Why The Cast Of Little Demon Sounds So Familiar
The FX adult animated series "Little Demon" takes the Antichrist story and turns it upside down and inside out in a splatter of blood and gore. The first two episodes of the horror comedy aired on the FXX and Hulu networks on August 25, and so far the response from critics has been mostly favorable. Encouraging reviews from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter agree that while the show has just gotten started, it has the potential to go far.
Chrissy Feinberg is your typical 13-year-old -– she's shy, awkward, and just wants to fit in. The show sets the tone when she gets her first menstrual cycle and causes two school bullies' bodies to explode, covering the bathroom in their blood and entrails. When a black hole suddenly appears and wreaks havoc in the town, Chrissy learns that her dad is Satan, and her mom is a practicing witch with expertise in the supernatural. Feeling betrayed, Chrissy accuses her mom, Laura, of dishonesty when she says, "But you said my dad was dead!" To which Laura replies, on a technicality, "I said not alive."
At its heart, the series is the story of an atypical family working together as Chrissy comes into her new powers. If the voices of the cast members sound familiar to you, you're not alone, and there are plenty of good reasons for that. Here are the stars of FX's "Little Demon" and where you likely know them from.
Aubrey Plaza as Laura
The opening scene of the pilot for "Little Demon" shows a panicked and very pregnant Laura running through a dark forest before collapsing with labor pains. One minute she is chanting a spell while brandishing a magical weapon glowing with runes, ready to destroy the creature inside her. The next minute, she is holding a perfectly normal baby girl.
Thirteen years later, we see Laura as a single mom driving her daughter Chrissy to her first day at a new school. Being a single mom is hard work, but it's even harder when the father of your child is the devil and you've been on the run from him for over a decade. Once Chrissy's true nature as the Antichrist is revealed, Laura gets down to business. With rippling muscles and occult tattoos covering her body, Laura executes her knowledge of the supernatural to track down her daughter and pull her out of Satan's clutches.
The voice of Laura in "Little Demon" is Aubrey Plaza, best known for her role in NBC's "Parks and Recreation" as the endearingly sarcastic April Ludgate. This isn't her first voice-acting gig, though. She has also been in other animated projects, like "Monsters University," "The Legend of Korra," "Golan the Insatiable," and a guest appearance in an episode of "Spongebob Squarepants." Plaza's distinctive dry monotone takes a backseat in "Little Demon" as she goes into full-on Sarah Connor mode, and we are here for it.
Danny DeVito as Satan
After Chrissy hits puberty and gains her demonic powers, she is escorted by an entourage of creepy hellish minions to meet her estranged father for the first time. When she is introduced to the Prince of Darkness himself, he first appears to her as a tough biker guy before readjusting his look to a friendly TV dad. Satan couldn't be happier that his daughter has finally reached maturity and is eager to teach her everything she needs to know about being the Antichrist. Though his love of torture and terrible deeds define his devilish demeanor, Satan does come to genuinely care for Chrissy and wants what's best for her.
Don't be surprised if Satan sounds familiar the moment he starts to speak. It's because he's voiced by none other than the great Danny DeVito. DeVito's comedy talents have appealed to fans across generations, thanks to his iconic film roles such as "Romancing the Stone," "Twins," "Batman Returns," and "Matilda," as well as playing the incomparable Frank Reynolds in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," for well over a decade.
DeVito is also no stranger to voice acting. In 1997, he played the numerically challenged satyr Philoctetes (or Phil, for short) in Disney's "Hercules." He also provided the voices for Rocks the dog in "Look Who's Talking Now," Swackhammer in "Space Jam," and Homer Simpsons' more successful brother, Herb Powell, in "The Simpsons."
Lucy DeVito as Chrissy
Getting your first period is a nightmare for anyone. For Chrissy Feinberg, the nightmare is literal. All of her life, she and her mom have been moving from place to place, but Chrissy never knew the real reason why –- until now. After unintentionally causing an apocalyptic event that nearly destroys the world, Chrissy learns the truth about her parentage and her role as the child of the devil.
Chrissy adjusts surprisingly well to the news and soon finds out that there are advantages to being the Antichrist. She's now the life of the party, and she's got the whole possession thing down pat — or so she thinks. Between learning how to safely use her powers and forming a relationship with her estranged demon dad, Chrissy's teenage years just got a lot more interesting.
Chrissy is voiced by Lucy DeVito –- who is, appropriately, the daughter of Danny DeVito. Lucy has already worked with her father before, playing guest parts on episodes of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia." She and Danny also appeared together in the 2016 film "The Comedian." Along with roles in independent films, Lucy had a recurring role in the ABC Family sitcom "Melissa & Joey." She also appeared in streaming shows such as Amazon's "Alpha House" as well as Hulu's "Deadbeat," and in 2020 she worked on the Audible podcast comedy "Vroom Vroom," which starred co-creators Andy Richter and Yvette Nicole Brown.
Eugene Cordero as Bennigan
Being weird isn't so bad when you have a weird friend. For Chrissy, that friend is Bennigan, a friendly and slightly awkward young man who attends the same junior high school. From the moment the two teens bonded over their love of arthropods (specifically, the house centipede), they became fast companions. Bennigan is also unfazed by Chrissy's demonic powers and has had her back while she tests the limits of her abilities.
Unfortunately for Bennigan, being the best friend of the Antichrist does have its pitfalls. In Episode 2 of "Little Demon," "Possession Obsession," Chrissy takes things a little too far while possessing the bodies of her classmates and teachers. When her parents and Bennigan come to her rescue, Bennigan ends up the victim of a soul-swapping fiasco along with Satan, Laura, and their nosy neighbor.
Comedian Eugene Cordero plays Bennigan in "Little Demon." As he recalled with Entertainment Weekly, Cordero got his start in improv sketch comedy as a member of the Upright Citizen's Brigade. He also appeared in web series for "Funny or Die" and "College Humor." During the late 2010s, Cordero was extremely active in both live-action and animated series. He played Pillboi, the best friend of Jason Mendoza (Manny Jacinto) in "The Good Place." In addition, "Loki" fans may remember him as Casey the Time Variance Authority clerk, who encounters the titular character while he's trying to escape. As for his voice-acting credits, Cordero has appeared in a variety of animated shows, including "Steven Universe," "Bob's Burgers," and "Star Trek: Lower Decks."
Lennon Parham as Darlene
The Feinbergs' neighbor, Darlene, is a nosy wine-drinker who loves a good conversation -– especially if it's juicy gossip. She seems strangely entertained by the supernatural occurrences that center around the Feinbergs and is a willing assistant in their bizarre misadventures. For example, in "Possession Obsession," Darlene's body is taken over by the demon Asmodeus (Sam Richardson), as her soul jumps into Bennigan's body after Bennigan's soul goes into Chrissy's empty body. Instead of being horrified, Darlene is just happy to be able to do squats again without hurting her knees.
Darlene is voiced by Lennon Parham. Parham has had a lucrative career in comedy as an actor, writer, and producer. Fans of the political satire "Veep" might remember her as the frustratingly indecisive Karen Collins, who joined the cast in Season 4. In 2014, Parham co-created and co-starred with Jessica St. Clair in "Playing House," a USA comedy about two best friends who raise a child together. Parham has also had voice acting roles in several animated series, such as "Adventure Time," "Little Big Awesome," "American Dad!", "Bob's Burgers," and "M.O.D.O.K." She also appeared in the historical drama "Minx" on HBO Max.
Michael Shannon as Unshaven Man
As if adjusting to her new life as the Antichrist wasn't bad enough, Chrissy also has an obsessed killer to deal with in Episode 1 of 'Little Demon." Known only as the Unshaven Man, this scraggly character is a mercenary who destroys demons for a high-ranking religious leader. He also loves his job a little too much, if you know what we mean.
In the pilot episode's third act, Chrissy attends a teenage party where she is trying to forget her troubles and make some new friends. Unfortunately, her troubles catch up with her when the Unshaven Man and his goons find her and crash the festivities. Chrissy is saved by her parents just in time (Satan is in the body of a dead chicken, but that's another story) before the Unshaven Man can cut out her heart with a ritual dagger. He does manage to escape as he promises his revenge on the eccentric family unit, so it may not be surprising if he makes another appearance in a future episode.
The reason why Unshaven Man sounds familiar? That's Michael Shannon, who is perhaps known best for his role as Zod in the DCEU's "Man of Steel" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." The intensity that Shannon brings to his roles makes him a perfect fit for the Unshaven Man, although he also brings plenty of humor into his performance, too. Fans may also remember the actor in "Boardwalk Empire" as the puritanical prohibition agent, Nelson Van Alden. Shannon has also appeared in notable films such as "The Shape of Water," "The Current War," and "Knives Out." You can also catch him in the Brad Pitt action-fest, "Bullet Train."
Seth Kirschner as Erwin
Viewers get to see plenty of eccentric side characters in "Little Demon," many of which are members of Satan's hellish host. There's a bird-like female demon, a humanoid with a Cthulu head, and the bartender, Snake with Arms (voiced by Charlie McWade), along with many other grotesque aberrations. However, there's one strange little monstrosity, in particular, that has piqued fan interest -– Erwin, a tiny demon who lives with Laura and occasionally offers a sympathetic ear.
When he first appears in the pilot of "Little Demon," Erwin is just a pair of ominous red eyes glowing in the shadows. Once he emerges, we see a small, spindly imp with a missing ear and grayish-brown skin. Laura vents her frustrations to her scrawny companion, and he suggests they watch "Con Air" together to relax. It's unclear whether Erwin is Laura's prisoner or a wise-cracking sidekick, but hopefully the show will go into that odd dynamic at some point.
Erwin is voiced by "Little Demon" co-creator Seth Kirschner. Kirschner has acted in, produced, and written a number of projects over the years. He appeared in several episodes of "Lipstick Jungle" during the show's first season, and he had a recurring role on "30 Rock" as Shawn, the director forced to work with the incompetent Tracy Jordon (Tracy Morgan) on "Garfield 3: Feline Groovy." Kirschner also voices a few background characters in "Little Demon," including Craig, Mustache Bully, and Beast Guard (per IMDb).
Phil LaMarr as Principal Dawkins
Chrissy's new school, Middletown Junior High, feels like any other school. You've got your vapers, your jocks, your bullies, and your influencers. Oh, and their school slogan is "We're not racist anymore!" Which is, you know — good.
The school's principal is Principal Dawkins, who is controlled by Chrissy in "Possession Obsession" during the morning announcements. While we haven't learned much about him yet, we did glean from Chrissy's possession that he has digestive issues and the hots for someone named Pablo. He can also be spotted in the angry mob attempting to burn Laura alive at the episode's climax.
Fans of animation across many genres will likely recognize the voice of veteran actor Phil LaMarr. LaMarr's filmography is vast, going back to his very first gig in the 1980s animated series, "Mister T." He's been in the game now for over 40 years, starting out in TV shows like "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Living Single," and "Mad About You." He was also a regular cast member in the Fox comedy sketch show "MADtv" for the first six seasons.
LaMarr has performed a range of characters in both family and adult animated shows. He's lent his vocal talents to Nickelodeon shows like "Invader Zim," "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Hey Arnold!," and "The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius," as well as Cartoon Network classics like "Samurai Jack," "Johnny Bravo," and "The Powerpuff Girls." He's also voiced characters in adult-oriented animated shows including "Futurama," "King of the Hill," "Family Guy," and "BoJack Horseman." Frankly, if you throw a dart at a list of all the animated shows made within the last 20 years, there's a good chance that Phil LaMarr was in whatever you hit.