Warning! This article contains minor spoilers for The Electric State.
The Electric State not only walks through a gripping family-friendly sci-fi adventure but also features some incredible performances. Although The Electric State is based on a graphic novel by Simon Stålenhag, it avoids being as dark and philosophical as its source material. Despite these deviations, however, it borrows many tropes, characters, and surface-level themes from the original novel. Like the source material, Netflix’s The Electric State has both human and robotic characters.
While the human characters are brilliantly portrayed by some renowned and talented stars, even the voice cast that captures the robots’ personalities includes several familiar names. The Electric State may not be as narratively deep and unsettling as its source material, but its cast ensures that viewers stay entertained throughout its runtime. Since the Netflix adaptation is primarily driven by the performances of its cast members, viewers may be curious about who plays whom in the film.
Millie Bobby Brown as Michelle
Date Of Birth: February 19, 2004
- Active Since: 2013
Actor: Born in Marbella, Málaga, Spain, Millie Bobby Brown was around 8 years old when she moved to Orlando, Florida, with her family. She made her acting debut in 2013 by appearing as a guest star in ABC’s Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. The next year, she played her first starring role in BBC’s paranormal thriller Intruders, which paved the way for her to land bigger projects. After making appearances in NCIS, Modern Family, and Gray’s Anatomy, she got her big break when she was cast to play Eleven in Netflix’s Stranger Things.
Notable Movies & Shows:
Movie/Show |
Role |
Stranger Things |
Eleven |
Enola Holmes |
Enola Holmes |
Godzilla: King of the Monsters |
Madison Russell |
Damsel |
Elodie |
Intruders |
Madison |
Character: Millie Bobby Brown’s Michelle is one of the main characters in The Electric State. She is an orphaned girl who lost her parents and brother in a car accident. However, to her surprise, she finds a robot one day who claims to be controlled by her brother. As a result, she sets out to find the truth about her brother’s fate, which leads her to find the dark truth about the world humanity lives in.
Chris Pratt as Keats
Date Of Birth: June 21, 1979
- Active Since: 2000
Actor: Born in Virginia, Minnesota, Chris Pratt graduated from Lake Stevens High School in 1997. After briefly attending community college, he dropped out and briefly worked as a discount ticket salesman and daytime stripper. He eventually ended up being homeless in Maui, Hawaii, before one opportunity turned his life around. At 19, he crossed paths with actress and director Rae Dawn Chong, who cast him in her directorial debut short film, The Cursed Part 3.
Over the years, Pratt gradually garnered more fame from his roles in movies like Wanted and Moneyball and shows like Parks and Recreation. He became a household name after he landed the opportunity to play Starlord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although his tenure as a superhero seems to be over, he continues to play parts in many high-budget franchises.
Notable Movies & Shows:
Movie/Show |
Role |
Guardian of the Galaxy |
Peter Quill/Starlord |
Jurᴀssic World |
Owen Grady |
Parks & Recreation |
Andy Dwyer |
The Garfield Movie |
Garfield (Voice) |
The Terminal List |
James Reece |
Character: Chris Pratt plays Keats in The Electric State, a smuggler who fatefully runs into Michelle during her quest to find her missing brother. Although Keats initially only helps her because it benefits him, he eventually empathizes with her and goes all-in with her efforts to save the robots from evil human forces.
Ke Huy Quan as Dr. Amherst / the voice of P.C.
Date Of Birth: August 20, 1971
- Active Since: 2021
Actor: Born in Saigon, South Vietnam, Ke Huy Quan lived in Hong Kong in a refugee camp before moving to the United States as part of the Refugee Admissions Program in 1979. He started his acting journey at a young age when he starred alongside Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. This paved the way for him to land other roles in movies and shows like The Goonies, Breathing Fire, and Head of the Class.
Quan’s acting career is now only growing from strength to strength as he is finally getting the opportunities he has always deserved.
After struggling to find acting gigs, Quan stepped back and focused more on working behind the scenes for several films. However, soon after he returned to acting in 2021, he landed his big break with Everything Everywhere All At Once, which even won him an Academy Award. Quan’s acting career is now only growing from strength to strength as he is finally getting the opportunities he has always deserved.
Notable Movies & Shows:
Movie/Show |
Role |
The Goonies |
Data |
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom |
Short Round |
Everything Everywhere All At Once |
Waymond Wang |
Loki |
OB |
Character: Ke Huy Quan plays the role of Dr. Amherst in The Electric State. His character initially ends up helping the bad guys but later tries to rectify his mistakes. Although things do not go as he had previously planned, he plays a crucial role in helping Michelle find her brother.
Stanley Tucci as Ethan Skate
Date Of Birth: November 11, 1960
- Active Since: 1982
Actor: Born in Peekskill, New York, Stanley Tucci attended John Jay High School and grew an early interest in acting after joining his school’s drama club. He later went on to major in acting at the State University of New York at Purchase before graduating in 1982. After initially working in Broadway and taking up modeling gigs, Tucci made his feature film debut in 1985 with Prizzi’s Honor. In the late 90s, Tucci not only expanded his portfolio by taking up many creative roles in movies but also by writing and directing several films.
His breakout role came in 2006 when he starred opposite Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada. After he played the role of a serial killer in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Alice Sebold’s novel, The Lovely Bones, he even won Academy and Golden Globe Award nominations. Since then, Tucci has also become a part of various franchises like The Hunger Games and has even taken up some voicing roles.
Notable Movies & Shows:
Movie/Show |
Role |
The Lovely Bones |
George Harvey |
Julie & Julia |
Paul Child |
The King’s Man |
United States Ambᴀssador |
Beauty and the Beast |
Maestro Cadenza |
The Hunger Games |
Caesar Flickerman |
Character: Stanley Tucci plays the main antagonist, Ethan Skate, in The Electric State. His character tries to present himself as a visionary who hopes to make the world a better place for humans. However, his true motives are far more sinister as he misuses technology to establish control over humanity.
Anthony Mackie as Herman
Date Of Birth: September 23, 1978
- Active Since: 2002
Actor: Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Anthony Mackie graduated from the Juilliard School’s Drama Division before starting his acting career. His feature film debut, as many would recall, was in 8 Mile, which featured him as the main antagonist against Eminem’s protagonist. In 2003, he landed his first starring role in the film, Brother to Brother, before appearing in the Academy Award-winning movie, Million Dollar Baby, in 2004.
Did You Know: Anthony Mackie has appeared in two Best Picture Academy Award winners: Million Dollar Baby (2004) and The Hurt Locker (2008).
Although Brother to Brother and Spike Lee’s She Hate Me are often touted as his breakthrough roles, Mackie became a household name when he became a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Falcon. Over the years, he has also garnered acclaim and recognition for his television roles in shows like Black Mirror, Altered Carbon, and Twisted Metal. After taking on the role of the new Captain America in Captain America: Brave New World, he is expected to reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
Notable Movies & Shows:
Movie/Show |
Role |
Captain America: Brave New World |
Sam Wilson/Captain America |
Altered Carbon |
Takeshi Kovacs |
The Hurt Locker |
Sergeant JT Sanborn |
Twisted Metal |
John Doe |
Pain & Gain |
Adrian Doorbal |
Character: Mackie portrays a robotic character, Herman, who happens to be Keats’ closest and only friend. Herman tags along when Keats joins forces with Michelle to help her find her brother. Throughout the film, Keats and Herman’s dynamic is the source of comic relief.
Woody Harrelson as Mr. Peanut
Date Of Birth: July 23, 1961
- Active Since: 1985
Actor: Born in Midland, Texas, Woody Harrelson studied theater and English when he attended Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana. One of his most prominent early roles was in the NBC sitcom Cheers, which even earned him five Emmy nominations and one win. His feature film debut was in 1986’s Wildcats, which also marked Wesley Snipes’ debut. The two actors reunited again in 1992 when they starred in White Men Can’t Jump.
Over the years, Harrelson appeared in many acclaimed movies, like Natural Born Killers, and even starred in franchises like Zombieland, Venom, Now You See Me, and The Hunger Games. In recent years, he has garnered attention for his roles in movies and shows like Triangle of Sadness, True Detective, Last Breath, and White House Plumbers. The Electric State is one of the few films that feature him in a voice-acting role.
Notable Movies & Shows:
Movie/Show |
Role |
True Detective |
Detective Marty Hart |
Natural Born Killers |
Mickey Knox |
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri |
Willoughby |
Zombieland |
Tallahᴀssee |
The Hunger Games |
Haymitch Abernathy |
Character: Woody Harrelson voices Mr. Peanut in The Electric State, who, as many would recall, was once the anthropomorphic peanut mascot of Planters. Before Harrelson, many renowned actors, including Bill Harder and Robert Downey Jr., voiced Mr. Peanut in various capacities. In the movie, Mr. Peanut serves as somewhat of a leading figure for the surviving robots after he agrees to sign a peace treaty with humans.
Alan Tudyk as Cosmo
Date Of Birth: March 16, 1971
- Active Since: 1997
Actor: Born in El Paso, Texas, Alan Tudyk was accepted into the Juilliard School, but he left the conservatory without earning a formal degree. He made his film debut in 1997 with Mark Schwahn’s independent drama film 35 Miles from Normal. In the years that followed, he played several roles in different capacities in movies and shows like 28 Days, A Knight’s Tale, Firefly, and 3:10 to Yuma. Tudyk is also recognizable for his voice acting roles in films, like Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Big Hero 6, Frozen, and Moana.
Notable Movies & Shows:
Movie/Show |
Role |
Firefly |
Hoban ‘Wash’ Washburne |
I, Robot |
Sonny |
A Knight’s Tale |
Wat |
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story |
K-2SO |
Encanto |
Toucan |
Character: In The Electric State, Alan Tudyk serves as the voice of the main robot character, Cosmo, who claims to be controlled by Michelle’s brother, Chris. Michelle believes him and sets out on a journey to find out how her brother’s consciousness has leaked into the robot. Along the way, even though her brother is not with her in the flesh, she learns to embrace his presence through Cosmo.
Giancarlo Esposito as Colonel Marshall Bradbury
Date Of Birth: April 26, 1958
- Active Since: 1968
Actor: Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito attended Elizabeth Seton College in New York, where he earned a degree in radio and television communications. After focusing on a career in Broadway during his early years as an actor, he appeared in several movies like Maximum Overdrive and King of New York and shows like Miami Vice and Spenser: For Hire in the 1980s. His breakout role was in Spike Lee’s School Daze in which he portrayed Dean Big Brother Almighty of the “Gamma Phi Gamma” fraternity.
In recent decades, Esposito has gained a lot of momentum playing antagonistic roles, especially in shows like Breaking Bad, The Boys, Better Call Saul, and The Gentlemen. The actor has only been growing from strength to strength in terms of acclaim and popularity, allowing him to land roles in many renowned movie and television franchises, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Notable Movies & Shows:
Movie/Show |
Role |
Breaking Bad |
Gus Fring |
The Usual Suspects |
Jack Baer |
Captain America: Brave New World |
Sidewinder |
The Boys |
Stan Edgar |
The Mandalorian |
Moff Gideon |
Character: Even in The Electric State, Giancarlo Esposito is initially portrayed as one of the secondary antagonists. His character, Colonel Marshall Bradbury, viciously kills robots, believing that there is no place for them among humans. However, towards The Electric State’s ending moments, an incident forces him to challenge his worldview and switch sides.
The Electric State Supporting Cast & Characters
Woody Norman as Christopher: Michell’s brother, Chris, is portrayed by Woody Norman, of The Last Voyage of the Demeter and Cobweb fame, in The Electric State.
Jason Alexander as Ted: Best known for his role in Seinfeld, Jason Alexander voices one of the robots, Ted, in the Netflix sci-fi movie.
Marin Hinkle as Ms. Sablinsky: Marin Hinkle, of the Two and a Half Men and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel fame, voices Ms. Sablinsky in The Electric State.
Brian Cox as Popfly: Another robot character in the film, Popfly, is voiced by award-winning Scottish actor Brian Cox.
Jenny Slate as Penny Pal: The robot, Penny Pal, is played by Jenny Slate, who is known for her roles in Bob’s Burgers, Parks and Recreation, House of Lies, and Kroll Show.
Billy Gardell as Garbage Bot: Garbage Bot’s voice is captured by Billy Gardell, who is recognizable for voicing Santa in Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas.
Rob Gronkowski as Blitz: Rob Gronkowski is the man behind Blitz’s voice in The Electric State. Many would better know him as “Gronk” because of his NFL career.
Hank Azaria as Perplexo: In The Electric State, Perplexo is voiced by Hank Azaria, who has voiced many characters in The Simpsons, including Professor Frink, Duffman, Kirk Van Houten, Carl Carlson, Apu, and Lou.