In the summer of 2006, the worlds of stock car racing and computer-generated images collided and brought audiences around the world to the clever and entertaining Pixar movie Cars. It’s now been 15 years since we first heard that Owen Wilson (who was at the top of the world) lent his voice to the successful but overly self-confident Lightning McQueen while the hot race car didn’t learn a thing or two about the race car always in the fast lane, and you might be wondering what he and the rest of the Cars voice have been up to over the past decade and a half.
Then you have come to the right place, because we are just about to get on the autobahn and bring us up to date with all the familiar voices and what they have done over the past few years.
(Image credit: Disney)
Owen Wilson (Lightning McQueen)
Coming out of the gate is Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, the hot red racing car who goes in search of souls after getting lost on the way to the final race of the Piston Cup. In addition to repeating his role in the second and third installments of the Cars franchise (as well as various shorts), Wilson has teamed up with his old filmmaker buddy Wes Anderson on another film several times over the past 15 years – The French Embassy – On the way. In June 2021, Wilson joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the mysterious Mobius M. Mobius in the Disney + streaming series Loki. If the shocking season one finale is any clue, we’ll see a lot more of Wilson in the MCU.
(Image credit: Disney / Buena Vista)
Paul Newman (Doc Hudson)
Paul Newman’s vocal performance as Doc Hudson, the 1951 Hudson Hornet with a long history, was the Hollywood legend’s last non-documentary appearance before his death in 2008. Archive footage of the Oscar-winning actor (The Color of Money) would be later to be used in Cars 3 from 2017.
(Image credit: Disney / Universal)
Bonnie Hunt (Sally Carrera)
Sally Carrera, the legal practicing Porsche who represents Lightning McQueen in bringing Radiator Springs to Cars mayhem and destruction, is voiced by Bonnie Hunt. The longtime Pixar voice actress built on her performance from 2006 with the second and third Cars films as well as Toy Story 3 and its sequel from 2018 and Monsters University from 2013. In 2021, Hunt voiced the Disney + streaming series Monsters at Work, repeating her role as Mrs. Flint of Monsters Inc.
(Image credit: Disney / Lionsgate)
Larry the Cable Guy (Mater)
There are few members of the Cars cast more tied to the franchise than Larry The Cable Guy. Since speaking to Mader, Lightning McQueen’s right-hand man and greatest supporter, in 2006, the Blue Collar comedy star has appeared in all subsequent theatrical releases and a total of 11 short films, most of which revolved around his character. He’s even voiced the character in various video games and theme park attractions. He will repeat Mader again in the upcoming Cars series on Disney +. Larry The Cable Guy has since released several comedy albums and specials, documentaries, and reality shows.
(Photo credit: Disney / Amazon)
Tony Shalhoub (Luigi)
In the years since voicing Luigi the yellow Fiat who owns Radiator Springs’ premier tire business, Tony Shalhoub has completed his acclaimed run on US crime comedy series Monk and joined the cast of another hit series affiliated: the Amazon original The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. With the fourth season of the Primetime Emmy Award-winning show, you can expect more from the prolific actor in the near future.
(Image credit: Disney / Universal)
Cheech Marin (Ramone)
Cheech Marin, one half of the legendary comedy duo Cheech and Chong, has been as busy as ever since her voice Ramone, the lowrider with paint shop, in the first Cars film. Like much of the cast, Marin has repeated his role several times over the years, but he’s also traveled extensively outside of the Pixar universe. In 2019 he appeared in the documentary The Cheech: An American Icon’s Crusade for the Chicano Art Movement, which focused on the actor’s decades of work to preserve the art style while making it accessible to a new audience. He will also appear in the upcoming romantic comedy Shotgun Wedding, starring Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Coolidge.
(Image credit: Disney / Lionsgate)
George Carlin (Fillmore)
George Carlin’s portrayal of Fillmore, the Volkswagen bus in Cars, was one of his last film appearances before the revolutionary comedian’s death in 2008. Even after his death, there have been several Carlin releases over the years, including the 2016 comedy album I. Kinda I like it when a Lotta man dies. Carlin’s character Rufus from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure appeared (through the use of archival footage) in Bill and Ted Face the Music from 2020.
(Image credit: Disney / Universal)
Paul Dooley (coffin)
In the years since he first voiced Sarge, the old military jeep that sends Lightning McQueen through a vehicle boot camp in Cars, Paul Dooley remains one of the best character actors in film and television, despite the bulk of his production on the small screen recently. Over the past few years, Dooley has appeared here and there on shows like Parenthood, Workaholics, Shameless, and Life in Pieces.
(Image credit: Disney / ABC)
Jennifer Lewis (Flo)
Jenifer Lewis is another member of the Cars cast who have been kept busy as always in the years following the film’s release in 2006. Since Lewis took on the role of Flo, the owner of Flo’s V-8 Café, all those years ago, he has appeared several times in the franchise, as well as in other animated films such as The Princess and the Frog and The Addams Family. Lewis has been portraying Ruby Johnson on the hit ABC sitcom, black-ish, since 2014. In addition, Lewis published an autobiography called The Mother Of Black Hollywood, which featured stories from her life and career, including experiences with everyone from Whoopi Goldberg to Aretha Franklin.
(Image credit: Disney / Speed Channel)
Richard Petty (strip “The King” Weathers)
Strip “The King” Weathers, the Plymouth Superbird trying to claim another win before retiring from the Piston Cup circuit in cars, was voiced by NASCAR legend Richard Petty. After a legendary career in which he won 200 record races, Petty retired from NASCAR in 1992 and has since been one of the brand’s most notable figures, whether as commentary during races or as a general presence on circuits across the country.
(Image credit: Disney / Sony)
Michael Keaton (Chick Hicks)
In the years following Cars’ release, Michael Keaton, who played the racing car known as Chick Hicks, has shown some of the best performances of his career and it doesn’t look like he’s going to slow any any time soon. For the past decade, Keaton has starred in Birdman, Spotlight, The Founder and The Trial of the Chicago 7. In 2022, Keaton will again play Vulture in the upcoming Marvel film Morbius and return as Bruce Wayne / Batman in The Flash.
(Image credit: Disney / ABC)
Katherine Helmond (Lizzie)
The role of Lizzie, the Model T Ford in Cars, is just one of many appearances by the late Katherine Helmond, who died in 2019 at the age of 89. The legendary actress has appeared in films like Time Bandits, Overboard, and Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas throughout her career, but the lion’s share of her work has been on the small screen. With credits like Who’s the Boss ?, Coach and Everybody Loves Raymond, Helmond was as productive as it gets.
(Image credit: Disney / NBC)
John Ratzenberger (Mack)
John Ratzenberger, who has appeared in almost every Pixar film since Toy Story in 1995, spoke to Mack, the sleepless semi-trailer in Cars. In the years following the film’s release in 2006, Ratzenberger did mostly voice work on the film side, with most of it featured in Pixar films and shows like the Disney + streaming series 2021 Monsters at Work.
(Image credit: Disney)
Joe Ranft (red)
Joe Ranft, who wrote, co-governed, and spoke about Red in Cars, tragically died in an accident in August 2005, a little less than a year before the film was released. The film and the video game that followed were dedicated to his memory. Years later Ranft was honored again in a Soul Easter Egg.
(Image credit: HBO / Disney / Amazon)
Jeremy Piven (USA) / Jeremy Clarkson (Great Britain) (Harv)
Depending on where you’ve seen Cars, Harv, the manager of Lightning McQueen (whom you only hear and don’t see throughout the film) has been voiced by Jeremy Piven (USA) or Jeremy Clarkson (UK). Piven, who received multiple awards for his performance as Ari Gold, an integral part of the Entourage cast, has starred in shows such as Mr. Selfridge and Wisdom of the Crowd in recent years. He will appear in a number of upcoming films including All-Star Weekend, The Walk and Last Call. Clarkson, a former host of the UK auto show Top Gear, is currently running The Grand Tour on Amazon and the UK version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ?.
The cast of Cars is one of the craziest cast that can be put together, even by Pixar’s standards. However, this barely makes a dent in the list of racers, media personalities, and celebrities who appeared in the film. With cameos from Bob Costas, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and actors from previous Pixar films in the Cars credits scene, there are so many names. And who knows, some of these names might appear in upcoming Disney films.
