The cast of the 2023 Netflix animated movie Nimona is full of talented and famous names, including the actress who plays the titular character. The film is based on the 2015 graphic novel of the same name by ND Stevenson and reimagines the Middle Ages. A futuristic medieval setting serves as the backdrop of the animated feature, which revolves around a rambunctious shapeshifter named Nimona who becomes the sidekick of a fugitive named Ballister Boldheart as they try to clear his name in the kingdom.
Following multiple production delays, Nimona premiered on June 30, 2023, and was met with widespread acclaim. Many critics and fans praised the adaption for its unique animation style, cast performances, dynamic storytelling, and more. But since Nimona is an animated movie, it's always interesting to see the faces behind the characters' voices, and the Netflix film contains a lot of recognizable faces.
Chloë Grace Moretz As Nimona
Chloë Grace Moretz stars as Nimona in Nimona, the titular character in the animated film. Nimona is a shapeshifter regarded as a freak by the other citizens. She meets her (reluctant) partner in crime, Ballister Boldheart, after he is accused of killing Queen Valerin. Nimona sees him as a kindred spirit since she believes they are both outcasts with a "villainous spirit" inside them. She applies to be Ballister's sidekick to "get revenge on the cold, cruel world" that rejected them, and the rest is history.
Moretz is most known for her role as Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass. But she's also received notoriety for starring in Hugo, Dark Shadows, If I Stay, and The Fifth Wave. As for her other animated roles, Moretz also voiced Wednesday in The Addams Family and The Addams Family 2.
Riz Ahmed As Ballister Boldheart
Riz Ahmed voices the other protagonist in Nimona, Ballister Boldheart. In the world of the animated feature, the kingdom is protected by the Institute for Elite Knights, a group of strong individuals who all are descendants of the notorious heroine Gloreth and her knights. However, that all changes, thanks to Ballister, who is not a relative of Gloreth. Ballister, a commoner, proved his worth, and the queen made an exception by knighting him into the elite group. Unfortunately, Ballister's sword strikes Queen Valerin with a laser beam, killing her. The entire kingdom believes Ballister meant to murder her, so he goes on the run, eventually meeting Nimona.
Nimona fans might recognize Ahmed from The Night Of, for which he earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series. Ahmed also appeared in Nightcrawler, Jason Bourne, Rogue One, Girls, Venom, Sound of Metal, and Mogul Mowgli. He received an Academy Award nomination for his role in Sound of Metal, and he won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film for The Long Goodbye, which accompanied Ahmed's second studio album of the same name.
Eugene Lee Yang As Ambrosius Goldenloin
Ballister's lover in Nimona, Ambrosius Goldenloin, is voiced by Eugene Lee Yang. Ambrosius is a descendant of Gloreth and is knighted alongside Ambrosius at the beginning of the film. When the kingdom paints Ballister as a murderer, Ambrosius s the other knights in the hunt for his boyfriend, but it's clear that he's hesitant to believe the worst of the person he loves. Yang is most known as one of the Buzzfeed Try Guys, but he will also star in an romantic drama called Spring Bloom and appeared in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Star Wars: Visions.
s Conroy As The Director
s Conroy voices The Director in Nimona on Netflix. The Director is, as her name suggests, the director of the institute that trains the elite knights of the kingdom. While she first appears to be a distinguished and no-nonsense leader, as the animated movie goes on, her true self starts to unfold. Before lending her voice to Nimona, Conroy notoriously starred as Ruth Fisher in Six Feet Under, for which she won a Golden Globe and was nominated for four Emmys. She also appeared in American Horror Story, Casual, Joker, The Power of the Dog, Dead to Me, How I Met Your Mother, and many other films and shows.
Lorraine Toussaint As Queen Valerin
Lorraine Toussaint voices Queen Valerin in Netflix's Nimona. Valerin doesn't appear much in the film since (spoiler alert) she dies within the first ten minutes. Her murder serves as the catalyst of the movie's events as Ballister tries to clear his name after being accused of killing the queen. Nimona fans might recognize Toussaint from her role as Yvonne Parker in Orange Is the New Black, and she also appeared in Law & Order, Crossing Jordan, Saving Grace, Middle of Nowhere, Selma, The Equalizer, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and numerous other movies and series.
Beck Bennett As Sir Thoddeus Sureblade
The annoying prick of Nimona, Thoddeus Sureblade, is voiced by Beck Bennett. From his first scene, it's clear that Thoddeus, one of the knights, resented Ballister and was one of those who tormented the commoner just because he wasn't a descendant of Gloreth. Bennett is widely known for starring as a Saturday Night Live cast member from 2013 to 2021. But besides SNL, the actor has appeared in The Other Two, Shrill, and Killing It. Bennett has also had various voice roles, including in Sing, The Angry Birds Movie 2, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, DuckTales, M.O.D.O.K., The Simpsons, and Hamster & Gretel.
RuPaul Charles As Nate Knight
The iconic RuPaul Charles appears as Nate Knight in Nimona on Netflix. Nate is one of the co-anchors for KTV, so he is regularly seen in newscasts throughout the film. RuPaul is most known for hosting, producing, and judging RuPaul's Drag Race, a reality competition series that searches for the next drag queen star. As the world's most famous drag queen, RuPaul has appeared in a plethora of projects, including The Brady Bunch Movie, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Walker, Texas Ranger, Ugly Betty, Broad City, and Grace and Frankie.
Indya Moore As Alamzapam Davis
Indya Moore voices Nate's co-host in Nimona, Alamzapam Davis. Alamzapam is one-half of the broadcasting duo at KTV in the futuristic medieval world of the Netflix movie. Aside from Nimona, Moore is known for starring as Angel Evangelista in Pose. She appeared in Saturday Church, Queen & Slim, A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting, and Escape Room: Tournament of Champions. Moore will also star as Karshon in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023. Additionally, she voiced roles in Steven Universe Future and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
Julio Torres As Diego The Squire
Julio Torres stars as Diego the Squire in Netflix's Nimona. In the film, Diego is the one who uncovers the truth behind the queen's death after he films a video of himself trying on Ballister's armor. Torres is a comedian who has written for Saturday Night Live, Los Espookys (which he also co-created and starred in), and The Chris Gethard Show. As for his acting credits, Torres appeared in The Other Two, Shrill, and Search Party. He also voiced roles in Bob's Burgers, Tuca & Bertie, and The Great North.
Sarah Sherman As Coriander Cavaverish
The final main character in Nimona is Coriander Cavaverish, voiced by Sarah Sherman, a stand-up comedian. Coriander is an overly enthused car salesperson who tries to sell Ballister a car he's hiding in while the knights search for him. Nimona viewers might recognize Sherman as a featured player in Saturday Night Live. Plus, Sherman will star in the Adam Sandler Netflix film, You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah, which will premiere on August 25, 2023.
Nimona ing Cast & Characters
Karen Ryan as Gloreth - Karen Ryan voices Gloreth, the notorious knight and ancestor of the elite knights in the kingdom. The citizens regard her as a deity and continue to glorify her actions 1000 years later. Ryan is one of the producers of Nimona, and she is just one of the many production crew who lent their voices to the film.
Mia Collins as Demon Baby - Mia Collins provides the voice for Nimona's character in the Netflix animated feature when she shapeshifts into a Demon Baby to kidnap Diego.
ND Stevenson as Kwispy Dwagon - It's only fair that ND Stevenson, the creator of Nimona, gets a voice role in the film. He stars as Kwispy Dwagon, a cartoon cereal mascot. Aside from Nimona, Stevenson was the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, a Netflix animated series.
