Prequels, sequels, reboots, and remakes are all the buzz right now, especially with classic franchises like Gremlins and other staples of ‘80s cinema. And though we don’t yet have another movie set in the world of the 1984 horror-comedy classic, Max’s Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai more than scratches that itch with its animated adventure set decades before the Peltzer family met the adorable Gizmo (and his hellish brothers and sisters).
If you have started the first few episodes of the new Max original as soon as they dropped, there’s a good chance you’re wondering where you’ve seen and heard the Gremlins : Secrets of the Mogwai cast. Well, you don’t have to go too far to find out, as we have the full rundown of the main characters and the voice actors who brought them to life…
Izaac Wang (Sam Wing)
Izaac Wang leads the Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai cast as the much younger version of Sam Wing, the shop owner who looked after Gizmo at the start of Joe Dante’s original movie.
If you liked Raya and the Last Dragon, specifically the charismatic 10-year-old restaurateur named Boun, then you’ll certainly recognize Wang’s voice, as he voiced the lovable character in the 2021 Disney movie. The child actor has also appeared in some big live-action movies in recent years, including Good Boys and Clifford the Big Red Dog. As far as TV goes, Wang also portrayed Hugo the elf in the 2022 Disney+ series, The Santa Clauses.
Ming Na Wen (Fong Wing)
Taking on the role of Sam’s mom, Fong Wing, is Ming Na Wen, who brings with her years of small-screen experience (both animated and live-action) to Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.
Fans of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and The Bad Batch will certainly recognize Wen from her portrayal of Fennec Shand these past few years, but the talented actress has dozens of other credits to her name. Over the years, Wen has had meaningful roles on shows like Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Fresh Off the Boat, ER, and countless others dating back to the mid 1980s.
If you are fond of the original version of Mulan, then you’ll surely recognize Wen’s voice, as she portrayed the fearless warrior in the 1999 animated classic. Wen has also been in movies like Push, Prom Night, and the so bad it’s good video game movie, Street Fighter.
BD Wong (Han Wing)
BD Wong is another well-versed member of the Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai cast with his portrayal of Sam’s dad, Han Wing.
No stranger to the realm of TV, Wong has had extensive runs of crime dramas like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mr. Robot, and Oz, which is also streaming on Max. You may also recognize Wong from his portrayal of Dr. Henry Wu in Jurassic Park, though his character had a lot less to do in the movie when compared to his role in the book. That would change, however, in Jurassic World and its two sequels. Wong has also appeared in other movies like Focus, Bird Box, and Seven Years in Tibet, to name only a few.
James Hong (Grandpa)
Speaking of actors with incredible careers in front of the camera, James Hong shows up on Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai as Sam Wing’s grandfather, known simply as Grandpa.
Probably one of the most well-known and prolific character actors of all time, Hong has appeared in hundreds upon hundreds of movies and TV shows throughout his career, including one that goes back to the 1950s. While more modern audiences will recognize Hong from his performance in the Academy Award-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once, others will surely remember him from his legendary portrayal of David Lo Pan in Big Trouble in Little China, the best John Carpenter-Kurt Russell movie.
Besides those two appearances, Hong has popped up in other movies ranging from all-time sci-fi greats like Blade Runner to the Kung Fu Panda franchise to Pixar films like Turning Red, and so much more.
Gabrielle Neveah (Ellie)
Gabrielle Neveah shows up on Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai as Ellie, the young yet street-smart thief who joins Sam on his epic journey through 1920s China.
Though she hasn’t appeared in nearly as many movies and TV shows as James Hong and other members of the show’s voice cast, Neveah has taken on roles on several high-profile shows over the course of the past half-decade. If you are a fan of the 2019 All That revival, then you’ll most likely recognize Neveah from her time on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy program. But if not, then maybe her appearances on Nick News, That Girl Lay Lay, or Speechless may ring a bell.
Prior to Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Neveah was a member of the voice cast on the 2022 animated series, Monster High.
A.J. Locascio (Gizmo)
Though it may sound like Howie Mandel as the voice of Gizmo in Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, it is actually A.J. Locascio who provides the voice of the cuddly and courageous character this time around.
Taking over the roles of famous character in various animated projects has been one of Locascio’s strong-suits over the years, as he’s portrayed the likes of Marty McFly in 2010’s Back to the Future: The Game, Han Solo in The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special, Owen Grady in various Jurassic World video games, and countless others.
Over the years, the versatile voice actor has also portrayed characters on shows like The Loud House, Dawn of the Croods, Voltron: Legendary Defender, and the Shudder original series, Critters: A New Binge.
Matthew Rhys (Riley Greene)
And then there is Matthew Rhys, who takes on the role of the villainous Riley Green on Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.
One of the first additions to the cast reported by Variety a couple years ago, Rhys is also well known for his past work. With credits like Perry Mason, The Americans, The Post, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and most recently, Cocaine Bear, Rhys has done a little bit of everything and shown up just about everywhere throughout his career.
But that is just the main portion of the Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai cast, as you can hear characters voiced by Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy), Randall Park (WandaVision), George Takei (Star Trek), Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live), and Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch star Zach Galligan throughout the series as well.
The first two episodes of Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai are currently streaming for anyone with a Max subscription, with the remaining episodes of the show’s 10-part first season going live each Thursday. If you want to know about all the other new and returning shows coming to Max, and other streamers and channels, take a look at our 2023 TV schedule.
