Encanto sang its way into the hearts of many when it hit Disney+ on Dec. 24, with songs from the animated film quickly climbing up the streaming charts — thanks, in part, to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s songwriting ability.
Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, Diane Guerrero, Jessica Darrow, Maluma and Wilmer Valderrama, among others, voice the characters in the Oscar-nominated animated Disney film.
The story follows the Madrigals, a Colombian family, helmed by Abuela Alma, whose children and grandchildren receive magical gifts from a “miracle” that helps them serve the people in their small town, the Encanto. All of the Madrigals, except for Mirabel, receive their magical gifts on their fifth birthdays.
While Mirabel continues to cope with the fact that she’s the only one in her family without a gift, she learns that her family is losing their magic and sets out to find out why and put an end to it. Along the way, she mends her relationships with her sister, cousin and grandma, and manages to bring her estranged uncle Bruno back into the family fold.
Encanto‘s voice cast is made up of veteran actors and some who are newer to the industry. The Disney film stars Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, Diane Guerrero, Jessica Darrow, Maluma, Wilmer Valderrama, María Cecilia Botero, Olga Merediz, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Rhenzy Feliz, Adassa, Angie Cepeda, Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo and Alan Tudyk, among others.
The movie received three Oscar nominations on Feb. 8, picking up nods for best original score, best original song for “Dos Oruguitas,” written by Miranda, and best animated feature. (The film’s catchy breakout hit, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” wasn’t submitted.)
“As much as the story hinges on Mirabel discovering what threatens the Madrigal magic and endangers their refuge, on a more fundamental level it’s about this big, complicated group reestablishing its harmony, learning to appreciate, even celebrate, one another’s qualities, whether they are extravagant or simple,” wrote The Hollywood Reporter‘s chief film critic David Rooney in his review.
Below, see the actors behind the voice cast of Disney Animation’s newest awards contender.
1 Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel Madrigal
Stephanie Beatriz voices Encanto main character Mirabel, the only Madrigal member who doesn’t have a magical gift. Throughout the course of the film, Mirabel embarks on a journey to save her family’s miracle that gives them the powers that keeps their town alive.
Encanto marks the second time Beatriz has worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the music for the animated film. Beatriz played Carla in In the Heights, the 2021 film adaptation of Miranda’s award-winning Broadway musical. The Argentinian actress’ career has taken off in the last few years, starting with her role as Detective Rosa Diaz in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She’s also voiced characters in shows like Bojack Horseman, Maya and the Three and Bob’s Burgers.
2 John Leguizamo as Bruno Madrigal
John Leguizamo voices the infamous Bruno in Encanto. Bruno’s magical gift is that he can see the future, which eventually results in his exile from his family and the town when he constantly tells them things they don’t want to hear. His character is the focus of catchy song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” that has broken several records since the film’s release.
Encanto isn’t the first time Leguizamo has lent his voice to a popular animation film. He also voices Sid in the Ice Age franchise. The Colombian actor is one of the most well-known people in the cast, with a filmography that spans over four decades and includes Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet, John Wick and many more.
3 Diane Guerrero as Isabela Madrigal
Diane Guerrero lends her voice to Mirabel’s oldest sister, Isabela, who is the apple of Abuela Alma’s eye. She’s seen as the perfect Madrigal, who does what she’s told, when she’s told — even if it means marrying a man she has no romantic interest in. In Encanto, when Isabela and Mirabel finally make amends, it pushes the family in the right direction toward keeping their miracle.
The Colombian actress first started making waves when she was cast as Maritza Ramos in Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black in 2013. The year after, she took on the role of Lina on Jane the Virgin. More recently, Guerrero played “Crazy Jane” in DC series Doom Patrol.
4 Jessica Darrow as Luisa Madrigal
Luisa Madrigal is Mirabel’s second older sister, who has the magical gift of super strength. Jessica Darrow sings a powerful solo in the film called “Surface Pressure,” which details her experience with Abuela Alma’s incredibly high expectations that make her feel like if she can’t be strong, she’s worthless. When the pressure gets to her, she loses her strength and, in turn, loses herself.
Darrow’s career began in 2019, when she starred in Feast of Seven Fishes. Since then, the Cuban-American actress played Taylor Reese in TV miniseries Following Hannah Stone and lent her voice to podcast Anomaly.
5 Maluma as Mariano Guzmán
Maluma voices Mariano Guzmán, Isabela’s soon-to-be fiancé. During popular song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” it’s revealed that Dolores has always had feelings for Mariano but was never able to confess them because Bruno saw a future in which Mariano marries Isabela. Dolores and Mariano eventually start a relationship, after Isabela admits she doesn’t want to marry him.
Maluma recently began acting but has been a Latin music sensation for quite a few years. Before Encanto, Maluma had mostly starred in music videos for his various songs, performing alongside artists like Shakira, Jason Derulo, Madonna, Steve Aoki and The Weeknd, among others. Up next, the Colombian artist will narrate Mi Selección Colombia and star alongside Jennifer Lopez in Marry Me.
6 Wilmer Valderrama as Agustín Madrigal
Agustín is Mirabel’s dad, the bumbling but well-meaning husband of Julieta (Angie Cepeda) who married into the Mardigal family and, therefore, has no magical gift. Due to being accident-prone, he often needs to be healed quickly, which works well with his wife, whose gift is to heal people with her cooking.
Wilmer Valderrama made his way into the hearts of many in his first major role as the lovable yet silly Fez on That ’70s Show. Since then, he’s starred in several projects and lent his voice to characters on more than one occasion. Some of Valderrama’s most notable roles include Party Monster, Larry Crowne and NCIS. He also voiced Manny in the popular child series Handy Manny.
7 María Cecilia Botero and Olga Måerediz as Abuela Alma Madrigal
Abuela Alma is the center of the Madrigal family, it’s she who received the family’s gift in the first place, when her husband was killed trying to flee conflict in their village. She feels the pressure to keep the family’s gift alive, for their sake and also for the Encanto’s sake, as the entire village relies on the magic to survive. In order to do this, Alma often puts too much pressure on herself and, in turn, on her family, pushing them to the breaking point. Alma is actually voiced by two women: María Cecilia Botero, who has the speaking roles, and Olga Merediz, who takes on the singing voice of the family matriarch.
María Cecilia Botero is known for her work in La Bruja, Nuevo rico, nuevo pobre, Her Mother’s Killer and Undercover Law, among others.
As for Olga Merediz, this isn’t the first time she works with Miranda. The Cuban-American actress starred as Abuela Claudia in Miranda’s original Broadway cast of In the Heights and reprised her role in the film adaptation. Merediz has also taken on roles in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Orange Is the New Black and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
8 Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Antonio Madrigal
Antonio is Mirabel’s youngest cousin and the first Madrigal to receive a gift since Mirabel didn’t. He looks up to his older cousin, considers her a sister and pushes her to believe in herself, even when no one else does.
Ravi Cabot-Conyers has been acting since he was 6 years old, when he appeared in an episode of HGTV House Hunters Family: When Kids Go House Hunting. Since then, he’s appeared in Justine, The Resident, Ode to Joy and The Artist’s Wife. Most recently, he had a recurring role on #BlackAF.
9 Rhenzy Feliz as Camilo Madrigal
Camilo is Antonio’s older brother and younger brother of Dolores. He can shape-shift and often does so to offer some comedic release by mocking his relatives throughout the animated film.
Rhenzy Feliz voices the Madrigal family member. His acting career began in 2015, when he guest starred in TV series Casual. Since then, he’s made appearances in Teen Wolf and American Horror Stories. In 2019, he landed a lead role in Marvel series Runaways. Feliz also has a key part in George Clooney’s The Tender Bar.
10 Adassa as Dolores Madrigal
Adassa voices Dolores, Mirabel’s cousin, who can, quite literally, hear a pin drop. Dolores plays a crucial role in the film, when she reveals to the family that she heard Mirabel talking to her dad about Bruno’s vision of Mirabel standing in front of a broken Casita. When Dolores tells the family what she hears, the Madrigals’ magical gifts all begin to go haywire.
Encanto marks Adassa’s first big-screen role, after making a career for herself as a musician. She’s been featured on songs with Pitbull, Flo Rida, Snoop Dogg, Daddy Yankee, Ciara, Missy Elliott, Luis Fonsi and more. She has also written songs for Warner Bros., Universal and Sony.
11 Carolina Gaitán as Pepa Madrigal
Pepa is one of Alma’s three children and the mom of Dolores, Camilo and Antonio. Her gift allows her to control the weather, with it changing depending on her mood. Pepa kicks off the record-breaking song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” with a story about how there were clear skies on her wedding day, then Bruno told her “it looks like rain,” and she ended up getting married during a hurricane.
Carolina Gaitán is a Colombian actress, who’s best known for her roles in Narcos, Celia and Sin Senos No Hay Paraiso, among others. Gaitán is also a judge on Colombia’s X Factor, and she co-stars in Netflix’s Juanpis González.