Despicable Me 4 brought back Illumination Studio’s hugely popular animated franchise, and much of the original cast returned to continue the story of international super villain turned hero Gru. The main plot of Despicable Me 4 sees Gru and his family adjusting to the newest arrival: Gru Jr. However, as Gru fights to get his new baby to like him, the family goes into hiding from the newly escaped Maxime Le Mal. However, when a neighbor recognizes him, Gru is pulled back into a life of crime.

Despicable Me 4 hit theaters in 2024, seven years after Despicable Me 3 came out. With its original story and new characters, Despicable Me 4 pushed the franchise over the $5 billion mark. Besides adding new characters like Gru Jr., Maxime Le Malkm, and Poppu Prescott, it was always fun to catch up with Despicable Me‘s established cast of characters, most of whom returned for Gru’s latest adventure, although some took lesser roles this time around.

Actor	Character
Steve Carell	Gru
Kristen Wiig	Lucy Wilde
Miranda Cosgrove	Margo
Dana Gaier	Edith
Madison Skyy Polan	Agnes
Will Ferrell	Maxime Le Mal

Steve Carell As Gru

Date Of Birth: August 16, 1962

• Active Since: 1989

Actor: Steve Carell is best known for his role as Michael Scott in The Office. His breakout movie was The 40-Year-Old Virgin, where he starred as the lead character, Andy Sтιтzer. Carell has a background in comedy, appearing in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy; Crazy, Stupid, Love; and the first three Despicable Me movies. Carell has also shown his range in a few serious projects, like the FX series The Patient and the 2014 film Foxcatcher, which earned him his first Academy Award nomination.

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Character: Beginning his journey as an international supervillain on a fruitless conquest to steal the moon from the sky, Gru has undergone some serious development throughout the Despicable Me series. In the fourth film, he goes into hiding when a supervillain escapes from prison and targets him. However, he is soon put in danger when the little girl next door forces him to help her pull off a criminal heist or else she will reveal his idenтιтy, sending him back to the school where his problems began.

Kristen Wiig As Lucy Wilde

Date Of Birth: August 22, 1973

• Active Since: 2000

Actor: The 2011 romance-comedy Bridesmaids was Kristen Wiig’s breakout movie role, though she’d already made a name for herself on the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. Like Carell, Wiig has proven her comedy chops over the course of her career — and through her time in the Despicable Me franchise. She’s also lent her voice to the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, The Looney Tunes Show, and Big Mouth, so she’s built a background in voice acting as well.

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Character: The character of Lucy Wilde was first introduced in Despicable Me 2, where she was forced to ᴀssist Gru after he was initiated into the Anti-Villain League. Despite initial conflicts, the pair soon fell in love and started a new life together. Despicable Me 4 sees the couple happily married and looking after their children when they are forced to go into hiding. Despicable Me 4 focuses on Lucy’s inability to work any of her fake jobs as they are forced to hide their idenтιтies.

Miranda Cosgrove As Margo

Date Of Birth: May 14, 1993

• Active Since: 1996

Actor: Miranda Cosgrove made a name for herself as a child star, playing Megan Parker in the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh and the тιтular lead in iCarly. Her breakout movie role was in School of Rock, where she starred as Summer Hathaway. Cosgrove has continued making content for younger audiences throughout her acting career, recently appearing in an iCarly reboot and repeatedly lending her voice to the Despicable Me franchise. She’s also found success as a singer and musician.

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Character: Margo has been an important part of the Despicable Me franchise from the beginning, as she’s the older sister of Agnes and Edith. Gru originally adopted the three orphans in the first movie as a ploy for his evil plans. However, they ultimately won his heart, and they grew into a real family. Margo is the smartest of the siblings, and she’s also got a sharp wit. Margo has the most problems since she was taken out of her school and away from her friends and can’t connect with the new kids.

Dana Gaier As Edith

Date Of Birth: August 30, 1997

• Active Since: 2019

Actor: Dana Gaier was born in New Jersey in 1997. Despicable Me was Gaier’s breakout movie role, and she’s appeared in limited projects since. Among her prominent roles are Brie in 2017’s The Ice Cream Truck, Demi in 2019’s Ernesto’s Manifesto and Sahar in On My Block. She’s continued to appear in Despicable Me movies over the years, and returned for the fourth installment in 2024.

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Character: Gaier plays Edith in the Despicable Me franchise, the middle child of Gru’s adopted trio from the first movie. Typically donning an all-pink wardrobe and knit cap, Edith is something of a tomboy — and she’s got a morbid approach to everything. Fitting for the middle child, Edith gets the least attention from the franchise. In Despicable Me 4, she continues to get her hands dirty, especially when dealing with the martial arts class that worries her little sister, Agnes.

Madison Skyy Polan As Agnes

Date Of Birth: March 31, 2014

• Active Since: 2024

Actor: Nine-year-old Madison Skyy Polan will voice Agnes for the first time in Despicable Me 4, taking over the role from Nev Scharrel. Despicable Me 4 marks the second time Agnes was recast, as Scharrel picked up the role from Elsie Fischer. Fischer voiced Agnes in Despicable Me and its direct sequel, but she’d gotten too mature for the part by the time Despicable 3 happened. This seems to be a trend for the character, who is the youngest of Gru’s daughters. Polan has never appeared in a movie or TV show before, so this was her breakout project.

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Character: The youngest of Gru’s adopted daughters, Agnes has the most vibrant personality. In fact, viewers will likely recognize her iconic phrase from the first Despicable Me: “It’s so fluffy, I’m gonna die!” Given her young age, Agnes is somewhat naive, so she welcomes Gru with open arms, even during the first film. She loves unicorns and all things cute. In the new movie, she struggles to understand when her family asks her to lie while they are in hiding because she prefers honesty.

Will Ferrell As Maxime Le Mal

Date Of Birth: July 16, 1967

• Active Since: 1994

Actor: Will Ferrell’s breakout role was as Mustafa in 1997’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and he followed this performance with A Night at the Roxbury just a year later. Ferrell has starred in many beloved comedies over the year, including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Elf, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Step Brothers, and more. He’s also served as a producer on a number of well-known projects. Ferrell is a newcomer to the Despicable Me franchise, but his comedy skills make him a compelling addition.

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Character: Ferrell plays the main villain of Despicable Me 4, Maxime Le Mal. Maxime escapes prison and is hellbent on finding Gru and getting revenge. He’s ᴀssisted by his girlfriend, Valentina, and the two promise to challenge Gru and his family as they attempt to track them down. Maxime went to the villain’s school with Gru and holds a major grudge following what he considers a talent show snub. With a new potion that turns him into a bug, he becomes a formidable villain.

Despicable Me 4 Supporting Cast & Characters

Pierre Coffin as The Minions: Although his characters don’t have many lines throughout the Despicable Me franchise, Pierre Coffin has consistently been responsible for providing the voices of Gru’s Minions. They’re the series’ main source of comic relief, with their goofy behavior and silly voices allowing for plenty of funny moments. Coffin also co-directs all four movies in the Despicable Me series. The actor has also provided the voice of the Minions in other Illumination properties, such as The Grinch and Sing.

Sofia Vergara as Valentina: Sofia Vergara is a newcomer to the Despicable Me franchise and voices the girlfriend and sidekick of Ferrell’s Maxime Le Mal. She is just as evil as her boyfriend as she helps him seek revenge against Gru and his former school. Vergara is probably best known for her role as Gloria in Modern Family, but she more recently starred as the тιтular drug lord in Netflix’s Griselda.

Joey King as Poppy: Joey King also joins Despicable Me 4 as Poppy, a supporting character who wishes to become a supervillain. She lives next door to Gru’s safe house and forces him back into action as a villain so she can start her new life of crime. King’s acting credits include The Act, The Kissing Booth, Bullet Train, and The Conjuring.

Steve Coogan as Silas Ramsbottom: British comedian Steve Coogan reprises his role as the former Anti-Villain director Silas Ramsbottom in Despicable Me 4. While he has voiced several other characters in the franchise, such as Professor Flux and Blind Tower Guard, some viewers may know Coogan best for playing Alan Partridge, Tony Wilson in 2002’s 24 Hour Party People, Martin Sixsmith in 2013’s Philomena and Stan Laurel in 2018’s Stan & Ollie.