Nicki Minaj Voice Acting Roles: Every Animated Character She Has Played
Nicki Minaj is best known for her music, larger-than-life alter egos and instantly recognizable voices, but she has also brought that personality into animation. Over the years, Nicki has voiced characters in major animated movies and one particularly memorable Cartoon Network series.
So, what movies has Nicki Minaj done voice acting in?
Nicki Minaj has two major animated movie voice credits: Steffie in Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and Pinky in The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019). She also famously voiced Sugilite in Steven Universe, although Steven Universe is a television series rather than a movie.
Here's a look at Nicki Minaj's voice acting history and the characters she played.
Nicki Minaj Voice Acting Movies and TV Shows
| Year | Movie or Show | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Ice Age: Continental Drift | Steffie |
| 2014–2016 | Steven Universe | Sugilite |
| 2019 | The Angry Birds Movie 2 | Pinky |
Nicki hasn't done a huge number of animated projects, but her three characters are surprisingly different from one another.
Nicki Minaj as Steffie in Ice Age: Continental Drift
Nicki Minaj made one of her earliest major jumps into acting when she joined the cast of the 2012 animated movie Ice Age: Continental Drift.
Nicki voiced Steffie, a teenage woolly mammoth who is part of Peaches' social circle.
The role put Nicki in an especially star-studded voice cast. The movie also featured Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Drake, Keke Palmer and several other major names.
And yes — that means Nicki Minaj and Drake were both voice actors in the same Ice Age movie.
Drake voiced Ethan, another teenage mammoth, while Nicki played Steffie.
The movie arrived during a particularly important period in Nicki's career. Her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, had also been released in 2012, as songs such as "Starships" were expanding her reach far beyond hip-hop.
Who Did Nicki Minaj Play in Steven Universe?
This is probably the Nicki Minaj voice role that surprises people the most.
Nicki Minaj voiced Sugilite in Cartoon Network's Steven Universe.
Sugilite is the fusion of Garnet and Amethyst, creating an extremely powerful Gem with a huge personality to match.
If you've heard Sugilite speak and thought the voice sounded familiar, you weren't imagining it.
That's Nicki Minaj.
Nicki is credited as Sugilite's voice in three episodes between 2014 and 2016. (IMDb)
What Episodes of Steven Universe Was Nicki Minaj In?
Sugilite made her debut in the Season 1 episode "Coach Steven."
The character quickly became memorable because of her massive size, confidence, strength and aggressive personality.
The casting also makes a lot of sense when you consider Nicki's music career. Long before Steven Universe, Nicki had become famous for switching between different voices, accents and characters in her songs.
Characters such as Roman Zolanski allowed her to exaggerate different sides of her personality through her voice.
Voice acting was almost a natural extension of something Nicki was already doing in her music.
Nicki Minaj as Pinky in The Angry Birds Movie 2
Nicki returned to animated movies in 2019 when she joined the cast of The Angry Birds Movie 2.
She voiced a small pink bird appropriately named Pinky.
Pinky appears alongside several young hatchlings in the movie, and Nicki gives the character a playful voice that sounds very different from Sugilite.
The official Angry Birds promotion for the movie even highlighted Nicki's unusual "Birdish" accent for Pinky. (YouTube)
Once again, Nicki was part of a huge celebrity voice cast.
The movie featured Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Tiffany Haddish, Pete Davidson, Dove Cameron and others alongside Nicki.
Was Nicki Minaj in The Angry Birds Movie?
Nicki Minaj was in The Angry Birds Movie 2, not the original 2016 Angry Birds Movie.
She joined the franchise for the sequel as Pinky, which was released in 2019.
That's an important distinction because searches for "Nicki Minaj Angry Birds" don't always specify which movie.
Was Nicki Minaj in Steven Universe: The Movie?
No. Nicki Minaj's Steven Universe role was in the television series, where she voiced Sugilite.
She should therefore not be listed as having a voice role in Steven Universe: The Movie.
This distinction is also why a list of Nicki's animated movies technically contains only Ice Age: Continental Drift and The Angry Birds Movie 2, while a complete list of her major voice-acting roles should also include Steven Universe.
What Characters Has Nicki Minaj Voiced?
Nicki Minaj's major animated characters are:
Steffie — Ice Age: Continental Drift
Sugilite — Steven Universe
Pinky — The Angry Birds Movie 2
It's a small voice-acting filmography, but each character represents a very different side of her voice.
Steffie is a teenage mammoth. Sugilite is an enormous and powerful Gem fusion. Pinky is an adorable little bird.
That range is especially fitting for an artist whose career has been built partly around transforming her voice.
Nicki Minaj's Acting Career Goes Beyond Voice Acting
Animation isn't Nicki Minaj's only experience in movies.
She has also appeared on screen in live-action films, including The Other Woman and Barbershop: The Next Cut. Her movie work therefore includes both traditional acting and voice acting.
But her animated roles have a particularly interesting connection to her music.
Nicki's exaggerated voices have been part of her artistry since the beginning of her career. She has rapped as different alter egos, changed accents mid-verse and created distinct personalities using little more than vocal delivery.
That makes characters like Sugilite feel especially suited to her.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cartoon character did Nicki Minaj voice?
Nicki Minaj voiced Sugilite in Steven Universe. She also voiced Steffie in Ice Age: Continental Drift and Pinky in The Angry Birds Movie 2.
Who did Nicki Minaj voice in Ice Age?
Nicki Minaj voiced Steffie in the 2012 movie Ice Age: Continental Drift.
Who did Nicki Minaj voice in Steven Universe?
Nicki voiced Sugilite, the fusion of Garnet and Amethyst.
Who did Nicki Minaj voice in Angry Birds?
Nicki voiced Pinky in The Angry Birds Movie 2.
How many animated movies has Nicki Minaj been in?
Nicki Minaj has two major animated feature-film voice credits: Ice Age: Continental Drift and The Angry Birds Movie 2. She additionally voiced Sugilite on the animated television series Steven Universe.
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