Gru
From stealing the moon to raising three daughters and working for the Anti-Villain League.
Felonious Gru, typically referred to by his surname Gru, is a fictional character and the protagonist of Illumination's Despicable Me franchise. He first appeared in Despicable Me (2010) and has appeared in all seven films in the franchise. He is voiced by American actor Steve Carell. Based on a Dracula-like concept character pitched by animator Sergio Pablos, he was shaped by directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin into a character more like a James Bond villain. Gru is a grouchy, quick-witted, and cynical supervillain and the boss of the Minions, who also serves as a secret agent in order to fight other supervillains. His adoption of three orphan girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes propels his story arc from malevolent supervillain to reformed parent.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Despicable Me
- First
- Despicable Me (2010)
- Creator
- Sergio Pablos
- Gender
- Male
- Designer
- Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
- Voice
- Steve Carell
- Full name
- Felonious Gru
- Occupation
- Supervillain
- Jelly manufacturer
- Agent at the Anti-Villain League
Lore & Background
Gru is a supervillain whose ambitions include masterminding evil deeds, such as stealing the Moon. He is bald, top-heavy, has a sharp and long beak nose and wears a black coat and a scarf. Despite his wicked motives, he is largely inept and often resorts to petty acts of villainy. His suburban home is built above a secret lair, inhabited by his Minions.
In Despicable Me, Gru is preoccupied with being the greatest villain of all time. His ambitions are influenced by his mother, who sometimes ridicules him. With the help of his genius inventor Dr. Nefario, he is able to employ a variety of weapons to carry out his wicked plans, such as his Insta-Freeze Gun or his Shrink Ray. In addition to his Minions, Gru has a small, sharp-toothed dog named Kyle.
His prickly, quick-tempered personality softens after adopting three orphan girls, named Margo, Edith, and Agnes. In Despicable Me 2, when recruited as an agent by the Anti-Villain League (AVL), he meets Lucy Wilde, who becomes his love interest. In Despicable Me 3, he meets his long-lost evil twin brother, Dru. In the fourth Despicable Me film, he is the biological father of a baby named Gru Jr.
Reader's Guide
Gru debuted in Despicable Me (2010) as a supervillain who plans to steal the moon using a Shrink Ray. His personality is defined by his grouchy, quick-witted, and cynical nature, but he softens after adopting three orphan girls: Margo, Edith, and Agnes. In Despicable Me 2 (2013), he leaves villainy behind to care for his daughters, launches a jam business, and is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to stop El Macho. In Despicable Me 3 (2017), he is fired from the AVL, meets his twin brother Dru, and faces Balthazar Bratt. In Despicable Me 4 (2024), he and his family—including baby Gru Jr.—enter witness protection after Maxime Le Mal escapes prison. Gru's voice actor Steve Carell described his performance for a younger Gru in Minions: The Rise of Gru as "a little more earnest, voice a bit higher, a little squeakier, a little less composed, but very much the same guy."
Did You Know?
- Gru's distinctive accent was conceived by voice actor Steve Carell as a combination of 'every middle European country in the world, plus a little Latin America, and maybe some French.'
- Early in development, Gru nearly had a French accent inspired by Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau.
- Gru's character was originally much more evil in early concepts, but the creative team found ways to make him 'evil but very charming.'
More in Characters & Minions
Elsewhere in Despicable Me
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