The Sheep Detectives follows a flock of sheep as they investigate the mysterious murder of their kindly shepherd.
Key Points
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Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, and Nicholas Braun lead the live-action cast.
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The actors voicing the sheep include Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris O'Dowd, and Regina Hall.
The Sheep Detectivesis melting the hearts of audiences in much the same way that James Cromwell's relationship with apiglet named Babedid 30 years ago.
Based on Leonie Swann's 2005 novelThree Bags Full, director Kyle Balda's tale centers on the relationship between a shepherd, George Hardy (Hugh Jackman), and the flock of sheep he looks after (and occasionally enthralls with detective stories). When George turns up dead under mysterious circumstances, the sheep take it upon themselves to find answers. Hey, they seem to be as well-equipped as the local constable (Nicholas Braun).
While the live-action cast is plenty impressive — with Jackman and Braun joined by Emma Thompson, Hong Chau, Molly Gordon, and Nicholas Galitzine — you may be surprised to learn that the actors voicing the sheep are equally star-studded.
Read on to see who's voicing which sheep in this woolly new comedy.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Lily
Julia Louis-Dreyfusleads the pack as Lily, a Shetland sheep who emerges as a natural leader among the flock.
“It's a very unusual film in its fantasy and whimsy,” Louis-Dreyfus toldUSA Today. “At the same time, it has important themes of inclusion and the power of community that are particularly apt at this moment we're living through.”
Louis-Dreyfus will forever be known as Elaine onSeinfeld, for which she won the first of her 11 Emmy Awards. Her performance on the CBS seriesThe New Adventures of Old Christinenabbed her another trophy, while her sublime leading turn on HBO's political satireVeepearned her nine more (three as a producer).
Over the past decade, Louis-Dreyfus has pivoted between the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), in which she plays the shadowy Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and independent films such as Nicole Holofcener'sYou Hurt My Feelingsand Daina O. Pusić'sTuesday,both released in 2023.
Chris O'Dowd as Mopple
Chris O'Dowd voices Mopple, a merino sheep who, unlike his cohorts, has a sharp memory. That, of course, is essential to any murder investigation.
“My character, Mopple the sheep, is really the only one who remembers things, and that resonated with me a little bit," O'Dowdsaid in a recent interview. "Not because I have a particularly great memory, but because we all curate our own lives in a way. We carry certain memories with us because we want to, and sometimes we hold onto things we’d probably rather forget."
He continued, “I thought that was a really interesting theme in the movie — that these sheep can choose to forget everything. Obviously, we as humans can’t really do that, and yet we still try to in our own way."
The Irish actor and comedian rose to fame starring on Channel 4'sThe IT Crowd, and earned greater fame in the U.S. with memorable roles in films likeBridesmaids(2011), Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), and Molly's Game (2017). You may also remember him as Jessa's wretched husband Thomas John on HBO'sGirls,or from themost heartbreaking episode ofBlack Mirrorseason 7.
O'Dowd is also a regular voice actor, having voiced characters on Big Mouth,Human Resources,Puffin Rock, andThe Simpsons, as well as the filmsMary Poppins Returns(2018) andMy Father's Dragon(2022).
Regina Hall as Cloud
Playing the fluffy and ambitious Cloud is Regina Hall, who cut her teeth in the rude, crudeScary Moviefranchise before earning acclaim for her work inGirls Trip(2017),Support the Girls(2018), and the Oscar-winningOne Battle After Another(2025).
Hall has also been busy on the small screen, having played memorable roles onAlly McBeal, Black Monday,Nine Perfect Strangers, andThe Best Man: The Final Chapters.
Next up for Hall is areturn to theScary Movieuniversealongside her original costar, Anna Faris.
Patrick Stewart as Sir Richfield
The solemn, horned Sir Ritchfield is voiced by a legend of the screen and stage:Sir Patrick Stewart.
Stewart, an accomplished theatre actor, is best known to American audiences for a pair of roles in storied sci-fi franchises.
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First, there'sStar Trek's Jean-Luc Picard, commanding officer of the USS Enterprise, a role he played onStar Trek: The Next Generation, its film spinoffs, and the Paramount+ seriesPicard, among others. And then there's theX-Menfranchise's Professor Charles Xavier, whom he's played on and off over the past 26 years. He'll soon reprise the character in the upcomingAvengers: Doomsday.
A prolific voice actor, Stewart's low, resonant, and authoritative voice has appeared in films likeThe Prince of Egypt(1998),Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius(2001), andIce Age: Continental Drift(2012), as well as on episodes ofFamily Guy, American Dad, andFuturama.
Bella Ramsey as Zora
The pint-sized Zora is zippy, curious, and voiced byBella Ramsey, who has been working withThe Sheep Detectiveswriter Craig Mazin over the past several years on his HBO adaptation ofThe Last of Us. The role has earned them two Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations.
After breaking out as the outspoken Lyanna Mormont onGame of Thrones, Ramsey took on roles inJudy(2019) and Lena Dunham'sCatherine Called Birdy(2022), and the animatedChicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget(2023). They also voiced the titular character on Netflix'sHildafor 34 episodes across three seasons.
Ramsey will soon put their own investigative skills to the test on season 2 ofThe Celebrity Traitors.
Rhys Darby as Wool-Eyes
Rhys Darby lends his Kiwi accent to Wool-Eyes, a Lincoln Longwool whose sense of smell is more developed than his sight
As daffy band manager Murray, Darby regularly stole scenes from Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie on HBO'sFlight of the Conchords.
From there, the New Zealand actor appeared in several Taika Waititi films, includingWhat We Do in the Shadows(2014),Hunt for the Wilderpeople(2016), andNext Goal Wins(2023). He also starred on HBO'sOur Flag Means Death.
Darby has dozens of voice credits to his name. Highlights include episodes ofBob's Burgers,The Simpsons,Infinity Train,Voltron: Legendary Defender, andSpongeBob SquarePants, among many others.
Brett Goldstein as Reggie and Ronnie
Brett Goldsteinvoices a pair of rowdy Norfolk Horn sheep named Ronnie and Reggie.
The English actor won two Emmys for his role as Roy Kent on Apple TV'sTed Lasso, on which he also served as a writer and executive producer. He went on to co-create Apple's acclaimedShrinking,starring Jason Segal and Harrison Ford.
Elsewhere, Goldstein was teased to play Hercules in the MCU at the end ofThor: Love and Thunder(2022). He has several voice credits to his name, including in The Garfield Movie (2024) and on episodes ofHarley Quinn;Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock; andLove, Death & Robots.
Bryan Cranston as Sebastian
Sebastian, a black Icelandic Leadersheep who feels like an outcast from the flock, is voiced byBryan Cranston.
"Sebastian’s perspective is essential to good storytelling," Cranston said in arecent interview, speaking to Sebastian's innate cynicism. "You need contrasting viewpoints, something for the character to push against. Otherwise, it’s boring."
Cranston is TV royalty, having earned numerous Emmy nominations (and winning seven) for his work on shows likeBreaking Bad, Malcolm in the Middle, Your Honor, andThe Studio. He also has an Academy Award nomination under his belt thanks to his starring role inTrumbo(2015).
In 2026, he reprised his role as Hal forMalcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair, on which he also served as an executive producer.
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