What The Cast Of Pixar's Coco Looks Like In Real Life

Pixar was untouchable for many years, but in the 2010s, fans noticed the quality began to falter with films like "Cars 2" and "The Good Dinosaur." Even movies that were just okay felt like a massive step down from the studio's golden era. But then, a film came along that proved Pixar still had what it takes to tell amazing stories that don't talk down to children while offering life-affirming lessons. And it was all done with a little movie called "Coco."

"Coco" is about a young Mexican boy who accidentally winds up in the Land of the Dead. With the help of his deceased great-great-grandfather, he'll have to find a way back to the living. While the film borrows heavily from Mexican culture, anyone can relate to the theme of knowing your loved ones are always with you as long as you remember them. It's easily one of the best Pixar movies of all time, and one that'll make you want to spend more time with your parents and grandparents.

Of course, all of that emotion and profundity is only possible with the talented "Coco" cast who brings these characters to life. If you've always wondered about the faces behind the Pixar characters, now is your chance to see them and learn more their careers.

Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) is the audience's entry point into "Coco." He has a passion for music, but is seemingly cursed to have come from a family that forbids it after Miguel's great-great-grandfather abandoned his family to pursue a music career and never came back. Miguel's journey isn't just about returning to the land of the living, but also trying to convince his family that music is a worthwhile passion to have.

Miguel is only 12 years old in "Coco," so it's understandable that he was voiced by a child at the time. Gonzalez was 13 years old when the film came out, and it was his big break after appearing in short films and small TV roles. He played Simon Barros on a few episodes of "The Last Ship" and voiced Diego in "Far Cry 6."

But perhaps the most impressive part of all is that Gonzalez actually sings in "Coco." Yes, that's him performing "Remember Me" to his grandmother in the finale, which is one of the most heartbreaking moments in Pixar history, as Miguel tries to reach his ailing grandma. Gonzalez's filmography is filling out nicely, and he's still very much in the Pixar way, as he was spotted at the premiere of "Hoppers."

It's no surprise that Pixar has a formula that gets carried across films, and part of that successful equation is that an odd couple-like duo needs to be at the heart of the film. And one of the best Pixar duos ever is Miguel and Héctor (Gael García Bernal). When Miguel enters the Land of the Dead, he teams up with Héctor to locate Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), whom he believes to be his great-great-grandfather. In actuality, Héctor has been his long-lost relative the entire time, so the film is just as much about him getting remembered as it is about Miguel finding a way home.

Being part of Pixar's history was no doubt a major selling point for Bernal to sign up for the film. However, it also presented an opportunity to make something that his children will remember a long time from now. During a press conference during the film's release (via Crafty Chica), Bernal revealed that his daughter got to be in the recording booth with him and even have a small singing cameo. "This is gonna be something that my daughter one day will see when she's, I don't know, 60," he said. "And it will be really, really fun to her to remember and to hear ourselves. It was such a great opportunity."

"Coco" is just one small part of a very lengthy filmography for Bernal. From having the lead role of conductor Rodrigo De Souza on "Mozart in the Jungle" to getting into comic book territory with Marvel's "Werewolf by Night," Bernal is adept at any genre.

Another common component found across Pixar films is the surprise villains. Not all antagonists reveal themselves immediately, and in many instances — from Henry J. Waternoose III in "Monsters, Inc." to Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear in "Toy Story 3" — the primary threat reveals themselves much later. "Coco" also has a surprise villain in Ernesto de la Cruz, whom Miguel idolizes initially until he discovers that Ernesto killed Héctor when they were both still living in order to steal his songs. However, there was a big clue everyone missed in "Coco" that pointed toward the true identity of Miguel's great-great-grandfather early on.

Bringing out Ernesto's sinister side was surely a delight for Benjamin Bratt, who has a history of playing great villains. He brought Steve Navarro to life on "24: Live Another Day," who wound up being the mole selling information to the Chinese. And "Coco" wasn't even his first time playing a villain in an animated project, as he also voiced Eduardo Pérez in "Despicable Me 2."

For Bratt, "Coco" was a chance to bring Mexican culture to a wider audience. He relayed to Den of Geek about his experience visiting Pixar headquarters and seeing all of the early artwork for "Coco." "As much as it was going to be a celebration of the uniqueness of Latino culture and all the vibrancy and beauty that exists within it, it was also going to underscore our global commonalities," Bratt stated. "Universal things that all of us can relate to."

Miguel's family forbidding any music all begins with Mamá Imelda (Alanna Ubach). She's Héctor's wife, who felt betrayed when he left her and Coco to pursue music and never came back. When Miguel enters the Land of the Dead, he meets her, along with some other family members. Even though she gives him her permission to re-enter the land of the living, it's only on the condition that he abandons music. That's why he seeks out Ernesto to receive his blessing instead.

Ubach has the perfect, raspy voice for animated work. She's lent her talents to many different types of cartoons, like "Family Guy," "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and "The Spectacular Spider-Man."

However, it can be somewhat rare to see voiceover artists in live-action roles, but Ubach excels there, too. Her comedic timing doesn't lose a beat when she's on the Peacock sitcom "Ted" as Susan Bennett, the family matriarch who's sweet and selfless to a fault. She also plays Suze on "Euphoria," the mother to Cassie and Lexi.

Miguel's great-grandmother, Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguía), is still alive and the last person who could possibly remember Héctor. However, she's so old that she barely factors into the story. Instead, Miguel's grandmother, Abuelita Elena (Renée Victor), takes on the responsibilities of the main matriarch who enforces the no-music rule within the family.

Elena comes across as an intimidating figure, but it all stems from a deep love for her family and a desire to protect them. Ultimately, she just wants to make sure Miguel grows up to be a good man who gets remembered fondly by her family, as opposed to nearly forgotten like Héctor. With a career going back decades, Abuelita Elena remains one of Victor's most iconic roles and is a great showcase of her talents, especially when her attitude toward music softens by the end.

Sadly, Victor is one cast member who won't return for "Coco 2." The actress passed away in 2025 at the age of 86, but left behind an impressive body of work, including stints on many TV series like "Weeds," "Dead to Me," and "Snowpiercer."

One of the great things about a studio like Pixar making a film all about Mexican culture is that it's an opportunity to expose Mexican actors to a wider audience who may be unfamiliar with the rest of their work. For the titular role of Mamá Coco, Pixar brought in Ana Ofelia Murguía, who starred in dozens of Mexican films and TV shows, like "La reina de la noche" and "Mi querido Tom Mix."

It may seem odd for the film to be named after a minor character, but Coco represents all of the film's themes. She's the last bit of connective tissue between Héctor and Imelda and the more recent generations. She's the only one who can remember Héctor and prevent him from being lost to time entirely. And the only way she can remember him is through song, a testament to the power of music to bring us all together.

When the film came out, there were even questions if Mamá Coco was based on a real-life person. Nothing's ever been formally confirmed, but there's been quite a bit of speculation that Pixar drew inspiration from a woman who lived until the age of 109.

No matter what types of movies and TV shows you like to watch, there's bound to be an Edward James Olmos project you connect with. If you came of age in the 1980s, there's a good chance you were inspired to do better in school thanks to Olmos' performance in "Stand and Deliver." But if you're more into science fiction, then you probably know him best from either "Blade Runner" or "Battlestar Galactica."

It makes sense Pixar would cast someone of Olmos' pedigree for "Coco," but it's for a smaller role than you might think. Olmos lends his voices to the character of Chicharrón, Héctor's friend whom Miguel meets in the Land of the Dead. Unfortunately, Chicharrón is being forgotten, meaning he'll experience the second death where he'll depart the Land of the Dead and move on.

Chicharrón's scene is small but significant. It's a truth that exists for us all, that at some point all of the people who knew us will be gone and our mark on this world will be forever lost. It also shows what's at stake for Héctor. He already lost his family life by leaving them and getting killed in the real world, and now, he may never be reunited with Coco if he's forgotten when she makes it to the Land of the Dead herself.

Miguel meets many deceased family members upon entering the Land of the Dead, including Coco's husband, Julio (Alfonso Arau). Most viewers probably first recognize him for his short stature, but he charmed his way into our hearts thanks to his anxious yet brave personality. He has no problem leading the charge against Ernesto's security, and it'd be great to see some kind of prequel story when he was still alive with Coco.

Like with many members of the "Coco" cast, Arau has an outstanding pedigree in Mexican cinema. He has appeared in many films, but American audiences might know him best from playing El Guapo, the gang member who extorts protection money out of a small village, in "Three Amigos!" In addition to being a great actor, he's also proficient behind the camera.

He was a nominee for Best Film not in the English Language at the 1994 BAFTAs for his work in "Like Water for Chocolate," which he directed. That wasn't the only honor that film received. At the time of its release, "Like Water for Chocolate" was the highest-grossing non-English language film at the U.S. box office.

Papá Enrique (Jaime Camil) doesn't have a huge role in "Coco," but he is instrumental on sending Miguel down his journey of self-discovery. On Día de los Muertos, Enrique informs his son that he'll officially be making shoes instead of shining them and go into the family business. Of course, Miguel is less than pleased since it's still his dream to pursue music, something no one else in his family understands.

Before getting into more mainstream fare, Camil made a name for himself starring in a variety of telenovelas, such as "Mujer de madera" and "Las tontas no van al cielo." While Mexican audiences knew about Camil's talent early on, Americans likely first saw him when he took on the part of Rogelio De La Vega on "Jane the Virgin," the perfect part for Camil as Rogelio is also a very famous telenovela star.

Camil also made history with his performance on the CBS sitcom, "Broke," which made him only the second Latino actor to lead a CBS comedy since Desi Arnaz was on "I Love Lucy." He spoke with Collider about what that historic feeling was like, "CBS said that they really want to be inclusive and that they are really embracing diversity. It's good to know that my network and my CBS family is honoring their word and stepping up to the plate."

The "Coco" cast is filled out with some big hitters, as is par for the course for any Pixar film. Comedian Cheech Marin voices a corrections officer while Pixar mainstay John Ratzenberger, known for voicing Hamm in "Toy Story" and Mack in "Cars," has a small cameo as Juan Ortodoncia. But one voice that shouldn't pass you by is Gabriel Iglesias' as the clerk.

He gets a very humorous scene where he explains how Miguel can go back to the living world, provided he obtains a blessing from a family member. But when Imelda only gives it to him on the condition he avoid music, Miguel instantly breaks the promise and returns to the Land of the Dead.

Iglesias has popped up in a number of comedic projects over the years, but he's probably best known for his stand-up comedy, becoming one of the most successful acts in history. In fact, he became the first stand-up to sell out Dodger Stadium, making him one of the few comedians who can command an audience of over 50,000 in a single sitting. Iglesias would return to the Pixar fold by playing Gary in the Disney+ original series, "Monsters at Work."