, but Jeong brings his signature high-strung intensity to it. Steve Coogan is also there as Silas Ramsbottom (yes, the Minions laugh at the name), the head of the AVL. These are heavy hitters in the comedy world taking tiny roles because the world-building is just that good.
📖 Related: Who was the voice of Yoda? The real story behind the Jedi Master
The Lasting Legacy of the Despicable Me 2 Cast
Looking back, this movie solidified the franchise. It proved that Gru wasn't just a one-hit-wonder villain. It showed that the ensemble cast could carry a sequel without losing the magic. The blend of A-list comedy talent (Carell, Wiig, Brand) with solid character actors (Bratt, Coogan) created a balance that many animated films try to copy but few achieve.
The "human-ness" of the voices makes the characters stick. You don't just see a CGI model of a big guy with a scarf; you see Gru. You hear his hesitation. You feel his pride when he helps his girls. That is the power of a perfectly picked cast.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of the Despicable Me 2 cast, here are a few things you can actually do to appreciate the craft more:
- Watch the "Behind the Goggles" features: Most digital versions of the movie include footage of Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig in the recording studio. Seeing their facial expressions while they record is wild—they move just as much as the characters.
- Listen for the "Minion-ese" origins: Try to pick out the different languages in the Minions' speech. You’ll hear "poulet" (French for chicken) or "gelato" (Italian for ice cream). It’s a fun game for a second or third watch.
- Compare the Pacino vs. Bratt history: While the Pacino recordings aren't fully public, you can find interviews where the directors discuss the transition. It gives you a great look into how high-stakes voice casting really is.
- Check out the spin-offs: If you love the Minions' voices, the Minions prequel movies are essentially a feature-length showcase for Pierre Coffin’s vocal range.
The Despicable Me universe continues to expand, but the second film remains a high-water mark for many fans. It’s the perfect bridge between the dark humor of the first and the massive, colorful spectacle of the later entries. And it’s all thanks to the people behind the microphones.