The animated Madagascar movies were produced by DreamWorks Animation and they follow the adventures of four Central Park Zoo animals. The first film, Madagascar, was released in 2005, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa in 2008, and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted in 2012.
Penguins of Madagascar (2014) is a spin-off of the Madagascar series.
Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, and Chris Rock are the voices of the four main characters.
Names Of The Penguins From Madagascar:
Skipper
Skipper is a Chinstrap penguin, and the oldest of the four penguins in the franchise.
Skipper was voiced by American voice actor Tom McGrath. He also co-wrote and co-directed Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.
”People really loved the penguins, and it was easy because they were just pure comic relief,” Tom McGrath said in an interview with NPR in 2014.
“The character [Skipper] was really dry and really straight in the first one,” McGrath revealed in another interview with Seattle Times. ”All he did was bark orders.”
As his 2nd in command, Skipper respects Kowalski’s intelligence,
Kowalski
Kowalski is Skipper’s right-hand man and usually takes notes for Skipper. Kowalski has been in all three Madagascar movies. This character was voiced by Chris Miller.
”Kowalski’s place in the team as he’s sort of Skipper’s right-hand man and a very dedicated and determined individual, that
he’s very resourceful, so if you need to solve a problem, you gotta Kowalski,” Miller told FilmIsNow in 2014.
Rico
Rico is a support character, completely obedient to Skipper. He has very minor roles in all three films. Jeffrey Katzenberg was the voice of Rico in the first film. In the 2008 and 2012 films, it was John DiMaggio and Conrad Vernon in the 2014 spin-off.
Private
Christopher Knights voices him in the films as well as works as a film editor. Private is the only one of the four whose age the franchise ever states. He is 10.
| Name | Meaning | Pronunciation | Weird Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private | set apart | PRY-vit | Rescued as a lost egg |
| Rico | rich | REE-koh | Stores weapons in his stomach |
| Kowalski | smith, in Polish | koh-WAHL-skee | Always clutching a clipboard |
| Skipper | “ship’s captain.” | SKIP-er | Voiced by the co-director |
Happy Feet
Happy Feet is an animated comedy film that follows the adventures of a tap-dancing emperor penguin, Mumble. The film grossed $384 million against a $100 million budget and won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Mumble
Mumble is one of the two main protagonists, and the only one not to sing. Elijah Wood voiced Mumble.
”I loved the experience of making the first one,” Elijah Wood said after filming Happy Feet 2. ”I loved the first film. I loved working with George and with Robin Williams, and it was an extraordinary experience.”
Gloria
American actress Brittany Murphy voiced Gloria. Unfortunately, she was found dead in her bathroom in 2009. She was 32.
“It was sad recording without Brittany Murphy,” Robin Williams said at the time. ”She was live and her voice was so exquisite.”
Gloria is the love interest and wife of Mumble.
Memphis
Memphis is dad to Mumble and the grandfather of Erik. He is named after Elvis Presley’s hometown. Australian actor Hugh Jackman voiced him.
“I play a penguin who thought he was Elvis, and I came back for my second session, and he was called Memphis,” Hugh Jackman told CBS News.
Norma Jean
Norma Jean is the wife of Memphis and the grandmother of Erik. Norma Jean is named after Marilyn Monroe’s birth name. Nicole Kidman voiced Norma Jean.
Noah
Noah the Elder is the leader of the council of elders. I love the fact that Hugo Weaving plays him as a preacher.
Lovelace & Ramón
The two are voiced by Robin Williams. Ramón is one of Mumble’s best friends while Lovelace is an overweight Rockhopper.
”You have to do it better than the first time to make it worthwhile, not just for the sake of the franchise,” Williams said about Happy Feet 2.
Nestor
Nestor is the second member of the group “The Amigos.” Nestor is voiced by Carlos Alazraqui who also voiced the 1990s Taco Bell chihuahua.
Raul
Raul is the third member of the group “The Amigos.” Raul is voiced by Lombardo Boyar.
Rinaldo
Rinaldo is a member of the group “The Amigos.” Rinaldo was voiced by Jeff Garcia who passed away in December 2025.
Lombardo
He is the 4th member of the group “The Amigos.” Johnny A. Sanchez voices Lombardo.
READ MORE: Names of Dragons from Game of Thrones
Miss Viola
Miss Viola is known as a teacher in Emperor-Land. Magda Szubanski is the voice of Miss Viola. Happy Feet Two reveals she is the mother of Bo.
Maurice
Maurice is the father of Gloria. He is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.
Seymour
Seymour is the only emperor p. who did not mock Mumble. Fat Joe voiced him in the first film and Common in Happy Feet Two. “I love just being a character,” Common later stated.
Michelle
Michelle is the mother of Gloria. Michelle is voiced by Chrissie Hynde.
Mrs. Astrakhan
Miriam Margolyes is the voice of Mrs. Astrakhan in Happy Feet. She was written out of the 2nd movie and did not return.
Happy Feet Two
Happy Feet Two was released in 2011, and it was a box-office bomb, grossing $159 million against a $135 million budget. New characters in Happy Feet Two are:
Carmen
Carmen is Ramón’s love interest. Sofía Vergara is the voice of Carmen in Happy Feet Two. “When Sofia comes into the room the whole place turns 3-D,” Robin Williams said about working with Sofia Vergara on Happy Feet Two. ”She’s amazing.”
Erik
Erik is the son of Mumble and Gloria. He is voiced by Ava Acres and Elizabeth Daily.
Atticus
Atticus is a baby emperor penguin. Benjamin “Lil P-Nut” Flores Jr. voices him.
Boadicea
She completes the trio of chicks and is the Parkour champion on ice and snow.
The Mighty Sven
Sven is the main antagonist and Henry Albert “Hank” Azaria provided the voice.
| Name | Meaning | Pronunciation | Weird Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovelace | “without love” | LUV-lays | Choked by plastic rings |
| Michelle | who is like God | mee-SHEL | Pretenders frontwoman sings her |
| Erik | “eternal ruler.” | AIR-ik | Breaks into opera |
| Nestor | homecoming | NES-tor | Voice of Taco Bell’s chihuahua |
| Memphis | the lasting beauty | MEM-fis | Dropped his son’s egg |
| Boadicea | victory | boh-uh-dih-SEE-uh | Goes by Bo |
| Seymour | from Saint-Maur | SEE-mor | Fat Joe, then Common |
| Lombardo | “long beard” | lom-BAR-doh | Named like Raul’s voice actor |
| Mrs. Astrakhan | the Volga city | AS-truh-kan | Shares name with lamb fur |
| Gloria | glory | GLOR-ee-uh | Pink voiced her later |
| Sven | “young man” | SVEN | Secretly a puffin |
| Raul | counsel of wolves | rah-OOL | An Adélie, not emperor |
| Noah | rest, or comfort | NOH-uh | Agent Smith’s voice |
| Carmen | “a song.” | KAR-men | Rejects Ramón at first |
| Maurice | the dark one | maw-REES or MOR-is | Same name as Madagascar’s aye-aye |
| Mumble | speaks unclearly | MUM-bul | Tap-dances instead of singing |
| Rinaldo | power of counsel | ree-NAHL-doh | Voiced by Jimmy Neutron’s Sheen |
| Atticus | Athenian, in Latin | AT-ih-kus | A child rapper voices him |
| Norma Jean | pattern, or grace | NOR-muh JEEN | Sings Prince to Memphis |
| Ramón | wise protector | rah-MOHN | Lovelace’s actor voices him |
| Miss Viola | the violet | vee-OH-luh or VY-uh-luh | Mrs. Hoggett from Babe |
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