The 'Animals' Voice Cast Includes Comedy Favorites

The newest series joining the ranks of popular adult animated comedies is HBO's Animals. The series was created by Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano, first as animated shorts before being picked up by HBO as series. But, who does the voices on Animals ? While Matarese and Luciano lend their voices to the two main non-human characters, the Animals cast seems to feature most of its other voice actors for only an episode or two.

So while the show doesn't appear to have a main cast in the normal sense of the phrase, its additional voices include those of executive producers Mark and Jay Duplass (who you may recognize from any number of comedy projects, including their own HBO series, Togetherness), as well as a whole host of recognizable comedy names. Seriously, HBO has listed over 50 names as part of the Animals cast. Before we get to talking about the highlights of the cast, though, take a look at the show's official synopsis:

Animals. focuses on the downtrodden creatures native to Earth’s least-habitable environment: New York City. Whether it’s lovelorn rats, gender-questioning pigeons or aging bedbugs in the midst of a midlife crisis, the awkward small talk, moral ambiguity and existential woes of non-human urbanites prove startlingly similar to our own.

Animals certainly has a hilarious premise, and if the voice cast is anything to go by, the show will be able to make the most out of an animated comedy about the non-human residents of NYC. Here are seven of the most exciting names included in the huge, impressive Animals cast.

Eric André

Probably best known for having his own series on Adult Swim, The Eric André Show, André also appeared in a number of other comedies — he was barista Mark on Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 and plays Mike on Man Seeking Woman.

Molly Shannon

A regular from Saturday Night Live in the late '90s/early '00s, Molly Shannon was recently seen in Netflix's sequel series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.

Ellie Kemper

After playing Erin Hannon on The Office, Ellie Kemper has since moved on to shine as the titular star of Netflix's original series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt — and though they both take place in New York, unfortunately, I don't think Kimmy will show up on Animals.

Nick Kroll

Nick Kroll is a master of both sketch comedy and sitcoms, having starred in The League as well as his own Kroll Show. Additional guest roles on Parks and Recreation, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine have helped Kroll become a serious TV comedy heavyweight.

Lauren Lapkus

Spanning a wide variety of genres as well as both film and TV, Lauren Lapkus has a lengthy resume that includes Jurassic World, Orange is the New Black, Key and Peele, and The To-Do List. So, chances are, you've seen her work before — even if it wasn't in a comedy.

Adam Scott

Adam Scott played the lovable Ben Wyatt to Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation, but he's also appeared in a number of other television series and movies — most recently the Christmas-themed horror film, Krampus.

Horatio Sanz

Another Saturday Night Live alum, Horatio Sanz has also been a guest star on plenty of recent comedy series like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Modern Family, and Drunk History.

As if the cast of Animals. doesn't sound amazing already, it also includes Wanda Sykes, Cobie Smulders, Jessica Chastain, A$AP Ferg, A$AP Rocky, Melanie Lynsky, Marc Maron, Kumail Nanjiani, Kurt Vile, Matt Walsh, Zach Woods, and Steve Zissis. With such a wide range of talent, the chances that you're already a fan of someone set to lend their voice to Animals are pretty high.

Image: HBO