‘A Minecraft Movie’ cast and character guide: All about the actors building the video game blockbuster

Jack Black as Steve

Before he became one of the most ubiquitous (and spastic) actors of the ’90s and ’00s, Jack Black was a memorable supporting players in a range of diverse projects, such as Bob Roberts (1992) and Mr. Show (1995–1996), the former of which cast him as a terrifying Young Republican. His turns in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) and High Fidelity (2000) set the stage for the triple threat that was Shallow Hal (2001), Orange County (2002), and School of Rock (2003), which transformed him from character actor to leading man.

The next decade paired Black with some of the era’s best filmmakers, including Peter Jackson (King Kong), Nancy Myers (The Holiday), Noah Baumbach (Margot at the Wedding), Ben Stiller (Tropic Thunder), and Richard Linklater (Bernie). Most recently, he played Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023). He also scored a Golden Globe nomination for his original song, “Peaches,” which he sang in the film.

Black plays Steve, the blank-slate player character in the Minecraft game that’s here given a personality and backstory.

Speaking with the AP, Black said his children’s love of the game spurred his decision to star in the film. “My boys were playing it, and I wanted to speak their language,” he said, revealing that he went to play more than 100 hours of the game as preparation. “I put the work in. You got to put the days of work in. Watch YouTube videos to get some tips on how to survive that first night in the Overworld. I was pretty versed in it.”

At the film’s Hollywood premiere, Black told The Hollywood Reporter that the world needs A Minecraft Movie because “there’s so much violence and war and hatred,” adding, “And that’s what I love about this movie — there’s a lot of love in it and there’s a lot of creativity. There is some anger and violence too, but in the end it’s about friendship and working together to make (the world) a better place.”

Jason Momoa as Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison

After sending hearts aflutter as Game of Thrones‘ imposing and doomed Khal Drogo, Jason Momoa hitched his lustrous locks to a handful of booming franchises, including Dune (2021), Fast X (2023), and multiple appearances as DC’s Aquaman (2016–2023). He also led a pair of series, Discovery Channel’s Frontier (2016–2018) and Apple TV+’s See (2019–2022), and starred alongside Zach Braff and Donald Faison in the most annoying commercial ever made.

Momoa plays Garrett Garrison, a.k.a. the Garbage Man, the owner of a video game store who, once upon a time, was a world champion gamer.

He told Today’s Parent that he took the role because he wanted to do a comedy. “When I was approached, I was actually working with my producer from Dune,” he said. “We became really good friends and he just knew that I have kids and he just kind of got my sense of humor. And he’s like, ‘Dude, you got to do a comedy.’ I’m like, ‘I’d love to. Just no one really gives me a shot at it.’ And he’s like, ‘I got something for you.'”

He continued, “So he told me about Minecraft. I knew nothing about it. But then he explained it to me and just said, at the root of it, it’s just about protecting imagination. And I can relate to that.”

Danielle Brooks as Dawn

Danielle Brooks won a Grammy for her turn as Sofia in Broadway’s The Color Purple, a role she reprised in the 2023 film adaptation, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. Brooks is also an Emmy nominee for Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (2021). She also appeared in Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019), Master of None (2015–2017), and Peacemaker (2022–present).

Brooks plays Dawn in A Minecraft Movie, a real estate agent who runs a mobile petting zoo. She can’t claim the same mastery of the game as some of her costars. “I am a watcher and participant,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “I have a five-year-old daughter and I feel like there’s gonna come a time because she’s into Minecraft now — her mommy’s in it!”

She continued, “I didn’t grow up playing games and it’s something that I really wish I had. We played a few things, a snowboarding game and racing game, but I wasn’t introduced to Mario Bros. and all of that. The best thing about this movie is teaching us to bring out our inner child.”

Emma Myers as Natalie

Emma Myers made her screen debut at the age of 8 on The Glades (2010). These days, she’s best known as Enid Sinclair on the Netflix hit Wednesday (2022–present) and for her role on the streamer’s A Good Girls’ Guide to Murder (2024–present).

In A Minecraft Movie, Myers plays twentysomething Natalie, who’s helping care for her little brother after their mother’s death.

She spoke about her love for the game in an interview with AP. “I think Minecraft kind of forces you to be creative and … problem solve in ways that you probably wouldn’t think of in the first place,” she said.

Sebastian Hansen as Henry

Prior to joining A Minecraft Movie, teen actor Sebastian Hansen appeared in Destin Daniel Cretton’s Just Mercy (2019) and Pablo Larrain’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Lisey’s Story (2021) for Apple TV+.

Hansen plays Henry, the shy younger brother of Myers’ Natalie who feels right at home in Overworld. “Henry is very relatable to me, very similar,” Hansen told Time for Kids. “He’s a really smart kid who likes to draw and be creative. I’m also very creative and want to try different things. Throughout the movie, Henry gets to do that.”

Jennifer Coolidge as Vice Principal Marlene

Jennifer Coolidge will forever be known for her Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning performance as daffy millionaire Tanya McQuoid on HBO’s The White Lotus (2021–2022), but her onscreen career goes back decades. She appeared in multiple American Pie (1999–2012) and Legally Blonde (2001–2003) movies, as well as the Christopher Guest films Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), For Your Consideration (2006), and Mascots (2016). Most recently, she appeared on Netflix’s The Watcher (2022) and Disney+’s Monsters At Work (2024).

Coolidge plays Marlene, a high school vice principal with, as the trailer implies, a roaring libido. Momoa, who produced the film in addition to starring, told Digital Spy that he fought to get Coolidge involved.

“I just would love to have more scenes with her,” he said. “She’s phenomenal. The whole movie zips by, too, but she gets on camera, and you’re just like, ‘Oh my God.'”

Coolidge spoke to Pinkvilla about how she appreciated the catering to girls as well as boys — a rarity in video game adaptations. “I love that so many young girls are interested in the game,” she said. “I thought that was really cool. Everyone thought it was such a male game, but all these girls got involved.”

Rachel House as Malgosha

A prolific actor and director, Rachel House has received numerous awards in her home country of New Zealand, including a New Zealand Arts Foundation Laureate Award. She’s likely best known to American audiences for her collaborations with Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi, including Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Jojo Rabbit (2019), and Next Goals Wins (2023). She also voiced Gramma Tala in Moana (2016) and its sequel (2024).

House voices the film’s villain, Malgosha, a piglin who rules over the Nether, a place “with no joy or creativity at all,” per the trailer. The cloaked Malgosha desires to destroy Overworld for its creative spirit.

Jemaine Clement as Daryl and the voice of Bruce

New Zealand comedian, director, actor, and musician Jemaine Clement began his career as one half of Flight of the Conchords with Bret McKenzie. The duo would later star in a Flight of the Conchords (2007–2009) series for the BBC and HBO, which scored them six Emmy nominations.

Since then, Clement has worked extensively as a voice actor, lending his voice to projects like Despicable Me (2010), Moana (2016), and The Lego Batman Movie (2017). He also co-wrote and co-directed What We Do in the Shadows (2014), which spawned the popular FX series of the same name.

We don’t know too much about Clement’s role, but Digital Spy notes that he plays a storage unit auctioneer named Daryl in the film. According to IMDB, he also voices a character called Bruce.

Matt Berry as a Nitwit Villager

Matt Berry’s booming voice is one of the most distinctive in entertainment, making him a go-to for voice work. He’s loaned his pipes to The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015), Disenchantment (2018–2023), The Book of Boba Fett (2021), and Fallout (2024). But Berry is also a prolific live-action performer as well, having led series like Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace (2004), The IT Crowd (2007–2013), Toast of London (2012–2015), and What We Do in the Shadows (2019–2024).

Minecraft is filled with NPCs called villagers, and there are some that manifest as “nitwits,” meaning they can’t perform jobs like other villagers. Berry voices a nitwit villager, while Clement’s Flight of the Conchords costar Bret McKenzie serves as the body double for the character, per Digital Spy.

Kate McKinnon as Alex

Kate McKinnon is one of the biggest stars to emerge from Saturday Night Live over the last decade, having won two Emmys for her work on the show. Since leaving the show in 2022, McKinnon appeared in The Bubble (2022) and Barbie (2023), as well as Peacock’s Joe vs. Carole (2022).

According to recent reports, McKinnon lends her voice to Alex, who players know as a default player in the same vein as Black’s Steve.