47 Fun Facts About Minions & Despicable Me

Which actor voices Gru in the Despicable Me films?

Steve Carell found Gru's accent by trial and error; the result has been described as halfway between Ricardo Montalbán and Bela Lugosi.

In Despicable Me, what does Gru set out to steal to prove he is the world's top villain?

The Moon: Gru shrinks it with a stolen shrink ray and pockets it, but the effect wears off, and it swells back to full size and returns to orbit.

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

The Great Pyramid of Giza vanishes, an inflatable copy left in its place; the stunt wounds Gru's pride and pushes him to plan something even bigger.

In Despicable Me, 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.

In Despicable Me, Gru adopts the three girls by pretending to be what?

A dentist is the cover Gru invents for the orphanage; he only wants the girls because they can walk straight into his rival Vector's fortress.

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

Agnes loves unicorns so much that in Despicable Me 3 she adopts a one-horned goat, names him Lucky, and keeps loving him after learning the truth.

What is the name of Gru's sharp-toothed, dog-like pet in the Despicable Me films?

Kyle snarls at the three girls when they first arrive, then ends up their doting pet; he even got his own short film, The Secret Life of Kyle.

Which legendary actress voices Gru's mother, Marlena, in Despicable Me?

Julie Andrews, the warm heart of Mary Poppins, plays against type as Marlena, a mother so hard to impress that Gru spends the first film chasing her approval.

In Despicable Me, Kristen Wiig voiced which orphanage owner before returning as Gru's wife?

Miss Hattie is all smiles for visitors but threatens her orphans with a weekend in the 'Box of Shame'; Wiig came back in the sequels as secret agent Lucy Wilde.

Who provides the voices of the Minions themselves?

Pierre Coffin, who co-directed the first films, builds the Minions' babble from scraps of real languages, choosing words for their sound and rhythm more than their meaning.

Which small film characters did the Minions' creators name as a model for their look?

The Oompa-Loompas and Star Wars' Jawas were the models the directors named: small, loyal helpers whose shortness, they realised, was a big part of the appeal.

Which co-director of the first Despicable Me returned to direct Despicable Me 4?

Chris Renaud was recruited for his animation experience at Blue Sky Studios, the home of Ice Age, and ended up voicing a few of the Minions himself.

The first Despicable Me was animated by the studio Mac Guff in which European capital?

Paris-based Mac Guff was hired to keep costs down; after the film's success its animation arm was bought out and became Illumination's own studio.

In Despicable Me, what do the three orphan girls sell door to door?

Cookies get the girls through the front door of Vector's fortress, which is exactly why Gru adopts them, then swaps their order for cookie-shaped robots.

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

Pharrell Williams wrote and sang them, and it paid off: he was asked back for the sequel, where one of his new songs became a number one around the world.

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

'Happy' was first meant for CeeLo Green, but his label held it back; sung for the film instead, it became the best-selling song of 2014 in both the US and the 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.

At the start of Despicable Me 2, what legitimate business is ex-villain Gru running from his lab?

A jelly and jam company, staffed by the Minions in Gru's old lab; the jelly tastes awful, and Dr. Nefario soon leaves because he misses being evil.

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

Purple, furry and indestructible: the PX-41 serum turns kidnapped Minions into monsters until Dr. Nefario brews an antidote that turns them back.

In Despicable Me 2, how did the villain El Macho supposedly die?

Riding a shark into a volcano with 250 pounds of dynamite strapped to his chest, so the story goes; in fact he faked it and now runs a Mexican restaurant at the mall.

Which star recorded El Macho's part but quit Despicable Me 2 weeks before its premiere?

Al Pacino left over creative differences less than six weeks before the festival premiere, so Benjamin Bratt had to re-voice a villain whose animation was already finished.

Which disco classic do the Minions perform at the wedding that ends Despicable Me 2?

Y.M.C.A. closes the party, with the Minions also crooning the ballad 'I Swear' as 'Underwear'; the film reaches the big day after Gru and Lucy's 147 dates.

What was the Minion-shaped airship flown around the US to promote Despicable Me 2 called?

The Despicablimp was a real blimp painted as a giant Minion; launched in March 2013, it toured the country ahead of the film and took reporters up for rides.

In Minions (2015), why do Kevin, Stuart and Bob leave their tribe's cave?

To find a new evil boss: having accidentally finished off every one they ever served, the Minions sink into gloom without one, so three of them set out in 1968.

In Minions (2015), the tribe goes into hiding after firing a cannon at which historical figure?

Napoleon is on campaign in Russia when a Minion cannon goes off in his direction, and the whole tribe has to flee into hiding in a remote cave.

In Minions (2015), which convention do Kevin, Stuart and Bob hitchhike to?

Villain-Con is in Orlando, and the lift there comes from the Nelsons, a family of thieves voiced by Michael Keaton and Allison Janney.

Which Oscar-winning actress voices the supervillain Scarlet Overkill in Minions (2015)?

Sandra Bullock's Scarlet Overkill hires the three Minions as her henchmen, then throws them in her dungeon once they accidentally upstage her.

In Minions (2015), what does Scarlet Overkill hire the Minions to steal for her?

The Imperial State Crown is the prize, to be lifted from the Tower of London; the heist derails when Bob pulls the sword from the stone and is declared King instead.

In Minions (2015), what is the name of Bob's beloved teddy bear?

Tim goes everywhere with Bob, and when the Queen hands out thank-you gifts at the end, even the bear gets one, alongside Kevin's knighthood and Stuart's electric guitar.

Which Oscar-winning Australian actor narrates Minions (2015)?

Geoffrey Rush, an Oscar winner for Shine, opens the film by tracing the Minions all the way back to single-celled sea creatures, then returns to round off the story.

Minions (2015) became the second-highest-grossing animated film, behind which Disney hit?

Frozen stayed ahead, but the sidekicks' spin-off took about $1.16 billion, more than either of the two Despicable Me films that had come before it.

In Minions: The Rise of Gru, what does Master Chow teach Kevin, Stuart and Bob?

Kung fu comes from Master Chow, an acupuncturist voiced by Michelle Yeoh who saves the three from a gang of goons; they cut the lessons short to rescue eleven-year-old Gru.

In Minions: The Rise of Gru, which supervillain team does young Gru audition to join?

The Vicious 6 have just betrayed their founder, Wild Knuckles, which is why a seat is open; they laugh the schoolboy out of the room, so he steals their prize instead.

In Minions: The Rise of Gru, what does the Minion Otto trade the precious Zodiac Stone for?

A pet rock is all Otto gets for the stone, and Gru fires the Minions over it; Otto then crosses Death Valley after the biker now wearing it as a necklace.

Which actor voiced Wild Knuckles, Gru's mentor in Minions: 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.

What name was given to the 2022 TikTok trend of teenagers in suits attending Minions: The Rise of Gru?

Gentleminions packed screenings in formal wear; the studio posted 'we see you and we love you', while some cinemas began turning suited groups away after rowdy showings.

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

Dru has the mansion and the money but none of the talent, and begs his retired twin to teach him the family trade of villainy.

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

Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park, voices a 1980s child star whose show Evil Bratt was cancelled, so he became the villain he used to play and plots revenge on Hollywood.

In Despicable Me 3, why do most Minions leave Gru?

He won't return to villainy even after losing his job, so the Minions quit, get arrested for crashing a TV talent show and end up behind bars.

In Despicable Me 3, Gru's long-lost twin lives in which fictional country?

Freedonia is where the family finds the twin's mansion and fortune, which turn out to rest on their late father's secret career as a supervillain.

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 had run Fox's animation arm through the Ice Age hits; Fox tried to keep him, but a rival studio's offer of a stake in a new company won him over.

What did the Minions' main voice actor say every Minion has in common?

They are all male: the director who voices them said in 2015 that he couldn't imagine them as girls, 'seeing how dumb and stupid they often are'.

What Minion-themed addition to the Cornish village of Minions was removed over safety fears?

A road sign featuring Minions went up in May 2015 and came down that October: so many families stopped in the road for photos that the parish feared an accident.

Which company's Florida theme park opened the ride Despicable Me Minion Mayhem in 2012?

Universal built it at its Florida studio park in the home of the old Jimmy Neutron ride; guests are 'recruited' as trainee Minions and put through their paces on a motion simulator.

In Minions (2015), which city do Kevin, Stuart and Bob reach first after leaving their cave?

New York in 1968 is their first stop; hiding overnight in a department store, they stumble on a secret TV broadcast that sends them on to Florida.