8 Directors Who Voiced Characters in Animated Films

Directors usually stay behind the camera, so it’s a small surprise when one turns up on the soundtrack. Some step into a booth because the part needs a certain texture. Others do it because they’re the person who best understands the character.

The examples below are drawn from well documented film history. Each one shows a different reason a filmmaker might lend a voice to an animated world.

Brad Bird as Edna Mode in The Incredibles

Brad Bird wrote and directed The Incredibles in 2004, and he also voiced Edna Mode, the sharp tongued costume designer. Reportedly, he first recorded the part as a temporary track, and it worked so well that it stayed in the film.

Edna returned in Incredibles 2 in 2018, again voiced by Bird. She has remained one of the most quoted supporting characters in Pixar’s catalog.

Pete Docter as Dug’s Pack Voices in Up

Pete Docter directed Up in 2009 and is credited with voicing Alpha’s dog collar voice, the comic effect that makes the dog Alpha sound squeaky when his collar malfunctions. Docter has frequently contributed small vocal parts to Pixar productions.

He later directed Inside Out and Soul, and he became Pixar’s chief creative officer in 2018. His voice work is minor, but it fits a pattern of directors contributing in-house.

Andrew Stanton as Crush in Finding Nemo

Andrew Stanton co-wrote and directed Finding Nemo in 2003, and he voiced Crush, the laid back sea turtle. Crush’s surfer drawl became a memorable highlight of the film.

Stanton reprised the role in Finding Dory in 2016, which he also directed. The character shows how a director’s casual studio performance can become a lasting part of a franchise.

Lee Unkrich as Various Voices in Pixar Films

Lee Unkrich directed Toy Story 3 in 2010 and Coco in 2017. He has been credited with small voice roles in several Pixar films during his career, including Toy Story 2.

His directing work earned Academy Award recognition, as Toy Story 3 won best animated feature and Coco did as well. His vocal appearances are brief, but they reflect a close, collaborative studio culture.

Nick Park as Voices in Wallace and Gromit Productions

Nick Park created Wallace and Gromit at Aardman and has contributed occasional voices across Aardman projects. Peter Sallis voiced Wallace for most of the franchise, and Ben Whitehead took over the role later.

Park’s hands on involvement shows the Aardman approach, where the creator stays close to every part of the character. Vengeance Most Fowl, a Wallace and Gromit feature, arrived on the BBC and Netflix in 2025.

Genndy Tartakovsky as Voices in His Animated Work

Genndy Tartakovsky directed the Hotel Transylvania films, and he has also provided voices in his own series. He created Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack for Cartoon Network, and he has done vocal work on his projects.

He also directed the 2024 series Unicorn: Warriors Eternal, a new project showing his continuing work in the form. His career is a strong example of a creator who stays involved in many layers of production.

Guillermo del Toro as Voices in His Animated Projects

Guillermo del Toro directed Pinocchio in 2022, and the film won the Academy Award for best animated feature. He worked with Mark Gustafson as co-director on that stop motion film.

Del Toro has long been involved in animated productions as a creator and producer, including the Netflix series Tales of Arcadia. His creative involvement across animation has been extensive, even when his presence on the voice track is limited.

Hayao Miyazaki and His Studio Voice Choices

Hayao Miyazaki directed The Boy and the Heron, released in 2023, and it won the Academy Award for best animated feature in 2024. He has rarely voiced characters himself, and Studio Ghibli typically casts professional actors and sometimes filmmakers.

Miyazaki did, however, direct a well documented casting choice in earlier work, as the director Hideaki Anno voiced the lead in The Wind Rises in 2013. That film showed how Ghibli sometimes picks directors for lead roles.