This is the fourth and final lesson in a special Black History Month unit about Black voice actors. These lessons feature an extensive list of actors, but it is definitely not exhaustive. Here are a few statistics about this lesson. Lesson Four includes information about 37 Black voice actors, 16 animated feature films, four animated television series, and one Netflix series. With the exception of Pharrell Williams, the Black voice actors in the film Piece by Piece (2025) are only included as a list. The same is also true of two Black voice actors in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), two additional Black voice actors in Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), three additional Black voice actors in Soul (2020), and one additional Black voice actor in Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021). However, adding those 17 individuals increases the total number of Black voice actors who are featured or mentioned in this lesson to 54. Then, there are also Black voice actors who are announcers and professional athletes that have worked on sports-related video games. These individuals are briefly mentioned at the end of the lesson.
The Incredibles (2004) The Incredibles is an American animated superhero film written and directed by Brad Bird and produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s. It follows a superhero couple who hide their powers in accordance with a government mandate that outlawed superheroes, and attempt to live a quiet suburban life with their three children. It was released on November 5, 2004, and earned $632 million against a budget of $82 million. A sequel, Incredibles 2, was released in June 2018, while a third film is in development. Black voice actor Samuel L. Jackson plays the character named Lucius Best who is also known as Frozone in both The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018). He is best friends with the main character and can form ice from humidity.
Samuel L. Jackson as Lucius Best/Frozone
Madagascar (2005) Madagascar is an American animated adventure comedy film directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, and written by Mark Burton, Billy Frolick, Darnell and McGrath. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and PDI/DreamWorks, it is the original film in the Madagascar multimedia franchise. It was included as a part of the featured franchise in the CARE Now End-of-Semester Special Assignment (ESSA) unit before the summer of 2025. It is about a group of anthropomorphic animals from the Central Park Zoo who find themselves stranded on the island of Madagascar and must adjust to living in the wild. Released on May 27, 2005, it grossed $558 million on a production budget of $75 million. The franchise includes two sequels, a spin-off film, several short films, television series and specials and a number of video games, theme park attractions and live stage shows. Black voice actors in this film include Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Cedric The Entertainer.
Chris Rock as Marty a Zebra
Jada Pinkett-Smith as Gloria a Hippopotamus
Cedric The Entertainer as Maurice an Aye-Aye Lemur
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is the second film in the Madagascar multimedia franchise. Like the first film, it is also an American animated adventure comedy film. It centers on the adventures of the main characters who find themselves in the African savannas, where they meet others of their species. Released on November 7, 2008, it grossed $604 million on a $150 million budget. Black voice actor will.i.am plays the character Moto Moto a Hippopotamus. Other Black voice actors in the film include Bernie Mac and Sherri Shepherd.
will.i.am as Moto Moto
The Boondocks The Boondocks is an American adult animated sitcom created by Aaron McGruder for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block Adult Swim. It is based on McGruder’s manga-influenced comic strip of the same name. With a focus on a Black American family and their experiences in a predominantly White suburb, the highly controversial yet popular series aired form November 6, 2005 to June 23, 2014.
Regina King as Huey and Riley Freeman
John Witherspoon as Robert "Granddad" Freeman
Cedric Yarbrough as Tom Dubois
Gabby Soleil as Jazmine Dubois
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) Ice Age: The Meltdown is an American animated adventure comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios. The second film in the Ice Age film series, it was directed by Carlos Saldanha. Released March 31, 2006, it grossed $667 million at the box office against a budget of $80 million. The Ice Age media franchise includes three additional sequels - Dawn of the Dinosaurs in 2009, Continental Drift in 2012, and Collision Course in 2016, plus a spin-off, Adventures of Buck Wild in 2022. A sixth installment, Boiling Point, is set for release in 2027. Black voice actor Queen Latifah plays the character Ellie a woolly mammoth in the film.
Queen Latifah as Ellie a woolly mammoth
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) Ice Age: Continental Drift is an American animated adventure comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios. The fourth in the Ice Age film series, it was directed by Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier and written by Michael Berg and Jason Fuchs. Released on July 13, 2012, it grossed $877 million worldwide against a budget of $95 million. Black voice actor Keke Palmer plays Peaches a woolly mammoth in the film. Wanda Sykes and Nicki Minaj are also Black voice actors on the cast of this film.
Keke Palmer as Peaches a woolly mammoth
Meet the Robinsons (2007) Meet the Robinsons is an American animated science fiction comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, based on the 1990 children's book A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce. The film was directed by Stephen Anderson, and written by Anderson, Don Hall, Nathan Greno, Joe Mateo, Jon Bernstein, Michelle Spitz, and Aurian Redson. It follows an orphaned 12-year-old inventor who is desperate to be adopted. He meets a young time-traveler who takes him to the future to visit his family. Together, they must prevent a mysterious man from changing his future. It was released on March 30, 2007, and grossed $170.5 million at the box office against a budget of $150 million. Angela Bassett is a Black voice actor in the film. She plays the character Mildred Duffy.
Angela Bassett as Mildred Duffy
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is an American animated science fiction comedy film written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, loosely based on the 1978 children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett. It was produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation. It centers around an aspiring inventor who develops a machine that can convert water into food. The problem arises when the machine becomes rogue causing food storms and must be stopped to save the world. It was released on September 18, 2009, and grossed $243 million against a budget of $100 million. A sequel, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, was released in 2013, and an animated television series premiered in 2017.
Mr. T as Earl Devereaux a Police Officer
The Cleveland Show The Cleveland Show is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Richard Appel, and Mike Henry for the Fox Broadcasting Company. A spin-off of Family Guy, and the second television series in the franchise, the series centers on Cleveland Brown, his new wife Donna Tubbs-Brown, and their children Cleveland Brown Jr., Roberta Tubbs, and Rallo Tubbs. The animation was produced by Fox Television Animation. The series premiered on September 27, 2009, and ended on May 19, 2013.
Kevin Michael Richardson as Cleveland Brown, Jr.
Sanaa Lathan as Donna Tubbs-Brown
Nia Long as Roberta Tubbs
The Princess and the Frog (2009) The Princess and the Frog is an American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Inspired in part by the 2002 novel The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker, the story is a modern adaptation of the German folk tale "The Frog Prince" as collected by the Brothers Grimm. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, and written by Clements, Musker and Rob Edwards. Set in New Orleans during the 1920s, it tells the story of a hardworking waitress who dreams of opening her own restaurant. After kissing a prince who has been turned into a frog by the evil voodoo witch doctor, she becomes a frog as well and the two must find a way to turn human again before it is too late. Released on November 25, 2009, it grossed $271 million against a budget of $105 million.
Anika Noni Rose as Tiana
Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie
Keith David as Dr. Facilier
Terence Howard as James Rogers, Tiana’s father
Oprah Winfrey as Eudora, Tiana’s mother
Avatar (2009) Avatar is an epic science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron. Set in the future when humans begin colonizing a moon named Pandora to mine its precious minerals, they are resisted by a local humanoid species that is indigenous to the moon. The film was released on December 18, 2009, by 20th Century Fox. It grossed approximately $4 billion on a budget of about $445 million.
The Avatar film series, particularly the first two films, is known for its photorealistic animation. This type of animation was also used in the production of the remake of The Lion King (2019) and its prequel/sequel Mufasa: The Lion King (2024). The films utilize a blend of live-action and computer-generated imagery, with a significant portion of the CG character animation being filmed using motion-capture techniques. This innovative approach set a new standard for visual effects in cinema.
Zoe Saldana as Neytiri
Transformers: Rescue Bots Transformers: Rescue Bots is an animated television series that aired on The Hub Network/Discovery Family. It mainly focuses on educating children regarding hazards and safety. It aired from December 17, 2011 to October 22, 2016. Black voice actor LeVar Burton played the role of Doc Greene in the series.
LeVar Burton as Doc Greene
Doc McStuffins Doc McStuffins is an animated children's television series created by Chris Nee and produced by Brown Bag Films. It aired on Disney Junior from March 23, 2012, to April 18, 2020. The series is about an African American girl who dreams of becoming a doctor and fixes toys, with help from her four toy friends.
Kiara Muhammad and Laya DeLeon Hayes as Dottie “Doc” McStuffins
Loretta Devine as Hallie a stuffed Hippopotamus
The Secret Life of Pets (2016) The Secret Life of Pets is an American animated comedy film directed by Chris Renaud and written by Brian Lynch, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Produced by Illumination Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. Set in New York City, it is about the relationship between a spoiled terrier and a giant, unruly dog, and about what they and other pets do when their owners are gone for the day. It was released on July 8, 2016, and grossed $885.3 million worldwide against a budget of $75 million. A sequel, The Secret Life of Pets 2, was released on June 7, 2019.
Kevin Hart as Snowball a white rabbit
The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019) The Secret Life of Pets 2 is an American animated comedy film directed by Chris Renaud and written by Brian Lynch. Produced by Illumination, it is the second feature film in the Secret Life of Pets franchise. It was released on June 7, 2019, and grossed $431 million against a budget of $80 million. A further sequel is in development.
Tiffany Haddish as Daisy a Shih Tzu
Spider Man: Into the Spider Verse (2018) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an American animated superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman from a screenplay by Phil Lord and Rothman, it is the first animated film in the Spider-Man franchise. The film's story follows Miles as he becomes the new Spider-Man and teams up with other Spider-People from various parallel universes to save his universe from the Kingpin. It was released on December 14, 2018, and grossed $394 million worldwide against a $90 million budget. A sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, was released in June 2023. A third film, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, is scheduled for release on June 18, 2027.
Shameik Moore as Miles Morales/Spider Man
Brian Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis, Miles' father
Mahershala Ali as Aaron Davis/The Prowler, Miles' uncle
Zoë Kravitz as Mary Jane "MJ" Parker
The Cuphead Show! (2022) The Cuphead Show! is an animated slapstick comedy television series developed by Dave Wasson for Netflix based on the 2017 video game Cuphead by Studio MDHR. The show was released on February 18, 2022, as a Netflix Original Series. Black voice actor Wayne Brady voiced the role of King Dice in the series.
Wayne Brady as King Dice
Soul (2020) Soul is an American animated fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Pete Docter, who co-wrote it with Mike Jones and Kemp Powers, the film is about a middle school teacher who is also an aspiring pianist who falls into a coma following an accident. He then seeks to reunite his separated soul and body in time for his big break as a jazz musician. It was the first Pixar film to feature an African American in a leading role. The release of the film was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was released direct-to-streaming on Disney+ on December 25, 2020. It was released in theaters on January 12, 2024, and grossed over $122 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of approximately $150 million. Black voice actor Jamie Foxx plays the role of Joe in the film. Other Black voice actors in the film include Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Questlove, and Angela Bassett.
Jamie Foxx as Joe Gardner
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) Space Jam: A New Legacy is an American live-action/animated sports comedy film, directed by Malcolm D. Lee. A sequel to Space Jam (1996), the film is about how James, who stars as himself, enlists help from the Looney Tunes characters to win a basketball game in a Warner Bros.–themed virtual world against its rogue artificial intelligence ruler after his youngest son is abducted by the AI. It was released on July 16, 2021, and through HBO Max for one month. It grossed $164 million against a budget of $150 million. LeBron James and Don Cheadle as AI-G Rhythm are the Black voice actors in this film.
LeBron James as himself
Inside Out 2 (2024) Inside Out 2 is an American animated coming-of-age film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The sequel to Inside Out (2015), it was directed by Kelsey Mann and written by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein. The film is about how Riley's emotions unexpectedly joined by new emotions, are eager to take control of her mind. It was released on June 14, 2024, and grossed $1.699 billion worldwide against a budget of $200 million. Black voice actor Ayo Edebiri plays the role of Envy, a new emotion living in Riley’s head as she becomes a teenager.
Ayo Edebiri as Envy
Piece by Piece (2024) Piece by Piece is an American animated biographical documentary comedy film co-produced, co-written and directed by Morgan Neville. It is about the life and career of American musician Pharrell Williams, who stars in the film, through the lens of Lego animation, or brickfilm. It was produced by The Lego Group, Neville's Tremolo Productions, and Williams' I Am Other. It was released on October 11, 2024, and grossed $10.7 million against a $16 million budget. Williams is a Black voice actor in the film as himself. Other Black voice actors in the film include Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Pusha T, Missy Elliott, Teddy Riley, and Tyler, the Creator.
Pharrell Williams as himself
More Black History
There are many more Black voice actors in other forms of media that can be featured in additional lessons. However, time does not permit me to include those for this special Black History Month unit. There are professional athletes who work as voice actors and narrators in video games. An example is the NBA 2K series of video games. Mattel’s NBA Basketball released in the 1990s first featured professional players and announcers as voice actors in the games.
According to Internet Movie Database, the following professional athletes have contributed their own voices for characters in the NBA 2K23 video game: Devin Booker, J. Cole, Kevin Garnett, Josh Giddey, Jalen Green, Tyler Herro, Chris Manning, Tracy McGrady, Kendrick Perkins, J.J. Redick, and Zion Williamson. Black voice actors for NBA 2K26 include Carmelo Anthony, Karl Anthony Towns, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the reigning NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
The latest versions of the Madden NFL, EA Sports NHL, MLB The Show, EA Sports FC, and PGA Tour video games also feature Black voice actors and narrators.
There are also Black voices as singers and musicians in animated feature films such as the pop version of the song titled "A Whole New World” from Aladdin (1992), which was performed by Brad Kane and Lea Salonga in the film. The pop version of the song was also recorded by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle. The Inspirational and motivational song titled “We Win” was performed by Lil Baby and Kirk Franklin for the film Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021). Pharrell Williams wrote the song titled “Piece by Piece” for the film with the same name, which was released in 2024. Finally, Williams popular song “Happy” was featured in the animated film Despicable Me 2 (2013).
Have fun learning!
(Sources – Essence Magazine, Fandom, GQ Magazine, Inspired Pencil, Internet Movie Database, NBA 2K, Oprah (online), Pinterest, Upcoming Season, Walmart, Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, Yahoo!, YouTube)