48 Fun Facts About Minions & Despicable Me

Which actor provides the voice of Gru in every Despicable Me film?

The accent was Carell's own experiment; one producer described it as halfway between Ricardo Montalbán and Bela Lugosi.

In the first film, what does Gru plan to steal to prove he is the greatest criminal mastermind?

Gru plans to steal the Moon, shrinking it with a stolen shrink ray; the effect proves temporary and the Moon grows back and returns to orbit.

Which famous landmark does Gru's young rival Vector steal at the start of the first film?

Vector steals the Great Pyramid of Giza, leaving an inflatable replica in its place; the theft wounds Gru's pride and sets the moon heist in motion.

Where does Gru go to ask for a loan to fund his heist?

Gru seeks his loan at the Bank of Evil, whose sign reads 'formerly Lehman Brothers'; its president, Mr. Perkins, turns out to be Vector's father.

Gru adopts the three girls by pretending to be what?

Gru adopts Margo, Edith and Agnes by posing as a dentist, 'Dr. Gru,' so the girls can sell cookies at Vector's fortress and get him inside.

Which of Gru's adopted daughters is the youngest and has a strong love for unicorns?

Agnes is the youngest of Gru's three girls and adores unicorns ('It's so fluffy!'); Elsie Fisher voiced her in the first two films.

What is the name of Gru's small, sharp-toothed pet dog?

The pet even got his own short film, The Secret Life of Kyle, on the Despicable Me 3 home release.

Which legendary actress voices Gru's mother, Marlena?

Julie Andrews, the star of Mary Poppins, voices Gru's mother Marlena, who spends most of her screen time belittling her son's schemes.

Before she voiced Gru's wife in the sequels, Kristen Wiig played which character in the first film?

Kristen Wiig voiced Miss Hattie, the orphanage owner, in the first film before returning as Lucy Wilde from Despicable Me 2 onward.

Who provides the voices of the Minions themselves?

Pierre Coffin, co-director of the films, voices the Minions; his scratch dialogue was meant as a placeholder, but the crew liked it so much he kept the job.

The Minions' look was partly inspired by which characters from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory?

The Oompa-Loompas of the 1971 Willy Wonka film and the Jawas from Star Wars were the two inspirations the directors cited for the Minions' look.

Who co-directed the first Despicable Me alongside Pierre Coffin?

Chris Renaud co-directed the 2010 original with Pierre Coffin; the pair returned for Despicable Me 2, and Renaud later directed Despicable Me 4.

The first Despicable Me was animated by the studio Mac Guff, which is based in which city?

Mac Guff is based in Paris; Illumination bought its animation arm in 2011 and renamed it Illumination Mac Guff, which has animated every film in the franchise.

In what year was the first Despicable Me film released in cinemas?

Despicable Me opened in July 2010, the same weekend as the sci-fi film Predators, and easily beat it at the box office.

Which musician wrote and performed the original songs for the first Despicable Me?

Pharrell Williams wrote and performed the original songs, including the title track 'Despicable Me', while Heitor Pereira composed the score.

Which Despicable Me 2 song had a 24-hour music video and a Best Original Song Oscar nomination?

'Happy' by Pharrell Williams got a 24-hour video and a Best Original Song nomination, and was the best-selling single of 2014 in both the US and UK.

In Despicable Me 2, what does the AVL stand for?

AVL stands for Anti-Villain League; its director Silas Ramsbottom has agent Lucy Wilde abduct Gru from his own street to recruit him.

Having retired from villainy in Despicable Me 2, what kind of business is Gru running?

The product is so bad that Dr. Nefario quits to go work for a real villain.

The stolen mutagen in Despicable Me 2 turns Minions into mindless monsters of which colour?

The PX-41 serum turns Minions into furry purple monsters; Dr. Nefario mixes an antidote into Gru's jelly to turn them back.

El Macho was presumed dead after doing what 20 years earlier?

El Macho supposedly died riding a shark into an active volcano with 250 pounds of dynamite strapped to his chest; he turns out to be Eduardo, owner of the mall's Salsa & Salsa restaurant.

Which star recorded all of El Macho's lines but left Despicable Me 2 shortly before release?

Al Pacino quit over creative differences in May 2013, about six weeks before release; Benjamin Bratt re-recorded El Macho's lines with only weeks to spare.

How many dates do Gru and Lucy go on before they get married at the end of Despicable Me 2?

A title card reads '147 dates later' before the wedding; marrying Lucy gives the girls a mother, which was Agnes's biggest wish.

What was the Minion-shaped airship Universal flew around the US to promote Despicable Me 2?

The Despicablimp, a 165-foot Minion-themed airship, toured the US for months in 2013 ahead of the film's July release.

In the 2015 film Minions, which three Minions set out to find a new boss for their tribe?

Kevin, Stuart and Bob leave the tribe's Antarctic cave in 1968 to find a new master after the Minions sink into depression without one.

The Minions went into hiding after accidentally firing a cannon at which historical figure?

After accidentally blasting Napoleon with a cannon during his Russian campaign, the Minions flee into an Antarctic ice cave; earlier masters included a T. rex, a pharaoh and Dracula.

In Minions, the trio hitchhike to which gathering for supervillains?

The trio hitchhike to Villain-Con in Orlando, getting a lift from the Nelsons, a cheerful family of crooks voiced by Michael Keaton and Allison Janney.

Which Oscar-winning actress voices Scarlet Overkill, the world's first female supervillain?

Sandra Bullock, Best Actress winner for The Blind Side, voices Scarlet Overkill; Jon Hamm voices her inventor husband Herb.

What does Scarlet Overkill hire the Minions to steal for her?

Scarlet sends the Minions to steal the Imperial State Crown from Queen Elizabeth II; the heist derails when Bob pulls the sword from the stone and is declared King.

What is the name of Bob the Minion's beloved teddy bear?

Bob's teddy bear is Tim; at the end of Minions the Queen gives Tim a tiny crown, while Stuart gets an electric guitar and Kevin a knighthood.

Which Oscar-winning Australian actor narrates the prologue and epilogue of Minions?

Geoffrey Rush, Best Actor winner for Shine, narrates the prologue and epilogue; the film had its world premiere at London's Odeon Leicester Square.

Roughly how much did Minions (2015) gross worldwide?

Minions grossed about $1.16 billion worldwide, which at the time made it the second-highest-grossing animated film ever, behind only Frozen.

How old is Gru during the 1976 events of Minions: The Rise of Gru?

Gru is eleven, a schoolboy dreaming of becoming a supervillain; Jack Antonoff produced the soundtrack of modern artists covering 1970s funk and soul.

In The Rise of Gru, what is the name of the supervillain team led by Belle Bottom that Gru auditions for?

The Vicious 6 are led by Belle Bottom; members include Jean-Clawed, voiced by Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Svengeance, voiced by Dolph Lundgren.

In The Rise of Gru, the Minion Otto trades the precious Zodiac Stone for what?

Otto swaps the Zodiac Stone for a pet rock at a birthday party; the mix-up sends Kevin, Stuart and Bob to San Francisco, where Michelle Yeoh's Master Chow teaches them kung fu.

Which actor voiced Wild Knuckles, Gru's mentor in The Rise of Gru, in his final film role?

Alan Arkin, who died in 2023, voiced Wild Knuckles in his final film role; the old villain fakes his own death at the end while Gru and the Minions mourn him.

The 2022 TikTok trend of teenage boys attending The Rise of Gru in suits was known by what name?

The #Gentleminions trend, started by Australian teenagers on TikTok, saw suited groups fill screenings, usually soundtracked by Yeat's 'Rich Minion'.

What is the name of Gru's long-lost twin brother in Despicable Me 3?

Gru's twin is Dru, also voiced by Steve Carell; unlike his bald brother, Dru has a full head of blond hair.

Who voices Balthazar Bratt, the former child star villain of Despicable Me 3?

Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park, voices Balthazar Bratt, the 1980s child star turned villain still obsessed with his cancelled show Evil Bratt.

In Despicable Me 3, which Minion leads the revolt that sees most of the Minions walk out on Gru?

Mel leads the walkout after Gru refuses to return to villainy; the strikers crash a talent show, land in prison and end up running the cell block.

Despicable Me 3 was the first Despicable Me-titled film to gross over what amount worldwide?

Despicable Me 3 took about $1.03 billion worldwide, the first of the numbered Despicable Me films to pass $1 billion; the Minions spin-off had crossed it in 2015.

Despicable Me 4 villain Maxime Le Mal enhanced himself with body parts from which creature?

Maxime Le Mal, voiced by Will Ferrell, fused himself with a cockroach; his grudge against Gru dates back to a talent show at their villain school, Lycée Pas Bon.

What kind of animal is Lenny, the school mascot stolen in Despicable Me 4?

Lenny is a honey badger, mascot of Lycée Pas Bon, Gru's old villain school; aspiring villain Poppy Prescott blackmails Gru into helping her steal him.

Illumination, the studio behind the Minions, was founded in 2007 by which producer?

Chris Meledandri, a former Fox Animation chief, founded Illumination in 2007; the Minions became the studio's mascots and appear in its logo.

According to their voice actor, what do all the Minions have in common?

Pierre Coffin said all Minions are male, explaining that given how dumb they often are, he could not imagine them being girls.

In which English county is the village of Minions, which got a Minion-themed road sign in 2015?

Minions is a village on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, the highest village in the county; Universal gave it a Minion-themed sign to promote the 2015 film.

The Despicable Me Minion Mayhem simulator ride first opened at Universal Studios Florida in which year?

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem opened at Universal Studios Florida in July 2012, replacing the Jimmy Neutron ride; a Hollywood version followed in 2014.

Which city do Kevin, Stuart and Bob reach first after leaving the ice cave?

The trio surface in New York City in 1968 and, after seeing a TV ad for a villains' convention, hitchhike on to Orlando.

Which British comedian voices Queen Elizabeth II in Minions (2015)?

Jennifer Saunders, star of Absolutely Fabulous, voices Queen Elizabeth II, who gets her throne back after Bob briefly reigns as King.