From winning Best Animated Feature at the Oscars to being ingrained in the hearts of viewers around the world, it’s undeniable that Disney’s Encanto has begun changing how animated films are regarded. Even today, fans across social media platforms still revel in the abundance of thought and care that went into the film.
However, like any project featuring a broad array of talent, some voice actors simply excelled more than others. While each voice actor featured in Encanto added their own personal flair, some fell flat in comparison to other voice actors whose talents made the film a hit phenomenon.
10 Nailed It: Stephanie Beatriz’s Ambitious And Lively Mirabel
Known for her bubbly personality and range as an actor, Stephanie Beatriz is perfect for the role of Mirabel, the lovable yet flawed protagonist of Encanto. While many viewers may know Beatriz for her compelling portrayal of Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, she has much more in her wheelhouse — as her portrayal of the young, ambitious Mirabel proves.
Beatriz’s unmatched dedication and work ethic were further cemented when the actor recently shared in an interview with Billboard that she recorded the highly emotional song “Waiting on a Miracle” while in labor. This, alongside her ability to imbue the emotional highs and lows Mirabel endures in the slight lilts of her voice, marked her performance as one of the standouts.
9 Fell Short: Maluma’s Suave Mariano
One character who may have been received better if their voice actor had a better grasp on them is Mariano Guzmán, voiced by Maluma. Although Maluma’s talents as a lauded Columbian singer allow him to play the suave Mariano to a T, his characterization seems to stop there, making Mariano a relatively one-dimensional character.
As a result, many viewers didn’t give Mariano a second thought after the disastrous dinner between the Madrigals and the Guzmáns. While Mariano’s potential was fairly limited in the first place — due to his role as a supporting character who remained within the periphery of the overall plot — more peaks and valleys in Maluma’s portrayal of Mariano could’ve made the film even better.
8 Nailed It: Adassa’s Captivating Dolores
While it can be difficult to portray soft-spoken characters in a way that’s compelling and varies from predictable archetypes of shyness, reggaeton singer Adassa does it with ease. Adassa portrays Dolores, Mirabel’s cousin of who has the gift of enhanced hearing.
A high point in Adassa’s portrayal of Dolores that’s still celebrated by fans is her riveting, rapid rap verse in “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” Dolores’ verse is inarguably one of the catchiest snippets of the hit song and has become a viral sound on TikTok. All this serves as a testament to Adassa’s skilled portrayal and realization of the reserved yet effervescent Dolores.
7 Fell Short: Diane Guerrero’s Overly Impeccable Isabela
Diane Guerrero was the voice actor for Isabela, Mirabel’s older sister who could conjure beautiful flowers out of thin air. Much like Maluma’s portrayal of Mariano, Isabela’s character was relatively one-note throughout the film since she — ironically enough — fit too perfectly into the perfect, attractive character archetype.
Although the Jane the Virgin star gradually gives her character more range as Isabela reveals she’s only acting as the perfect daughter for her family’s sake, this comes a little too late. However, this isn’t entirely Guerrero’s fault since she’s only playing the “too flawless” character Encanto‘s writers created.
6 Nailed It: Jessica Darrow’s Strong Luisa With A Heart Of Gold
One character who quickly became a fan favorite for both her literal strength and her insurmountable resolve was Luisa, Mirabel’s older sister who’s gifted with super strength. In bringing her character to life, Jessica Darrow faced the initial challenge of breaking her character out of the played-out archetype of the tough, muscle-clad heroine who’ll do whatever it takes to protect the people she loves.
However, the Cuban-American actress and singer effortlessly made Luisa relatable to viewers. Jessica Darrow presented a character who faced constant pressure to be perfect and possess an impregnable strength — which more than came across in her solo song “Surface Pressure.”
5 Fell Short: Wilmer Valderrama’s Level-Headed Agustín
Although Wilmer Valderrama’s character certainly has his moments, there’s only so much the That ’70s Show star can do to liven up Agustín, the father of Mirabel, Luisa, and Isabela. As a supporting character, Agustín’s potential is fairly stunted to begin with, leaving the television personality to only emerge alongside Beatriz’s phenomenal voice acting as an anchor in their scenes together.
Besides fleeting moments when Agustín supports Mirabel, many viewers don’t remember much about his character as he does very little to influence the larger plot. Even dynamic moments when he provides much-needed comic relief aren’t memorable enough to leave a lasting impression.
4 Nailed It: John Leguizamo’s Composed And Endearing Bruno
In the first half of Encanto, Bruno’s character is hyped up by the Madrigal family as this sinister, evil man whose fortune-telling wreaks havoc on those whose prophecies he reads. However, it’s clear from the first few seconds of John Leguizamo’s impeccable voice acting that Bruno is merely a soft-spoken, misunderstood man who becomes a social pariah to protect Mirabel from meeting his same fate.
While many fans were initially taken aback by this mellow portrayal of Bruno, the fact the Moulin Rouge! star gracefully imbues his character with an undeniable likability despite the defamation of his character in “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” speaks to his talents as an actor.
3 Fell Short: Carolina Gaitán’s Noteworthy Yet Erratic Pepa
Although Mirabel’s aunt Pepa is compelling and memorable as a character since her tumultuous emotions have the ability to affect the weather, it can be hard to fully encapsulate her peaks and valleys within the confines of a feature-length film. This being said, Carolina Gaitán portrays Pepa to the best of her ability and takes relatively small moments for her character and uses them to steal the scene. As a lauded Columbian actress and singer, Gaitán is able to make her potentially polarizing character a kind-hearted, maternal figure.
2 Nailed It: Rhenzy Feliz’s Charming And Mysterious Camilo
Another character who flourished due to their impeccable voice actor was Camilo, a cousin of Mirabel’s who was gifted with shape-shifting abilities. One particularly memorable moment of Rhenzy Feliz’s voice acting occurred in the hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” As he mysteriously described Bruno, Camilo hauntingly portrayed his estranged uncle.
Much like Dolores’ quick rap in the same song, many fans developed a greater appreciation for Camilo as a character. Additionally, the Teen Wolf guest star’s ability to harness this captivating energy and make his short verse highly impactful and memorable stood out to viewers.
1 Fell Short: Ravi Cabot-Conyers’ Lovable Antonio
Even though Antonio is very important as a character, much of his depth as a character quickly dissipates after his initial anxieties about his gift ceremony are squashed early in the film and he receives his gift without a hitch. Because of this, Antonio is relatively flat as a character for the rest of Encanto and is remembered more for his adorable appearance than for anything he says. This being said, the #blackAF star plays his small character to the best of his ability, ensuring Antonio is one of the more memorable supporting characters.