'Nimona' Voice Cast and Character Guide
After long and rocky road, Nimona is finally being released. The long-awaited film adapts ND Stevenson's novel of the same, centering on its title character and the villain she decides to help. Ballister Boldheart has done some questionable things in his past, sure. But this time around, he really didn't do it; he was framed for a crime he didn't commit. So, he sets out to prove his innocence to the kingdom, but he can't do it alone. When a mischievous shape-shifter named Nimona shows up at his door, Boldheart reluctantly agrees to work with her, as she seems to be the only person in the kingdom who's not against him. The only problem? Nimona is the type of creature Boldheart was trained to destroy. No matter, though, as he and Nimona soon begin to bond as they traverse the kingdom to clear Boldheart's name and wreak a little havoc along the way.
Nimona had been in the works for several years but hit release date hell following Disney's acquisition of Fox in 2019. The film received tentative release dates for 2020, 2021, and even last year. However, the studio spearheading the film, Blue Sky Studios, became a casualty and was shut down in 2021, which meant that Nimona was essentially canceled. Additionally, the LGBTQ+ elements of Nimona allegedly caused pushback from Disney. Thankfully, Nimona saw the light at the end of the tunnel after Annapurna Pictures acquired the film to release on Netflix, and the rest is history. As we eagerly await Nimona's triumphant premiere on Netflix on June 30, we compiled a guide to the main voice cast and the characters they play in the adaptation.
Chloë Grace Moretz as Nimona
Chloë Grace Moretz voices Nimona, the chaotic, mayhem-loving heart of the feature who lends a helping hand to Ballister Boldheart. She is a teenager and shape-shifter who, while her powers come in handy, had a tragic road to get them. Like her graphic novel counterpart, this version of Nimona is content with causing trouble wherever she goes, sometimes with a reason, but usually just because. She is unapologetic about who she is and isn't afraid to make sure everyone knows it.
Moretz has been acting since a young age and has built up an impressive career throughout the years. She has starred in animated and live-action projects across film and television, most recently starring in Prime Video's The Peripheral, which was renewed for a second season. In 2010, she quickly gained the spotlight thanks to her role in the live-action adaptation of Kick-Ass and later starred in the sequel. Recently, Moretz has also been in projects like the animated The Addams Family movies as Wednesday, the podcast series Gaslight, Hulu's Mother/Android, and more.
Riz Ahmed as Ballister Boldheart
Riz Ahmed voices knight-turned-villain Ballister Boldheart -- who's originally named Blackheart in the graphic novel. While Boldheart is a villain by the kingdom's standards, he works under his own set of guidelines, largely trying not to cause any more trouble after he is framed. However, he also knows that something is off, ultimately trying to prove he's not as bad as everyone thinks he is. Unlike Nimona, Boldheart prefers more thought out courses of action and isn't one to cause chaos for chaos' sake. Boldheart also has a long time and intimate connection with Ambrosius Goldenloin, a knight for the kingdom and Boldheart's former partner.
Ahmed has starred in a variety of projects through his career, from blockbusters like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to less mainstream features like the Academy Award-winning The Sound of Metal. Last year, he lent his voice to The Sandman podcast series, starring as The Corinthian. Ahmed has also guest starred in shows like The OA and Girls, and starred in the limited series The Night Of. He's also known for movies such as Venom, Nightcrawler, and The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Beyond acting, Ahmed is also a rapper.
Eugene Lee Yang as Ambrosius Goldenloin
Eugene Lee Yang plays the shining example of the kingdom, Ambrosius Goldenloin. As a servant to the kingdom, Goldenloin is heading up the search for Boldheart, driven by his sense of duty to the kingdom and its people. Though Boldheart is goal number one, Goldenloin also just wants to find the truth about everything going on with his former partner. However, because of his relationship with Boldheart, Goldenloin has a bit of a crisis of conscience, struggling to rectify his duties to the kingdom with his personal feelings and instincts.
While Yang has television credits under his belt, he is best known for the YouTube sensation The Try Guys. The group -- which includes Yang, Zach Kornfeld, and Keith Habersberger -- live up to their name, trying basically anything and everything for some good fun and entertainment. Beyond The Try Guys, Yang guest starred in television series including Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Star Wars: Visions. Nimona will be his first role in a feature.
Frances Conroy as The Director
Frances Conroy voices the no-nonsense character known as The Director. She is the head of the Institute, the school where the kingdom's knights are trained. In the graphic novel, The Director oversees the hunt for Boldheart, determined to convince everyone that he is, in fact, guilty of the crime he was accused of committing. Similar to Goldenloin, The Director believes she is doing the right thing, following guidelines that are deeply instilled within her.
Conroy has been a staple for a number of television series, gaining larger notoriety when she starred in the HBO series Six Feet Under as Ruth Fisher, the family's matriarch. In the past few years or so, Conroy recurred in Netflix's Dead to Me, was a series regular in American Horror Story, and was a frequent recurring cast member for Hulu's Casual. Film-wise, Conroy is recognized for projects like The Power of the Dog and Joker, which has a sequel due to release in 2024.
Beck Bennett as Sir Thoddeus "Todd" Sureblade
Beck Bennett's Sir Thoddeus Sureblade (aka Todd) is also a knight. He has an overinflated sense of confidence as he goes through his training at the Institute. Todd was not a named character in the graphic novel. Based on the image we have of Todd, it seems that he will be (or...try to be, anyway) a major asset in attempting to capture Boldheart.
Bennett has been involved with several television shows throughout his career, though he is best known for starring in Saturday Night Live for eight seasons. Bennett was a series regular voice for DuckTales and voice acted for other projects like Sing, The Angry Birds Movie 2, and The Mitchells vs the Machines. He currently stars in the animated series Hamster & Gretel. Bennett's live-action credits include Peacock's Killing It, Bill & Ted Face the Music, and Brigsby Bear, among others.
Lorraine Toussaint as The Queen
Lorraine Toussaint voices the Queen, a character who wasn't present in the graphic novel but seems to be much more integral to the adaptation. She is, naturally, a regal character who will be involved in some way with Boldheart and Nimona. About Toussaint's casting, co-director Troy Quane told Netflix, "She needed to exude a rebellious confidence and poise. Lorraine has this incredible ability to make down-to-earth conversation sound so incredibly regal and weave such heart into every sentence!"
Toussaint has had an active and illustrious career through the decades, with a hefty mixture of film and television. In film, she recently starred in Netflix's Concrete Cowboy alongside Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin. A few years prior, she appeared in the 2018 adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, with credits on projects such as Girls Trip, Selma, The Soloist, and several others. In television, Toussaint is a series regular in The Equalizer, which also stars Queen Latifah, and is a recurring voice cast member for Disney Channel's Big City Greens. She has also previously voice acted for Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which was created by ND Stevenson. Toussaint's other TV credits include Into the Badlands, Roseland, Orange Is the New Black, and more.
Who Else Is in Nimona's Voice Cast?
Along with the above-mentioned cast, Nimona will feature the voices of Indya Moore, RuPaul Charles, and Julio Torres. Moore, well-known for their role in Pose, plays news anchor Alamzapam Davis. They are joined by Charles as the voice of news anchor Nate Knight. Charles is best known for the long-running series RuPaul's Drag Race. Rounding out the cast is Torres as The Squire, an Institute assistant. Torres previously wrote for Saturday Night Live and recently voice acted for The Great North.
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