Pixar’s animated movieElementaldebuted in June 2023, earning $400 million worldwide at the box office. In true Pixar fashion, the film tackles important social issues like xenophobia, gender identity, and racism with grace through heart-warming characters. The success of this production wasn’t immediate,and manyElementalreviewsfound it hesitant to fully explore the complex themes it introduced. Despite that, it’s managed to capture the hearts of viewers and maintain an audience score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie follows Ember Lumen, a fire element who relocates to Element City with her family. Element City is a unique location where all Earth’s elements, fire, water, land, and air, live among one another, though things between the elements are complicated. Coexisting is not easy for the residents here, which is why they all live in separate districts and only mingle in common areas.
Things become more complicated when Ember falls for Wade Ripple, a water element she meets at her parent’s store, The Fireplace. Their journey to break prejudiced beliefs within her family to bring the elements together is complementedby incredible visualsand voice talent. Here’s a cast and character guide to the main actors that bringElementalto life.
Ember Lumen - Leah Lewis
Ember Lumen is one of the main characters inElemental, presenting as a hot-headed young fire element that has trouble controlling her anger. Beyond the surface, Ember is kind and somewhat of a lost soul, unsure of where she wants to go with her future. She feels pressured to take over her family’s convenience store after her father’s retirement, but her newfound love for Wade makes her question her life’s choices.
Ember is voiced byLeah Lewis, best known for her work in The CW’sNancy Drewand Netflix’s 2020 filmThe Half of It. Lewis has also appeared on web shows likeSing It!andGuidance, which both showcase her impressive talents. She’s also been nominated for two Young Artist awards for her work inFred 3: Camp FredandGamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything.
Wade Ripple - Mamoudou Athie
Wade Ripple is an emotional water element who works for Element City as an inspector. He’s a kind character who falls in love with Ember and supports her through hardships with her family. Wade’skindness is seen throughout the movie, as he’s always willing to step up and help those in need. Whether it’s stopping a flood at The Fireplace or fixing a leak in the city canals, his disposition is life-changing for Ember and is what encourages her to follow her dreams of glass-making rather than living for others.
Related:Is Elemental the Most Underrated Movie of the Year?
Mamoudou Athievoices the character Wade and is able to bring a great deal of emotion to the role. Athie first began his career in theater and made his way to Broadway in 2015. He began acting that same year, withJurassic World Dominion,Archive 81, andCakebeing some of his most popular works.
Brook Ripple - Catherine O’Hara
Brook Ripple, voiced byCatherine O’Hara, is a water element and Wade’s mother. She’s an architect, a widow, and an all-around welcoming character toward Ember and other elements. Much like Wade, she’s sensitive and cares about the happiness of those around her. She supports Wade and Ember’s relationship and encourages Ember to pursue a glass-making internship and nurse her talents.
O’Hara has graced screens for decades, excelling with her voice work in works likeThe Nightmare Before Christmas,Pippi Longstocking, andChicken Little. Her characters inBeetlejuiceandHome Alonehave grown to be pop culture icons, along with her work as Moira onSchitt’s Creek.
Gale Cumulus - Wendi McLendon-Covey
Gale Cumulus is an air element character in the movie, specifically a storm cloud and Wade’s employer with the city. She has a bold personality, which may lead someto believe she’s the film’s villain, but beyond her tough surface is a character that can be kind and lenient when needed. Gale may not get along with Ember at the beginning, but she comes around and ends up helping her see the Vivisteria flowers.
Gale is voiced byWendi McLendon-Covey, best known for her roles inBridesmaids,Reno 911!, andThe Goldbergs. Her work on the ABC seriesThe Goldbergshelped her receive two nominations for two Critics' Choice Television Awards, among numerous other nominations for the filmBridesmaids.
Bernie Lumen - Ronnie del Carmen
Bernie Lumen, a fire element, is Ember’s father and husband of Cinder. He’s the owner of The Fireplace convenience store and the one who wants Ember to take over after his retirement. He’s a devoted father and business owner but has some distrust of other elements after experiencing hardships from them when moving to Element City. His discovery of Ember and Wade’s relationship upsets him, but he’s able to change his beliefs and support all the elements.
Ronnie del Carmenvoices Bernie, though this is not his first time working with Pixar. He worked as a co-director and writer of the movieInside Out, as well as working onUp. The talented actor also brought his talents toSoul,WALL-E, andRatatouille. He’s been a key contributor to numerous Pixar films and helped create the world in these films we’ve come to love.
Cinder Lumen - Shila Ommi
Cinder Lumen, voiced byShila Ommi, is Ember’s mom and wife of Bernie. Though her character has a smaller role than some of the others, she holds views similar to her husband’s and does not approve of Ember’s relationship with Wade. Oddly enough, she has alove for relationships and matchmaking, but it takes the film’s events to change her mindset and outlook on other elements.
Related:How Elemental Introduces Pixar’s First Non-Binary Character
Ommi is best known for her work in the Apple seriesTehranandThe Bold Type. She directed the filmWake Up Sleeping Beauty, which received several nominations at the Paris Film Festival and Beyond the Curve International Film Festival.
Clod - Mason Wertheimer
Clod is an earth-element character who has a crush on his older neighbor, Ember. He has a bubbly personality that matches his age, and his quirky attempts at winning Ember over make him a fun addition to the cast.Mason Wertheimervoices Clod and has also starred in the podcast seriesPast My Bedtime.
Fern Grouchwood - Joe Pera
Fern Grouchwood is an earth element character, completely overgrown with weeds and vines. He works at city hall, and the years of service have left him sarcastic, groggy, and with a by-the-book attitude. He’s voiced byJoe Pera, a comedian who has voiced characters onF is for FamilyandBob’s Burgers.
Who Is the Villain in Elemental?
One of the more unique aspects ofElementalis that there is no specific villain or antagonist in the movie. Instead, Ember and Wade face challenges brought on by societal and family expectations. Ember also faces challenges from her own inner critic that holds her back from making some decisions.
Most Pixar moviesfeature a main villain, like Sid inToy Storyor Randall inMonster’s Inc, butElementaltakes a different approach. Some characters like Gale and Fern seem like they could be a villain in the story, but ultimately, they don’t pose a threat to the other characters. Most of the conflict is indirect or internal, which is a relatable theme for viewers.
Elementalis a movie that explores difficult themes, yet the lack of a villain makes it easier for viewers to connect with the characters on screen. It’s a family-friendly watch that encourages the audience to pursue their passions, even if it’s something new or outside the box.
