What do Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph, Eastbound and Down’s Danny McBride, and Broad City co-creator Abbi Jacobson have in common. If you guessed that they are all some of the most unique comedic voices of our time, you wouldn’t be wrong, but it’s not what we’re going for here. The correct answer is they all headline Netflix’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines cast alongside Mike Rianda, who makes his directorial debut in the new Phil Lord and Christopher Miller-produced animated film.
In the new Netflix movie, which was produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the Mitchells set off for what appears to be a normal cross-country family road trip before they find themselves being humanity’s last hope after a rogue artificial intelligence (voiced by Olivia Colman) captures every other living soul in a tech uprising. But outside of the family at the center of the story, The Mitchells vs. the Machines features a remarkable voice cast featuring comedians, singers, basketball players, and even a pug with a bigger social media presence than most celebrities.
Abbi Jacobson - Katie Mitchell
At the center of The Mitchells vs. the Machines is Katie Mitchell, an aspiring filmmaker whose decision to go to the film school in California leads to the family taking the fateful road trip. If Jacobson’s voice sounds familiar it probably has something to do with her successful Comedy Central series Broad City, which she co-created with co-star Ilana Glazer, first as a 2010 webseries and then again on cable from 2014 to 2019. The new animated film isn’t the first time Jacobson has worked with Netflix (she voices Princess Bean on Disenchantment) nor is it her first experience with Lord Miller Productions (she’s Nya in The Lego Ninjago Movie).
Danny McBride - Rick Mitchell
Providing the voice of Mitchell family patriarch who’s prone to clash with his teenage daughter Rick Mitchell is Danny McBride. Prior to landing a role in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, McBride made a name for himself in movies like Pineapple Express, The Foot Fist Way, and Hot Rod, but to some, the multi-talented actor/writer/director/producer will always be known for one role and one role only: Kenny Powers on Eastbound & Down. Danny McBride, who co-created the popular HBO series back in 2009, has since gone on to lead some of the network’s other comedies like Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones.
Maya Rudolph - Linda Mitchell
Linda Mitchell, the loving and supportive movie that serves as the glue that keeps the family together in The Mitchells vs. the Machines is voiced by Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph. Prior to her voice work in the new Netflix movie, Rudolph brought characters to life in titles such as Shrek the Third, Big Hero 6, and the upcoming Luca. In addition to her voice acting, Rudolph has been a part of some of the biggest comedies of the modern era, including Bridesmaids, Booksmart, and the 2013 coming-of-age story The Way, Way Back.
Mike Rianda - Aaron Mitchell
Rounding out the Mitchell family portion of The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ cast is writer-director Mike Rianda who voices Aaron, the dinosaur-obsessed son of Linda and Rick. Primarily known as a writer, creative director, and occasional voice actor on the Disney Channel original animated series Gravity Falls, Rianda has also provided the voice of characters in the animated short Princess of the Magical Tears and a 2014 Gravity Falls short.
Eric Andre - Dr. Mark Bowman
Eric Andre brings to life Dr. Mark Bowman, the scientist and tech genius behind PAL Labs who inadvertently causes the machine uprising in The Mitchells vs. the Machines. While his voice may sound familiar to certain audiences following his portrayal of Azizi in the 2019 remake of The Lion King, to others Andre is remembered for his unique brand of absurdist and surrealist comedy as seen on his long-running Adult Swim series The Eric Andre Show and his 2021 prank comedy film (also on Netflix) Bad Trip.
Olivia Colman - PAL
Another member of The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ voice cast with a history at Netflix is Olivia Colman. Before lending her voice to PAL, the emotionally damaged artificial intelligence with a bone to pick with humanity, Colman won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown, which is just one of the awards the talented actress has won over the years. Other notable awards include an Oscar for her performance in The Favourite and multiple others for her work on The Night Manager, Hyde Park on Hudson, and The Lobster.
Fred Armisen - Deborahbot 5000
Not all of the PAL robots are bad in The Mitchells vs. the Machines and that’s where Fred Armisen’s Deborahbot 5000 comes in and helps out the family in their quest the save humanity. In addition to appearing on Saturday Night Live from 2002 to 2013, Armisen has led a number of television shows over the years with the most notable being Portlandia and Documentary Now. Over the years, Armisen has also appeared in multiple movies including Easy A, The Little Hours, and Battle of the Sexes to name only a few.
Beck Bennett - Eric
Another longtime Saturday Night Live standout to appear in The Mitchells vs. the Machines is Beck Bennett, who provides the voice of the other damaged PAL robot, Eric. Prior to landing a spot on the SNL cast in 2013, Bennett had his first brush with fame after appearing in the hilarious “It’s Not Complicated” AT&T commercials where he interviewed children about a number of topics including cell phone services. On the film side of things, Bennett has shown up in dark comedies like Brigsby Bear and family-friendly animated musicals like Sing.
Conan O’Brien - Glaxxon 5000
Voicing the advanced PAL Labs robot Glaxxon 5000 in The Mitchells vs. the Machines is Conan O’Brien. In addition to hosting multiple late night talk shows including a brief and controversial run on The Tonight Show between 2009 and 2010, O’Brien has appeared in countless television shows, mostly in cameo roles as himself, though he did voice The Riddler in the Lord Miller-produced 2017 animated film The Lego Batman Movie. Before that, O’Brien served as a writer on both Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons before taking over for David Letterman on Late Night from 1993 to 2009.
Charlyne Yi - Abby Posey
Charlyne Yi provides the voice of Abby Posey in The Mitchells vs. the Machines. Prior to portraying Aaron Mitchell’s neighbor and love interest in the Netflix animated film, Yi popped up in a number of comedies over the years starting with 2007’s Knocked Up (and its sequel This Is 40) before joining the casts of The Disaster Artist and Always Be My Maybe. No stranger to animation, Yi lent her voice to characters on shows like Steven Universe and Summer Camp Island.
Chrissy Teigen - Hailey Posey
Chrissy Teigen voices Hailey Posey, the Mitchells’ fearless neighbor who appears to be perfect in every possible way. Over the years, Teigan has become one of the most popular and influential celebrities with appearances on a string of successful television shows starting with the first season of Deal or No Deal back in 2007. She’s gone on to host shows like FABLife and Lip Sync Battle.
John Legend - Jim Posey
Playing Hailey Posey’s husband, Jim, in The Mitchells vs. the Machines is Chrissy Teigen’s real-life husband John Legend. An EGOT winner, Legend has appeared in countless movies and television shows over the years, giving outstanding performances in titles like La La Land and Ask the StoryBots.
Blake Griffin - PAL MAX Prime
Blake Griffin, the 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year and six-time NBA All-Star provides the voice of the ultra-sleek PAL MAX Prime robot in The Mitchells vs. the Machines. It doesn’t get brought up all that often but Griffin’s acting career goes back farther than his days in the NBA, having appeared in two episodes of the ABC Family drama series Greek back in 2008. Throughout his professional career, Griffin has jumped over to the acting world on several occasions, showing up on episodes of 90210, The Book Club, and a few shows, as well as Whitney Cummings’ 2017 comedy The Female Brain.
Doug The Pug - Monchi
And then there is Monchi, the Mitchell family dog in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, who is “voiced” by the internet sensation that is Doug the Pug. Although this is social media pup’s first movie role, he’s been a hit for a few years now, providing parodies of shows like Stranger Things, Toy Story, and even Spider-Man. According to People.com, Doug the Pug provides every snore, bark, and other bodily noise for his on-screen counterpart in the new Netflix animated film.
This may seem like a large cast, but this isn’t every actor who appears in The Mitchells vs. the Machines. In addition to all of the aforementioned names, Sasheer Zamata, Elle Mills, Alex Hirsch, Griffin McElroy, and Jay Pharoah also appear in what looks to be one of the best 2021 Netflix movies thus far. And in the event you want to know what’s coming to theaters later this year, check out CinemaBlend’s list of 2021 movie premiere dates while you’re at it.
