The voices of a generation. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at the best voice-acting performances in films released between 2020 and 2024.
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00:00Hello, my name is Mar- Martha, and it's not the first time I've done that.
00:04Welcome to Mir's Mojo, and today we're looking at the best voice acting performances
00:10in films released between 2020 and 2024.
00:14This is our first step into womanhood, and we have to do it together.
00:21Number 10, Maya Hawke as Anxiety, Inside Out 2
00:26I'm Anxiety. I'm one of Riley's new emotions.
00:28A new emotion!
00:30We are just super jazzed to be here.
00:32Maya Hawke became a Gen Z superstar on her cool charisma.
00:36All that is stripped away, in the best way, for her voice acting debut in Pixar's Inside Out 2.
00:43As the sequel follows Riley Anderson's sentient emotions into her teens,
00:47Anxiety becomes a disruptive newcomer.
00:50Val's on team one, you wanna be on team one, let's go!
00:53She made a promise to her friends, she's not gonna break it.
00:57Oh, you're so right, Joy.
01:00Hawke plays the role with a fast-talking,
01:02on-edge sense of humour about cautionary neuroses.
01:06That is, until she projects the chaos of losing emotional control.
01:11Despite the story's use of fantasy to express a mind in crisis,
01:15she brings authenticity to the concept of anxiety, and humanity to its incarnation.
01:21What's your name, big fella?
01:23That's embarrassment!
01:24He's a really sweet guy.
01:26Inside Out 2 handles complicated themes with a mature heart overall,
01:30but Hawke assuredly takes over the operation.
01:34Number nine, Jamie Foxx as Joe Gardner, soul.
01:38Obviously a virtuoso in both comedy and drama,
01:42Jamie Foxx really gets them jamming in the role of Joe Gardner.
01:45One, two, three, four, stay on the beat, two, three, four.
01:52Pixar's soul follows the jazz musician as he dies right before his big break,
01:58then tries to escape the afterlife.
02:00Foxx sure knows how to play up the hilarious shenanigans in that adventure.
02:06When Joe gains some perspective, however, he brings it down a few keys.
02:10Foxx recognizes the depth in his revelations about the beauty of life
02:14and its fragility in the universe.
02:27It's really heavy stuff for an animated family flick,
02:31but the characterization doesn't miss a note,
02:34and Foxx's fun yet hauntingly poignant rendition truly delivers the namesake of soul.
02:41I'll go with you.
02:42You know you can't do that.
02:44I know, but I'll go as far as I can.
02:47Number eight, Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel Madrigal, Encanto.
02:56Make your family proud.
02:58A deadpan breakout on Brooklyn Nine-Nine represents Stephanie Beatriz's versatility
03:04more than her typical comedic style.
03:06She's much livelier as Mirabel in Encanto,
03:10in which the only Madrigal without magic must explore difficult family secrets to save her home.
03:16Tia Peppa, if Bruno, if he had a vision about someone, what would it mean?
03:25We don't talk about Bruno.
03:27Beatriz balances that heroic spirit with more complicated feelings about heritage and identity.
03:34It turns out Detective Rosa Diaz is also an enchanting singer.
03:38The chameleon performer clearly has vocal range,
03:42but her acting range scored an Annie Award nomination and a Voice Arts Award win.
03:48She definitely deserves accolades for recording Waiting on a Miracle while going into labor.
04:02Mirabel has since become an iconic Disney hero,
04:06while Beatriz continues to surprise fans as a prolific voice actor.
04:11Number seven, Jack Black as Bowser, the Super Mario Bros. movie.
04:22Open the gates or die.
04:25Rockers and the family crowd at least agree on their love of Jack Black.
04:30Still, he was odd casting for the menacing, if bumbling,
04:34Bowser in Illumination's Super Mario Bros. adaptation.
04:38Black wound up nailing the fury of the King of the Koopas,
04:42out to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom with Princess Peach as his captive bride.
04:47At the same time, his tongue-in-cheek delivery yielded some of the movie's
05:02most memorable gags. The Golden Globe-nominated love ballad Peaches is especially iconic.
05:17Even the critics, who found the film's unlikely success unqualified, praised Black as the
05:24highlight. With an Annie Award nomination and meme status, he really breathed fire
05:29into the Super Mario Bros. movie.
05:32Number six, David Bradley as Geppetto, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.
05:38Geppetto is mostly recognized as a jovial soul, despite having to adopt a living puppet as a son.
05:46Guillermo del Toro's darker tone for Pinocchio is set by David Bradley's
05:51heartbreaking portrayal of the carpenter.
06:04The veteran character actor is best known for his domineering presence behind villains and
06:09tragic figures. Geppetto is more the latter, as he grieves his true son's death in World War I.
06:17Bradley voices that pain with profound subtlety. His reluctance to accept Pinocchio is more humorous,
06:24but is gradually enriched to capture the father's redemption.
06:28This bold, dramatic arc stood out from del Toro's altogether elevated artistry. It also earned
06:43Bradley an Annie Award nomination, and even higher praise for his powerful voice.
06:59Number five, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
07:08As far as Bradley Cooper has come from comedy to drama, he didn't have the meatiest role in
07:13the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But Rocket Raccoon ended up at the heart of the third
07:18installment in the Guardians of the Galaxy series. Flashbacks reveal the horrific experiments and
07:33other tragedies that turned an ordinary raccoon into a trash-talking bounty hunter. Cooper's
07:39already unrecognizable voice finally explores the anguish behind the scrappy comic relief.
07:48Almost 10 years in the making, this arc ultimately captures the significance of Rocket's identity
07:58and bond with the Guardians. It also earns Cooper widespread acclaim and several accolades,
08:04as if there was any doubt that he could find a stellar performance in an anthropomorphic raccoon.
08:10Number four, Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots, Puss in Boots The Last Wish. For two decades,
08:23Antonio Banderas has delighted fans of the Shrek franchise as Puss in Boots.
08:33His spin-off movie was well-earned, but he really got his claws in us with the sequel,
08:39The Swashbuckling Feline has lost his confidence after spending all but one of his nine lives.
08:44Along his journey to renew them with a wishing star,
08:47Banderas portrays existential crisis with shocking authenticity.
09:00His own heart attack informed the hero's unlikely shift
09:04into a representative for fear and the value of a full life.
09:09Of course, Banderas continues to flex his suave charisma and self-aware comedic chops.
09:23It's a complete performance, carrying a highlight of a classic franchise
09:28and perfectly resolving years of character development.
09:32Number three, Rosalie Chang as Mei Li, Turning Red.
09:36Growing up is hard enough when you don't morph into a giant red panda.
09:42Turning Red tackles a lot of mature allegories for Pixar, with newcomer Rosalie Chang at the helm.
09:59She was just a local kid the filmmakers hired to provide reference vocals.
10:04Pixar was so impressed that they forwent an established,
10:07likely older actor to give her the lead role of Mei Li.
10:22Being in her early teens at the time, Chang brought authenticity to Mei's awkward coming-of-age,
10:28but her riotous comedic energy and poignant heart were a true revelation.
10:34This incredible breakout was a highlight of Turning Red's widespread acclaim.
10:44Chang has since become a Disney darling with a bright future in the industry.
10:48Number two, Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man.
10:54Spider-Man across the Spider-Verse.
11:05Into the Spider-Verse successfully animated Miles Morales for the big screen.
11:10Much of that was thanks to the chops of Shameik Moore, who especially shined in the sequel.
11:16Across the Spider-Verse picks up with Miles hitting his stride as a superhero
11:20and grappling with his discovery of parallel universes.
11:25Moore nails the humorous wit and teenage angst needed for a lovable Spider-Man.
11:34No one my age says those words in that order, mom.
11:38What makes him a compelling one is the moral compromise of a hero who
11:42threatens all worlds by trying to save them.
11:46The adventure is full of sensory overload, yet an equally eclectic lead performance
11:51focuses Miles' complex character arc.
11:54With many accolades to his name, Moore is sure to neatly tie that arc up in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
12:00If I don't get home, our dad is going to die.
12:05Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions.
12:10Eva Whittaker as Mabe Oguh-Maktira, Wolfwalkers.
12:14The child actor's instincts for fierce charm and drama won her an Annie Award.
12:20Stay here in the forest. It's great.
12:23Loads of running, playing, eating, messing, climbing. Free.
12:30Abbie Jacobson as Katie Mitchell, The Mitchells vs The Machines.
12:34The award-winning comedian stands out from an underrated gems' top-notch ensemble.
12:39I've always felt a little different than everyone else.
12:43So I did what any outsider would do, made weird art.
12:47Behold, cinema!
12:53Kelly Marie Tran as Raya, Raya and the Last Dragon.
12:57A prolific talent brings heroic heart to Disney's buddy comedy epic.
13:02I really need your help.
13:06I made a mistake. I trusted someone I shouldn't have, and now the world's broken.
13:14Chloe Grace Moretz as Nimona, Nimona.
13:17An arctic humour and flexible personality define a memorable anti-hero.
13:22Hey, boss!
13:23How long was I out for?
13:29Fifteen years.
13:32Fifteen years?!
13:33Don't be so gullible. It was just a couple of hours.
13:36Back to circles?
13:37Robert Pattinson as the Grey Heron, The Boy and the Heron.
13:40The dedicated actor is creepy, funny, and unrecognisable in this masterpiece's English dub.
13:47Shoot me. My heart is right here. But you've only got one arrow, so don't miss.
13:53Then it's my turn. And when it is, I'll take your arrogant, lying, swollen heart and rip it out!
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14:18Jenny Slate as Marcel, Marcel the Shell with shoes on.
14:22Comedic actress Jenny Slate actually proved her talents as a creator with
14:27Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. From 2010, she and ex-husband Dean Fleischer-Kamp
14:32developed the adorable, anthropomorphic mollusk in short films and books.
14:37Marcel the Shell is a character that I created with my husband, Dean Fleischer-Kamp,
14:41and he's a shell and he has one eye and two shoes and a face and a personality like many of us do.
14:47His feature debut was a surprise masterpiece, largely for Slate's portrayal of the title
14:53character. She brings such a sweet, humorously self-aware voice to a
14:57mockumentary about Marcel's day-to-day life. This is my bedroom. It's a bedroom,
15:04but I sleep on a piece of bread. Gradually, however, she explores the
15:10woe of a little guy trying to understand the big world. Slate makes you fall in love with
15:16Marcel through all the heartbreak and joy of life. But what if, what if everything changes
15:24again? If nothing else, her heavily accoladed performance exemplifies the versatile depths
15:30of both the actor and voice acting in general. What are your favorite voice acting performances
15:36of the 2020s? Let your voice be heard in the comments. Hold up. Oh, come on. Uh-oh.
15:42Well, this has been fun. Who are you talking to? But I really gotta wrap this up.
15:46Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
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