What the star-studded cast of 'Minions: The Rise of Gru' looks like in real life

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Minions
Young Gru (Steve Carell) in "Minions: The Rise of Gru"Universal Pictures
  • The latest "Minions" movie "The Rise of Gru" is out.

  • The prequel movie brings back "Despicable Me" stars Steve Carell, Russell Brand and Julie Andrews.

  • Here is what the voice actors for the main cast look like.

Steve Carell is reprising his role as the scarf-wearing Gru.

Steve Carell Minions
Carell has been the voice of Gru since "Despicable Me."Isaiah Trickey / FilmMagic / Getty Images / Universal Pictures

"Minions: The Rise of Gru" is the second prequel movie in the "Despicable Me" Franchise. Towards the end of the first prequel in 2015 "Minions," the yellow indestructible creatures come across 12-year-old Gru, who is the leader of the minions in the "Despicable Me" trilogy.

"The Rise of Gru" follows how the minions help Gru become the notorious villain he is known as at the beginning of the "Despicable Me" franchise. In the movie, Gru attempts to join the supervillain supergroup the Vicious 6, but instead, incurs their wrath.

Carell, who has voiced Gru since the first "Despicable Me" movie, returns to portray the young version.

Pierre Coffin is also reprising his role as the voice of the minions.

Pierre Coffin Minions
Coffin has been voicing minions since the first "Despicable Me" movie.Universal Pictures / Laurent Viteur / WireImage

Pierre Coffin, who has directed every "Despicable Me" movie except for "The Rise of Gru," returns as the voice of the minions. While originally different minions were voiced by different actors including Coffin, more recently the Oscar-nominated director has voiced all the minions in all of their appearances.

This time the minions are learning Kung Fu in order to protect their leader Gru.

Alan Arkin plays Wild Knuckles, an ousted member of the vicious 6.

Alan Arkin Minions
Arkin is an Oscar-winning actor.Albert L. Ortega / Getty Images / Universal Pictures

Academy award-winning actor Alan Arkin is the voice behind the infamous martial artist Wild Knuckles.

According to the movie's synopsis, Wild was ousted from the supervillain team Vicious 6 but trailers show that he may still interact with Gru. In one of the scenes shown in the trailer, Gru is kidnapped by Wild and his henchmen.

Taraji P. Henson plays Belle Bottom, the leader of the Vicious 6.

Taraji P. Henson Minions
Henson is also an Oscar-nominated actor and appears to be the main antagonist.Universal Pictures / Rich Fury / Staff / Getty Images

Every supervillain team needs a leader. For Vicious 6, that spot appears to be taken by Belle Bottom, who is voiced by Oscar nominated-actor Taraji P. Henson.

It is unclear what her end goal is but the trailer shows her leading the team to hunt Gru after he steals a mysterious medallion from them.

Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a crab-handed man called John Clawed.

Jean-Claude Van Damme Minions
Damme's character is a clear pun on his name.Jeff Kravitz / Getty / Universal Pictures

Belle's team appears to come from all walks of life. The first is John Clawed, who is ironically voiced by renowned Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme.

John's gimmick appears to be that he likes crabs as he has a robotic hand that is shaped like a claw. He also has a crab-like vehicle in the trailers for the movie.

Svengeance is a Swedish rolling-skating villain voiced by Dolph Lundgren.

Dolph Lundgren Minions
Svengeance is also part of the Vicious 6 supervillain team.Universal Pictures / Jeff Spicer / Getty Images

Action star Dolph Lundgren will be the voice behind Svengeance, a Swedish spiky roller-skating villain. Svengeance is another member of the Vicious 6 hunting down Gru.

Danny Trejo plays the Vicious 6's strongman, Stronghold.

Danny Trejo Stronghold
Trejo attended the "Minions: Rise of Gru" premiere last week.Araya Doheny / FilmMagic / Universal Pictures

Belle's third ally is Stronghold who appears to be strong enough to lift up a bus in the trailer. He is voiced by Danny Trejo who has appeared in children's films before including the "Spy Kids" series.

The final member of Vicious 6 is Nunchuck, voiced by Lucy Lawless.

Lucy Lawless Minions
Lawless appears to be playing a nunchuck-fighting nun.Universal Pictures / Jason Mendez / Getty Images

Lucy Lawless, best known for her role in the '90s series "Xena: Warrior Princess," is the voice behind the final member of Vicious 6, Nunchuck. Her gimmick is that she's a nun that uses cross-styled nunchucks to fight.

Michelle Yeoh plays a martial arts teacher called Master Chow.

Michelle Yeoh Minions
Yeoh's character trains the Minions in the trailer.Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / Getty Images / Universal Pictures

The final new main character, Master Chow, is voiced by Michelle Yeoh who starred in this year's hit movie "Everything, Everywhere All At Once."

Chow is an acupuncturist who helps the minions while they are in China using her Kung Fu skills. According to the trailer, Chow later decides to teach Kung Fu to the yellow creatures which they'll need to protect Gru.

Russell Brand and Julie Andrews reprise their roles as Gru's allies.

Julie Andrews and Russell Brand Minions
Andrews and Brand reprise their roles from the "Despicable Me" trilogy.Eugene Gologursky / Getty Images / Lester Cohen / Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Younger versions of four characters from the original "Despicable Me" trilogy are also making an appearance in "The Rise of Gru." The first of which is Gru's neglectful mother Marlene, who is voiced by Julie Andrews. You may recognize Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown in "Bridgerton," when the character speaks in voiceover.

In addition, Russell Brand is reprising his role and voicing a younger Dr. Nefario, an inventor that works with Gru in the original series.

Steve Coogan and Will Arnett also reprise their roles from the "Despicable Me" trilogy.

Will Arnett Steve Coogan Minions
Arnett and Coogan play mysterious leaders of rival organizations.Nicky J Sims / Getty Images for Flat Out Films / Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for CinemaCon

Steve Coogan and Will Arnett are also returning as Silas Ramsbottom and Mr. Perkins respectively. Both characters are leaders of secret organizations in the "Despicable Me" world.

Mr. Perkins was first introduced in the first movie as the director of the Bank of Evil, which funds supervillains' schemes. It is later revealed he is also the father of the movie's antagonist Vector.

Silas was introduced in the "Despicable Me" sequels as the director of the Anti-Villain League, a spy organization that protects the world from supervillains.

It is unclear what role they'll both have in the prequel.

Read the original article on Insider