Despicable Me 4 Cast & Character Guide

Audiences didn't quite know what to expect when Despicable Me premiered in theaters in 2010, advertised as a children's animated film where The Office mega-star Steve Carell would be voicing a tall, awkwardly-shaped villain with a pointy nose and an indiscernible accent. However, upon its release, Despicable Me became a worldwide phenomenon, with critical praise, a BAFTA nomination, and grossing $540 million at the worldwide box office. The franchise now includes a spin-off series, shorts, video games, and multiple theme parks, and continues to stand strong as its latest sequel, Despicable Me 4, prepares to take over the summer box office.

Written by Mike White and Ken Daurio, Despicable Me 4 follows Gru, his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig), their three young girls, and their new baby as they rearrange their lives in hopes of evading a supervillain, Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell). The latest addition to the franchise adds major celebrity talent to its cast, with alums from Saturday Night Live, Modern Family, and more fan-favorite comedies. For a look at who's who before the film's premiere on July 3, 2024, check out the breakdown below.

Despicable Me 4

Gru and his family are back, welcoming a new member, Gru Jr., who causes chaos at home. Facing a new nemesis, Maxime Le Mal, and his partner Valentina, Gru and his family go on the run.

Steve Carell

Gru

The most lovable supervillain of all time, Felonious Gru is known for his stature, his striped scarf, and his ability to turn from bad guy to good guy without a hitch. Now married to Anti-Villain League agent Lucy Wilde, Gru is also the father to three adopted girls named Margo, Edith, and Agnes. Despicable Me 4 also introduces a new addition to Gru's family, baby Gru Jr., who he brings along to go on their very first father-son heist.

Once best known for his role as the iconic Michael Scott in The Office, Steve Carell has proven that he's anything but one-note with his follow-up performances. Carell has shown his range of acting through comedies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Get Smart to dramas like Beautiful Boy and Last Flag Flying. In 2015, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role as John du Pont in Foxcatcher. Carell is also no stranger to voiceover work, having just played a leading role in John Krasinski's IF. Even more fun than Carell's voicework of Gru is his love for the character, fantastically displayed in a 2013 appearance on TheEllen Show when he dressed head-to-toe in Gru attire for his interview, staying in character the entire time.

Kristen Wiig

Lucy Wilde

Initially tasked to recruit Gru into the Anti-Villain League, Agent Lucy Wilde ended up falling in love with her new co-worker when they were collaborators on a mission. Now the stepmother to Gru's three girls and mother to Gru Jr., Lucy is a wonderful secret agent and a terrific mother.

Kristen Wiig got her start on Saturday Night Live in iconic sketches like "The Californians," "Target Lady," and "Gilly." Wiig has continued her career starring in films like Bridesmaids, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, and such as Apple TV's recent success, Palm Royale. Wiig's other voiceover work includes Big Mouth, Bless the Harts, and The Simpsons.

Will Ferrell

Maxime Le Mal

Despicable Me 4 has a new villain in Maxime Le Mal, who Gru is forced to face off with. Maxime has a distinct appearance with his round green glasses, yellow bowtie, and green fur coat, and is dating fellow villain Valentina.

Will Ferrell is the second cast member of Despicable Me 4 that got their start on Saturday Night Live, where he was a part of the infamous "Jeffrey's" sketch with Sean Hayes and Jimmy Fallon. In addition to his sketch comedy work, Ferrell has appeared as more unforgettable characters, like Buddy the Elf in Elf, Ron Burgundy in Anchorman, and Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. His previous voiceover work includes playing President Business in The Lego Movie.

Joey King

Poppy

Poppy is an unexpected addition to Gru and Lucy's life when they move into a new home and find her as their neighbor. An aspiring supervillain herself, Poppy is a fan of Gru's work and hopes to emulate him in every way.

Emmy-nominated actress Joey King has appeared in films and shows such as The Act, Bullet Train, and, most recently, A Family Affair. King is also known for playing the lead role in The Kissing Booth trilogy on Netflix. King has been acting since she was a child, appearing in Ramona and Beezus opposite Selena Gomez, as well as The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Her previous voiceover work includes American Dad! and Robot Chicken.

Sofía Vergara

Valentina

Supervillain Valentina is the girlfriend of Maxime. She wears an all-pink ensemble with big, white sunglasses, and she usually has her white puppy along for the ride.

Sofia Vergara is no stranger to comedies after playing Gloria on all eleven seasons of the ABC hit sitcom Modern Family. In addition to her role as Gloria, Vergara has starred in films like Jon Favreau's Chef and the action-comedy Hot Pursuit, and her recent dramatic performance as the titular character in Griselda gained her much critical acclaim. Her previous voiceover work includes The Smurfs, The Simpsons, and Family Guy.

Stephen Colbert

Perry Prescott

Perry Prescott is the father of Poppy Prescott and the husband of Patsy Prescott, all of whom become neighbors to Gru, Lucy, and their kids when they relocate to the Prescott's neighborhood.

Late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert has a varied resume, from hosting The Daily Show to the Tony Awards, appearing on Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, and Strangers with Candy, among many others. Colbert also has extensive voice acting work, including BoJack Horseman, Rick and Morty, Fairview, and Teenage Euthanasia.

Chloe Fineman

Patsy Prescott

Patsy Prescott is Poppy's mom and the wife of Perry Prescott, who Gru, Lucy, Margot, Agnes, Edith, and Gru Jr. meet upon their move to a new home.

Yet another Despicable Me 4 cast member to get their start as a Saturday Night Live cast member, Chloe Fineman is a major stand-out on the sketch comedy show. Her additional roles include Jane the Virgin, Dickinson, and Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. Her previous voiceover work includes Baby's Shark's Big Movie! and Big Mouth.

Steve Coogan

Silas Ramsbottom

Silas Ramsbottom is the former director of the Anti-Villain League, and the person responsible for not only turning Gru into a good guy but also introducing him to his partner and future wife, Lucy. An attendant at Gru and Lucy's wedding, Despicable Me 4, sees Ramsbottom coming out of retirement and alerting Gru and his family to the dangers of Maxime's presence in their lives.

Steve Coogan has an incredibly long acting resume, that includes films from Marie Antoinette to Tropic Thunder to the Night at the Museum films. In addition, Coogan earned nominations for a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and an Academy Award when he co-wrote, produced, and starred in the 2013 film Philomena. No stranger to voiceover work, Coogan began his career in a puppet show called Spitting Image, where he voiced one of the characters. His additional voice acting work includes The Simpsons, The Secret Life of Pets, and four prior Despicable Me films, including the prequel, Minions: The Rise of Gru.

Miranda Cosgrove

Margo

Margo is the older sister to Edith and Agnes and one of Gru's adopted children. In addition to being the leader of her younger sisters, she is often a voice of reason for Gru in moments of trouble.

Before appearing in her breakout role as Carly in Nickelodeon's teen sitcom iCarly, Miranda Cosgrove played the memorable Summer Hathaway in the Jack Black-led film School of Rock. Cosgrove later attended UCLA, continuing her acting career with The Goldbergs, Drugstore June, and the recent Netflix Romantic Comedy Mother of the Bride, co-starring Brooke Shields.

Dana Gaier

Edith

Margo's younger sister Edith is known for her pink beanie and laid-back attitude. A lover of mischief, Edith is the perfect daughter for an ex-villain like Gru.

Although she's appeared in all the Despicable Me films, most of Dana Gaier's career has been spent as a Casting Assistant for shows like This Is Us, Love, Victor, and the film version of Dear Evan Hansen.

Madison Polan

Agnes

The youngest of Gru's three daughters, Agnes is an adorable, optimistic addition to her dad's life. A lover of unicorns and princesses, Agnes allows Gru to bring out his childlike side, and he even dresses up as a princess for her birthday party.

Madison Polan plays the role of Agnes for Despicable Me 4, taking over after Nev Scharrel's run as the little girl's voice. Polan has voiced Agnes once before, in a Despicable Me video game, Midnight Mission.

Pierre Coffin

The Minions

The minions are Gru's tiny, adorable, banana-loving henchmen who live in the basement of his house. Fiercely loyal and optimistic, the minions had their turn in the spotlight with two spin-off films, Minions, and Minions: The Rise of Gru, alongside multiple short films about their history and lives. With only a rumored number of how many minions there might be in total, three standouts, Bob, Stuart, and Kevin, tend to be Gru's go-to guys. Despicable Me 4 previews have shown these mischievous creatures gaining their own superpowers, and time will tell how this will play out for them and for Gru and his master plan.

French director and actor Pierre Coffin is the man behind the minions and has voiced the little yellow helpers since the beginning, as well as in countless sequels, spin-offs, and shorts. In addition to voicing the minions, Coffin has co-directed several of the Despicable Me films, including Despicable Me 3, Despicable Me 2, Minions, and the original Despicable Me.

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