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Meet the actors who "Sing"!

Meet the actors who "Sing"!

Illumination Entertainment, the production company behind some of the recent animation hits including the first two "Despicable Me" features, "Minions" and this year's "The Secret Life Of Pets", is back with another surefire hit titled "Sing".

With a starry voice-cast such as Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane and Taron Egerton, it's hard not to get excited about this upcoming animated movie. As if that's not enough, "Sing" will feature over 85 original and cover songs!

So, while we are waiting for the release of "Sing" this 8 December 2016, let's meet the voice actors below!

1. Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey)

An optimistic koala who dares to dream big and accomplish the impossible, Buster Moon will do anything to bring back his dying theatre to its former glory. His solution? Setting up the world's greatest singing competition in his very theatre!

The Texas heartthrob needs no introduction. Already a Hollywood star since the late-1990s with movies like "Contact" and "A Time To Kill", he underwent a career renaissance in the 2010s as he began to play a number of acclaimed dramatic roles. Among some of his movies that are worth mentioning here are "The Lincoln Lawyer", "Killer Joe", "Interstellar" and TV's "True Detective". In 2014, he famously won the coveted Best Actor Oscar for his role as the AIDS-infected hustler Ron Woodroof in "Dallas Buyers Club" (2013). With "Sing", this will mark McConaughey's second role in an animated movie after "Kubo And The Two Strings" just a few months ago. And yes, you will get to hear him doing his own singing as well!

2. Ash (Scarlett Johansson)

Ash is a teenage porcupine singer who loves to sing Rock music. In "Sing", Scarlett Johansson described her character as "an artist at heart who discovers her true voice with the support of her friends and fellows artists [while] representing a lot of teenagers going through the same experience of embracing their true selves as they come of age."

Best known to today's mainstream audiences for her iconic role as Black Widow in some of the Marvel movies, Johansson already had prior experiences lending her voice talents. In early 2016, she voiced the role of a python named Kaa in "The Jungle Book". Some of her notable voice performances in animated movies include TV's "Robot Chicken" and "The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie".

3. Rosita (Reese Witherspoon)

Despite being a dedicated mother to her 25 piglets, Rosita is still harbouring her unfulfilled dream as a singer ever since she was a teenager. After stumbling upon a flyer for the singing competition, she finally sees this as her golden opportunity to make her dream come true. As Reese Witherspoon would put it, "It's the love and passion Rosita's given and received that pours out of her when she embraces her inner diva and lets loose".

This is not the first time that Reese Witherspoon has voiced a role in an animated movie. Back in 2009, she lent her voice for the role of Susan Murphy/Ginormica in "Monsters vs. Aliens". She is also famously known for her comedy roles in "Legally Blonde", "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Just Like Heaven". From 2000 onwards, she diversified her acting career by picking up numerous dramatic roles in movies like "Walk The Line" (for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress), "Rendition" and "Wild".

4. Mike (Seth MacFarlane)

Mike may look like a tiny white mouse but when it comes to singing, he possesses a robust Frank Sinatra-like voice. He is also a con man and a gambler who "needs the contest money because he's made some very poor decisions and he's certain that his larger-than-life personality and stage persona hold the ticket to winning".

No stranger to voicing animated roles, Seth MacFarlane is best known for his popular animated TV series in "Family Guy". And who can forget his voice as the profanity-laden teddy bear in "Ted"?

5. Johnny (Taron Egerton)

Johnny is a mountain gorilla who doesn't want to follow the footsteps of his dad as a bank robber. Deep inside, he is actually an aspiring singer looking for a golden opportunity to prove his real talent.

With "Sing", this will mark the first time that Taron Egerton is voicing a role in an animated movie. Prior to "Sing", he made his first Hollywood breakthrough in 2014's "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and will reprise his role again next year in "Kingsman: The Golden Circle".

6. Meena (Tori Kelly)

Meena is a teenage elephant who has a powerful voice deep inside her. However, she afraid to show it due to stage fright.

"Sing" marks her voice performance in an animated movie. Tori Kelly is, of course, a singer who formerly appeared in two reality singing shows, "American Idol" and "The Voice". Last year, she released her debut album "Unbreakable Smile".

7. Eddie (John C. Reilly)

Eddie is a Suffolk sheep who helps manage Buster's theatre. Unlike Buster's sheer optimism to revive his dying theatre, Eddie doesn't exactly feel the same way. However, he ends up joining him in a quest to fulfil the impossible.

Even though John C. Reilly played a number of dramatic roles before with the likes of "The Thin Red Line" and "The Aviator", he is better known for his comedy performances in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby" and "Step Brothers" alongside fellow comedian Will Ferrell. And yes, he is also known for voicing Ralph in "Wreck-It Ralph".

8. Gunter (Nick Kroll)

Gunter may not possess a real singing talent like Rosita, but he manages to overcome his weakness by proving his stellar showmanship on the stage while dressed in a glittering gold tracksuit.

Apart from voicing an animated role in "Sing", Nick Kroll also voiced the role of Douche in "Sausage Party". He is better known for his comedy roles in television sitcoms and series such as "Community", "American Dad!" as well as "Parks And Recreation".

"Sing" opens in the cinemas nationwide on 8 December 2016.