The Encanto cast helps to bring to life one of Disney most magical stories. Encanto, the 60th movie created by Walt Disney Animation Studios, explores the magical beauty of Colombia in a tale about individuality, with the young Mirabel Madrigal finding herself being the only member of her family without special abilities. In typical Disney fashion, Mirabel embarks on a journey of self-acceptance that leads her to understand what truly makes her special.
Encanto follows a trend started by Moana, exchanging the classic Disney Princess tropes for real-life cultures that have the potential for a wide variety of stories. To better capture the country's magic, directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush imbued Encanto with real Colombian locations, costumes, food, music, and other cultural elements. One of Encanto's highlights is the Latin-American cast at the heart of the story. From telenovela icons to Hollywood stars, Encanto gathers a large and talented ensemble cast. Although the movie is fully 3D-animated, each actor clearly provides their own signature to their respective character. Here's what the voice cast of Encanto looks like and the previous roles they've played.
Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel Madrigal
The Encanto cast of characters is led by 15-year-old Mirabel Madrigal, the only member of the Madrigal family who doesn't appear to have a distinct magical gift. Best known as the grump with a heart of gold from Detective Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Stephanie Beatriz voices the young protagonist. Mirabel is the complete opposite of Rosa Díaz – awkward, a little bit clumsy, and laden with confidence issues due to her lack of special abilities. Beatriz is also known for her roles as Sonia in Modern Family and Carla in Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In The Heights. Her voice acting work includes Gina Cazador on BoJack Horseman and Tiff in Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous.
On another interesting and fitting note, Beatriz auditioned for her role in Moana. Although the two films have distinctly different settings and characters, Moana and Encanto are both heartwarming stories of young women searching for where they belong, and both have stellar soundtracks. In a fun moment of coincidence, Beatriz also gave birth to her daughter, Rosaline Hoss, just days after recording Encanto's "Waiting on a Miracle."
John Leguizamo as Bruno Madrigal
Likely the biggest name in the Encanto cast is Tony Award-winning actor John Leguizamo who plays Bruno Madrigal, Mirabel's uncle. Bruno's magic manifests as the ability to see the future with seemingly dark predictions that makes him an outcast and the subject of Encanto's song "We Don't Talk About Bruno". Known for his role as Luigi in the infamous Super Mario Bros., John Leguizamo has built an irable career over the years with roles such as Tybalt Capulet in Baz Lurhmann's Romeo + Juliet, Violator in Spawn, and Cholo in George A. Romero's Land of the Dead, to name but a few. Leguizamo has experience as a voice actor as well, and his most notable voice role is Sid the Sloth in the Ice Age franchise.
Recently, John Leguizamo has appeared as Aurelio in the John Wick trilogy, Raymond Santana Sr. in Netflix's When They See Us, Violent Night, and The Menu. A true performer, Leguizamo actually improvised Bruno's Rat Telenovela, one of the more humorous moments in Encanto. The singing came less naturally to him, however. Apparently, Bruno's rap in the finale song "All of You" was difficult for Leguizamo to master, and it took him days to record his verse.
Diane Guerrero as Isabela Madrigal
Those who have watched Doom Patrol will recognize Diane Guerrero from her performance as Jane in the DC Universe series. As for her role in Disney's Encanto, Guerrero voices Isabela Madrigal, Mirabel's oldest sister who is initially painted as a bit of an antagonist. Isabela is held in high regard by her family, but it's also clear in Encanto that Abuela is hard on Isabela, such as pressuring her into marrying Mariano despite her not being interested in him. Fittingly, Isabela's power involves summoning flowers at will, which symbolizes both her beauty and her desire to bloom.
Diane Guerrero is known for playing Maritza Ramos in Orange is the New Black and Lina Santillan in Jane the Virgin. Guerrero's voice acting roles include Vestia in Elena of Avalor and Jessica Cruz in the animated DC movie Justice League vs. the Fatal Five.
María Cecilia Botero as Abuela Alma
Maria Cecilia Botero plays Abuela Alma Madrigal, the matriarch of Encanto. Abuela Alma escapes with Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno after losing her husband during an attack on their village. Although it's somewhat unclear in Encanto what Abuela's gift is, she owns the house that gives her family their powers, and she is instrumental in holding the family together.
Although the work of Maria Cecilia Botero may not be as widespread as that of John Leguizamo or Diane Guerrero, her legacy is definitely known throughout various generations of Colombian TV. Her most famous telenovelas have been La Vorágine and Caballo Viejo, and she has worked in several musical comedies, theater plays, and TV shows. For her role in Encanto, Botero didn't do her own singing, so for every song in the Encanto soundtrack where Abuela sings, her voice was provided instead by Olga Merediz. Merediz herself is well-known for playing another famous Abuela in a Lin Manuel Miranda musical: Abuela Claudia from In the Heights.
Angie Cepeda as Julieta Madrigal
Angie Cepeda plays Mirabel's mother, Julieta Madrigal. Julieta may have the most relatable power in the Madrigal family, which is the ability to heal others with her cooking. Angie Cepeda is a beloved actor in Colombian TV with appearances in series like Las Juanas and Pobre Diabla, as well as the 2006 movie adaptation of Gabriel García Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera.
Jessica Darrow as Luisa Madrigal
Jessica Darrow portrays Luisa Madrigal, the subject of Encanto's "Surface Pressure" song and Mirabel and Isabela's sister. Luisa is the muscle of the family, as her special ability is super strength. Jessica Darrow is building her acting career with Encanto after playing Sarah in Feast of the Seven Fishes and Taylor Reese in Following Hannah Stone.
Wilmer Valderrama as Agustín Madrigal
Wilmer Valderrama, most famously known for playing Fez in That '70s Show, plays Agustín Madrigal, Maribel's good-natured father. Apart from That '70s Show, Wilmer Valderrama has appeared in From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series and Grey's Anatomy, and he's known these days for his long-running role as Nick Torres in NCIS. Valderrama also voiced Gaxton in Pixar's Onward.
Carolina Gaitán as Pepa Madrigal
Actor and singer Carolina Gaitán portrays Pepa Madrigal, Mirabel's extroverted aunt. Pepa's power in the film allows her to control the weather, an ability that could be regarded as one of the most powerful in the entire family. Carolina Gaitán continues to build a strong acting career with acclaimed roles in Sin Senos Sí Hay Paraíso and Narcos. Encanto marks a big step forward for her Hollywood presence after a small part as a singer in The Greatest Showman's theme "This Is Me."
Mauro Castillo as Félix Madrigal
Singer and actor Mauro Castillo appears as Mirabel's uncle, Félix Madrigal, who is married to Pepa and is the father of Dolores, Camilo, and Antonio. Castillo possesses an impressive music career. He's a singer, trombone player, and music producer who has worked with Grupo Niche, Oscar D'León, and salsa legend Joe Arroyo. Castillo had a breakout performance in the biopic series based on Joe Arroyo's life story, where he portrayed the singer's best friend and fellow musician, Wilson Manyoma.
Rhenzy Feliz as Camilo Madrigal
Trickster Camilo Madrigal is Encanto's shapeshifter played by Rhenzy Feliz. Best known for playing Alex Wilder in Marvel's Runaways TV series, Feliz also appeared as Aaron in several episodes of Teen Wolf back in 2017. Feliz's character Camilo is Pepa and Félix's middle child who is about the same age as his cousin Mirabel. In addition to possessing the versatile ability to shape-shift, Camilo also plays a prominent part in Encanto's iconic "We Don't Talk About Bruno" song. While he can look like any member of the family, however, Camilo can't copy the Madrigals' gifts.
