Nicolas Cantu
Nicolas Cantu | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born | Nicolas Cantu September 8, 2003 Austin, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
Other names | Junky Janker[a] nicolasCAN2[3] | ||||||
Occupation(s) | Actor, YouTuber | ||||||
Years active | 2014–present | ||||||
YouTube information | |||||||
Subscribers | 419,000 (November 2024) | ||||||
|
Nicolas Cantu (born September 8, 2003),[4] known by his internet pseudonyms Junky Janker and nicolasCAN2, is an American actor, voice actor, and YouTuber. Cantu is best known for his animation roles as Gumball Watterson in the Cartoon Network animated TV series The Amazing World of Gumball (2017-2019), Charlie in the Netflix animated TV series Skull Island and as Leonardo in the computer-animated superhero film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (both 2023).[5] In live-action, Cantu is best known for starring as Elton Ortiz in the AMC post-apocalyptic horror drama television series The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2020-2021)[4][6] and as Hark in Steven Spielberg's coming-of-age drama film The Fabelmans (2022). His YouTube channel has over 425,000 subscribers.[7]
Early life
Nicolas Cantu was born in Austin, Texas on September 8, 2003. He is of Mexican descent; both of his parents are from Mexico City.[8][9] His father is a lawyer, whereas his mother is a social worker.[10] Cantu is the middle child of three, having two brothers, Sebastian and Matias.[11] He grew up in San Antonio, Texas and attended Stone Oak Elementary School.[12][13] He moved to Los Angeles, California when he was 10 years old in order to pursue his acting career. Cantu eventually moved back to San Antonio in 2022.[12]
Career
Television
He began his acting career at the age of twelve with a guest voice role as Diego Márquez in a 2016 episode of the Nickelodeon series Dora and Friends: Into the City!. He then began voice acting in main roles in the same year. His first main voice role was as Rowan Freemaker in the Disney XD television series Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures.[14] He also starred as Paco on the TV animated show Future-Worm!, voiced Prince James for the Disney Junior show Sofia the First, replacing Tyler Merna, and provided additional voices for the Cartoon Network reboot series The Powerpuff Girls.[15] From 2017 to 2019, he voiced the title character on the Cartoon Network series The Amazing World of Gumball, replacing Jacob Hopkins during the fifth season. In The Gumball Chronicles, an eight-episode miniseries based on the show, which premiered on the said network in 2020, he was replaced by Duke Cutler due to puberty. He then made his live-action debut in the former's year with a guest role in an episode of Teachers as Quinn and played Travis on an episode of Disney Channel's Raven's Home. In 2018, Cantu appeared as Raymond on The Good Place. In 2019, he made one-episode appearances on the TV series Bizaardvark, Sydney to the Max and DuckTales. He voiced Winston on Middle School Moguls and appeared as Andrew on the CBS sitcom The Unicorn. He also voiced Dak on the Netflix series DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders. In 2020, he voiced Rhys on an episode of Where's Waldo?, played Elton Ortiz on AMC's The Walking Dead: World Beyond and provided the voice of Teia on the animated series Puppy Dog Pals. In 2021, he played Dennis Kern on an episode of The Rookie, appeared as JJ on two episodes of 9-1-1: Lone Star and voiced Ensign Mainstay on the Netflix series Kid Cosmic. In 2022, he voiced Smooth Jason and Wrinkly on the Netflix show Oddballs. His most recent 2023 roles include Barry in the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, Otto in the Disney Channel animated TV series Hailey's On It! and Charlie in the Netflix animated TV series Skull Island.
Film
Cantu began his film career at the age of fourteen with a voice role as Curly on the 2017 Nickelodeon TV film Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie.[16][17] He then starred in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans as Hark in 2022.[18][19] He provided the voice of Leonardo on the 2023 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
Personal life
Cantu is a gamer.[20] He is close friends with the American singer, Brennley Brown.[21] On November 8, 2018, Cantu hosted a fundraiser for the Children's Hospital Los Angeles at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, California.[22]
Cantu came out as pansexual on Twitter in December 2022.[23]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie | Curly (voice) | TV Movie | [24] |
2017 | The Impossible Joy | Tomas | Short film | [25] |
2017 | Vikes | Joey | [26] | |
2022 | The Fabelmans | Hark | [27] | |
2023 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem | Leonardo (voice) | [28][29] |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Note | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Dora and Friends: Into the City! | Diego Márquez, Crocodile, Polar Bear (voice) | 2 episodes | [30] |
2016–2017 | Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures | Rowan Freemaker (voice) | 31 episodes | [31] |
2016–2018 | Future-Worm! | Paco (voice) | 6 episodes | [32] |
2016–2018 | Sofia the First | Prince James (voice) | 14 episodes | [33][34] |
2016–2019 | The Powerpuff Girls | Additional voices | ||
2017–2019 | The Amazing World of Gumball | Gumball Watterson, Humor, Anxiety, Zachariah Lopez Kirby (voice) | 71 episodes | |
2017 | Teachers | Quinn | 1 episode | |
2017 | Walk the Prank | Kid #1 | 1 episode | |
2017 | Raven's Home | Travis | 1 episode | [35][36] |
2018 | The Good Place | Raymond | 1 episode | |
2019 | Bizaardvark | Jackson | 1 episode | |
2019 | Sydney to the Max | Dominic | 1 episode | |
2019 | DuckTales | B.O.Y.D. (voice) | 1 episode | [37] |
2019 | Middle School Moguls | Winston (voice) | 4 episodes | |
2019–2020 | The Unicorn | Andrew | ||
2019–2020 | DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders | Dak (voice) | 26 episodes | [37] |
2020 | Where's Waldo? | Rhys (voice) | 1 episode | |
2020–2021 | The Walking Dead: World Beyond | Elton Ortiz | 20 episodes | [37][38] |
2020 | Puppy Dog Pals | Teia (voice) | 1 episode | |
2021 | The Rookie | Dennis Kern | 1 episode | [39] |
2021 | 9-1-1: Lone Star | JJ | 2 episodes | |
2021-2022 | Kid Cosmic | Ensign Mainstay (voice) | 2 episodes | |
2022 | Family Guy | High School Kid by the Bleachers (voice) | 1 episode | |
2022 | Oddballs | Smooth Jason, Wrinkly (voice) | 2 episodes | |
2023 | American Born Chinese | Barry | 2 episodes | |
2023 | Hailey's On It! | Otto (voice) | 1 episode | |
2023 | Skull Island | Charlie (voice) | 8 episodes | [37][40] |
TBA | Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Leonardo (voice) | [41] |
Nominations
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Annie Award | Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production | The Amazing World of Gumball, episode "The Grades" | Nominated | [42] |
2019 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a Voice-Acting Role: Teen Artist | Sofia the First | Nominated | [43] |
References
- ^ THE END OF THE LINE #NEWBIG, retrieved September 19, 2023
- ^ "RIP THA GOAT #KOBEYJANKER #NEWBIG #GONEFOREVERYOUWILLBEMISSED⚱️". instagram.com.
- ^ "nicolasCAN2 Official YouTube Channel". youtube.com.
- ^ a b Martinez, Kiko (September 15, 2022). "Actor Nicolas Cantu returns to San Antonio after 8 years". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ McIntosh, Steven (July 28, 2023). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reviews: Mutant Mayhem impresses critics". BBC Online. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ Pardiwalla, Tanzim (September 30, 2020). "Exclusive: 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond's Alexa Mansour, Nicolas Cantu On Relating To Teens In A Post-Apocalyptic World". Mashable. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ "junky janker's YouTube Stats (Summary Profile)". Social Blade. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ Raquel (August 12, 2021). "Nicolas Cantu Talks 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' And Latin Representation". Fangirlish. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ Wamangu, Peris (March 15, 2021). "Nicolas Cantu (Junky Janker) biography: who is the voice of gumball?". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ Peterson, Robbie (June 22, 2023). "Who is child actor Nicolas Cantu? Age, Height, Parents, Wiki". The Biography. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ "Bring your #brother to work day 😎 #brotherlylove #brothers #fountain #beautifulday #california #dreamworks #project @sebastiancantuuu #nicolascantuofficial". instagram.com.
- ^ a b Martinez, Kiko (August 2, 2023). "5 things to know about San Antonio actor, 'Ninja Turtles' star Nicolas Cantu". San Antonio Express-News. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ Price, Robert (December 3, 2022). "San Antonio actor makes film debut in Steven Spielberg's 'The Fabelmans'". WOAI-TV. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ "LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures Premieres June 20 on Disney XD". www.starwars.com.
- ^ "San Antonio native Nicolas Cantu's character keeps developing in final season of Walking Dead spinoff". www.sacurrent.com.
- ^ "Nick Titles 'Hey Arnold!' Movie Starring Original Voicers". www.animationmagazine.net.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Reveals Title of the Hey Arnold! TV Movie as Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie; Original Voice Actors Return". ir.paramount.com.
- ^ "'I mean, it's Steven Spielberg': Former NEISD student will star in legendary director's film". www.expressnews.com.
- ^ "San Antonio actor makes film debut in Steven Spielberg's 'The Fabelmans'". news4sanantonio.com.
- ^ Cantu, Nicolas (November 2, 2020). "Walking Dead: World Beyond's Nicolas Cantu on How to Survive an Apocalypse". BUILD Series Sydney (Interview). Interviewed by Danny Clayton. Yahoo! News. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ "Happy #sixteen to my #sweet friend @brennleybrown 🎉🎂🎉🎂 #birthdaygirl #thevoice #celebrate #happybirthday #nicolascantuofficial". instagram.com.
- ^ "Please join my friends and I on Thursday, November 8th to help raise funds benefiting the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. We will have a dine-in event happening ALL DAY at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. SWIPE RIGHT to see flyer for details. @childrensla @gunnarsizemore @andrerobinson2 @junkyjanker @noah_k_bentley #chla #childrenshospitallosangeles #fundraiser #juniorambassador #helpingkids". instagram.com.
- ^ @ncantu (December 24, 2022). "Pansexual" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Hey Arnold movie: Nickeloden announces title, 19 original actors returning". ew.com.
- ^ "Nick Sets "Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie" for Nov. 24th Debut". www.animationscoop.com.
- ^ "Filming this "Vikes" movie I met my BFF @carterhastings1 Our viewing party was so much fun!! 🎉🎬🍿". facebook.com.
- ^ Martinez, Kiko (November 23, 2022). "San Antonio actor Nicolas Cantu stars in Steven Spielberg's 'The Fabelmans'". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ Tallerico, Brian (July 27, 2023). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ "The cast #tmnt #tmntmovie 💥". instagram.com.
- ^ "Nicolas Cantu: The Rising Star in Voice Acting". www.sarkariexam.com.
- ^ "LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures - Nicholas Cantu Interview". youtube.com.
- ^ "New 'Walking Dead' Spinoff Casts Its First Three Leads". deadline.com.
- ^ "World Beyond actor Nicolas Cantu in TMNT: Mutant Mayhem teaser". undeadwalking.com.
- ^ "Excited to be Prince James!!#sofiathefirst #voiceoveractor #voiceactor #disneychannel #nicolascantuofficial". instagram.com.
- ^ "Great times as guest star on #ravenshome with this funny and #amazing lady ❤️ @ravensymone #actors @disneychannel #funonset #lovemyjob #kidactor #disney #show #ravensfan @nicolascantoo #nicolascantuofficial". instagram.com.
- ^ "Shooting an #episode for #ravenshome was #epic #disneychannel #setlife #halloween #scary #newepisode #mustwatch #happyday #funday #nicolascantuofficial". instagram.com.
- ^ a b c d Kelley, Shamus (July 25, 2023). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - Nicolas Cantu on Taking Charge as Leonardo". Den of Geek. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (July 10, 2019). "New 'Walking Dead' Series Casts Three Lead Roles (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
- ^ "@therookieabc @abcnetwork". instagram.com.
- ^ Ratcliffe, Amy (June 22, 2023). "Nerdist Watches SKULL ISLAND's First Episode with Series Star Nicolas Cantu". Nerdist. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
- ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (July 26, 2023). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is already spawning a sequel and a spinoff series". The Verge. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ Flores, Terry (December 4, 2017). "'Coco' Tops 2018 Annie Awards Nominations With 13". Variety. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ 2019 Young Artist Academy - 40th Awards Nominations. Young Artist Award. April 20, 2019. Event occurs at 4:59. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via YouTube.
Notes
External links
- Nicolas Cantu at IMDb
- Nicolas Cantu at Behind The Voice Actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- YouTube channels launched in 2016
- 2003 births
- American male actors of Mexican descent
- American male child actors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- American stand-up comedians
- Animators from Texas
- YouTube animators
- YouTubers from Texas
- American YouTubers
- Hispanic and Latino American male actors
- Male actors from Austin, Texas
- Living people
- People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Actors with autism
- American actors with disabilities
- Pansexual men
- Pansexual actors
- LGBT people from Texas