Dr. Seuss introduced the Grinch and the residents of Whoville in his 1957 book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Since then, the story has been adapted several times, with each version adding its own characters and details.
This guide focuses mainly on the characters from Illumination’s 2018 animated movie The Grinch. That means you will find Cindy-Lou Who, Donna Who, Mr. Bricklebaum, Fred and Cindy-Lou’s friends alongside the Grinch and Max. Characters created for the 2000 Jim Carrey movie are covered separately near the end.
Who Are the Main Characters in The Grinch?
The central characters in the 2018 movie are the Grinch, Cindy-Lou Who, Max, Donna Who, Mr. Bricklebaum, Fred the reindeer, Mayor McGerkle and Cindy-Lou’s friends Groopert, Ozzy, Izzy and Axl.
The film was directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney. Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch, while Cameron Seely plays Cindy-Lou Who.
The Grinch Cast and Characters
- Benedict Cumberbatch – The Grinch
- Cameron Seely – Cindy-Lou Who
- Rashida Jones – Donna Who
- Kenan Thompson – Mr. Bricklebaum
- Angela Lansbury – Mayor McGerkle
- Tristan O’Hare – Groopert
- Sam Lavagnino – Ozzy
- Scarlett Estevez – Izzy
- Ramone Hamilton – Axl
- Pharrell Williams – The Narrator
- Michael Beattie – The Store Clerk
Main Characters From the 2018 Grinch Movie
The Grinch
The Grinch is a lonely green creature who lives in a cave on Mount Crumpit with his dog, Max. He avoids Whoville whenever possible and becomes especially miserable when the town begins preparing for Christmas.
In the 2018 movie, the Grinch decides to steal Christmas after Mayor McGerkle announces that the celebration will be three times larger than usual. He disguises himself as Santa Claus, builds a sleigh and plans to remove every decoration and present from Whoville before Christmas morning.
This version also spends more time explaining why he hates the holiday. The Grinch grew up alone and remembers watching other children celebrate Christmas with their families. Those memories do not excuse what he does, but they give his anger and isolation more context than the original book had room to explore.
Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch with an American accent. His performance is less frantic than Jim Carrey’s live-action version, but the character is still sarcastic, theatrical and convinced that everyone else’s happiness is a personal inconvenience.
The Grinch is also one of the most recognizable green cartoon characters ever created.
Cindy-Lou Who
Cindy-Lou Who is the young girl whose kindness eventually reaches the Grinch. In the original Dr. Seuss story, she catches him stealing her family’s Christmas tree. The 2018 movie gives her a larger story of her own.
Cindy-Lou lives with her mother, Donna, and her two younger twin brothers. She notices how hard her mother works and decides that the best Christmas present would be some help for Donna. Since writing a letter does not seem good enough, Cindy-Lou plans to catch Santa Claus and speak to him directly.
She recruits Groopert, Ozzy, Izzy and Axl to help build a trap. Her plan eventually brings her face to face with the Grinch while he is disguised as Santa.
Cindy-Lou is not important because she tricks or defeats him. She simply treats him with kindness and explains that Christmas is about more than presents. Cameron Seely voices her in the film.
Max
Max is the Grinch’s dog, closest companion and, for most of the movie, his only real friend. He cooks breakfast, makes coffee, helps around the cave and gets pulled into nearly every part of the plan to steal Christmas.
Although Max obeys the Grinch, he is not cruel and does not share his hatred of the holiday. His expressions often reveal what he thinks about the plan long before the Grinch admits that anything is wrong.
Max does not need conventional dialogue to be funny or sympathetic. His patience, loyalty and quiet concern make him one of the film’s most likable characters.
Donna Who
Donna Who is Cindy-Lou’s loving and overworked single mother. She is raising Cindy-Lou and her younger twin sons while also working night shifts, managing the house and preparing for Christmas.
Donna never asks Cindy-Lou to solve her problems. In fact, Cindy-Lou creates the Santa trap on her own because she can see how much her mother is doing for the family.
That gives Cindy-Lou’s story a more personal goal. She is not trying to catch Santa because she wants a toy. She wants him to give Donna the help and happiness that she believes her mother deserves.
Rashida Jones voices Donna, who remains patient and affectionate even when the house is chaotic.
Mr. Bricklebaum
Mr. Bricklebaum is the Grinch’s cheerful neighbour and the complete opposite of him. He loves Christmas, covers his property in decorations and behaves as though he and the Grinch are close friends.
The Grinch does not share that opinion, but Bricklebaum never seems to notice. His friendliness is so constant that even the Grinch’s insults and attempts to avoid him fail to change his mood.
Bricklebaum represents the loudest and most enthusiastic side of Whoville’s Christmas spirit. Kenan Thompson voices the character and gives him the kind of energy that makes every entrance feel larger than it should.
Fred the Reindeer
Fred is a large reindeer the Grinch recruits after deciding that Max is too small to pull a sleigh loaded with stolen Christmas presents.
The Grinch finds Fred in the woods and brings him back to the cave, where the reindeer quickly becomes comfortable. Fred is strong enough for the job but not especially graceful or easy to control.
When the Grinch discovers that Fred has a mate and child, he releases him so he can return to his family. Max then resumes his place at the front of the sleigh.
Fred was created for the 2018 movie and does not appear in the original Dr. Seuss book or the 1966 television special.
Mayor McGerkle
Mayor McGerkle is the mayor of Whoville in the 2018 movie. At the beginning of the story, she announces that the town’s Christmas celebration will be three times bigger than it was the year before.
The announcement excites the Whos but pushes the Grinch beyond what he can tolerate. If Christmas is going to become larger and louder, he decides he will have to stop it completely.
Mayor McGerkle is voiced by Angela Lansbury. Unlike Mayor Augustus May Who from the 2000 live-action film, she is not an antagonist. She simply shares the town’s excitement for the holiday.
Groopert
Groopert is Cindy-Lou’s best friend and the first person she brings into her plan to catch Santa. He is cautious about some of her ideas, but he remains loyal and helps her recruit the rest of the group.
Like Cindy-Lou’s other friends, Groopert mainly appears during the Santa-trap storyline. Tristan O’Hare provides his voice.
Ozzy
Ozzy is one of Cindy-Lou’s young friends in Whoville. He joins Groopert, Izzy and Axl in helping her build a trap for Santa Claus.
Ozzy is a Who, not the Grinch’s dog. That role belongs to Max. Sam Lavagnino voices Ozzy in the movie.
Izzy
Izzy is another member of Cindy-Lou’s friend group. She helps with the plan to catch Santa and is present when the children prepare their elaborate trap.
The movie does not give Izzy a large individual storyline, but she helps make Cindy-Lou’s plan feel like a neighbourhood adventure rather than something she could carry out alone. Scarlett Estevez voices her.
Axl
Axl rounds out the group of children helping Cindy-Lou catch Santa. He joins Groopert, Ozzy and Izzy as they gather supplies and prepare the trap inside Cindy-Lou’s home.
Ramone Hamilton voices Axl. Like Ozzy and Izzy, he is a supporting character whose main purpose is to help Cindy-Lou carry out her plan.
The Narrator
Pharrell Williams narrates the 2018 movie, guiding viewers through the Grinch’s life on Mount Crumpit and his plan to steal Christmas.
The narration keeps some of the rhythm and storybook quality associated with Dr. Seuss while allowing the movie to expand the original story. It also explains parts of the Grinch’s thinking without requiring him to say everything aloud.
The Grinch begins the story with a heart described as two sizes too small. After hearing the Whos celebrate even without their gifts and decorations, his heart grows three sizes and he returns everything he stole.
Which Grinch Characters Are From the Original Story?
The 1957 book has a much smaller cast than the later movies. Its two central figures are the Grinch and Cindy-Lou Who, with Max assisting the Grinch during the Christmas robbery.
The Whos appear as a community, but most are not individually named or developed. Donna Who, Bricklebaum, Fred, Mayor McGerkle and Cindy-Lou’s group of friends were created for the 2018 adaptation.
The 1966 animated television special follows the original story more closely. Boris Karloff narrates the special and voices the Grinch, while June Foray voices Cindy Lou Who.
Characters From the 2000 Live-Action Grinch Movie
Ron Howard’s 2000 live-action movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas greatly expanded Whoville and created a different group of supporting characters. These characters should not be confused with Donna, Bricklebaum and Mayor McGerkle from the 2018 version.
- The Grinch: Played by Jim Carrey, whose performance relies heavily on physical comedy, improvisation and elaborate facial makeup.
- Cindy Lou Who: Played by Taylor Momsen. This version of Cindy investigates the Grinch’s past and invites him to Whoville’s Christmas celebration.
- Lou Lou Who: Cindy’s father and the Whoville postmaster, played by Bill Irwin.
- Betty Lou Who: Cindy’s mother, played by Molly Shannon.
- Mayor Augustus May Who: Whoville’s arrogant mayor and one of the Grinch’s childhood tormentors, played by Jeffrey Tambor.
- Martha May Whovier: The Grinch’s childhood crush and Augustus’s romantic interest, played by Christine Baranski.
- The Narrator: Voiced by Anthony Hopkins.
Who Played the Grinch in the Live-Action Movie?
Jim Carrey starred as the Grinch in the 2000 live-action adaptation, directed by Ron Howard. His version is louder, stranger and more physically exaggerated than the Grinch from the book or later animated movie.
The film gives the Grinch an extensive childhood history in Whoville and connects his hatred of Christmas to the bullying he experienced at school. Carrey’s performance shifts between angry monologues, improvised jokes and surprisingly quiet moments.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Grinch Characters
Who are the main characters in the 2018 movie The Grinch?
The main characters are the Grinch, Cindy-Lou Who, Max, Donna Who, Mr. Bricklebaum, Fred and Mayor McGerkle. Groopert, Ozzy, Izzy and Axl are Cindy-Lou’s friends.
Who voices the Grinch in the 2018 movie?
Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch in Illumination’s 2018 animated movie.
Is Ozzy the Grinch’s dog?
No. Ozzy is one of Cindy-Lou’s friends. Max is the Grinch’s dog and closest companion.
Who is Cindy-Lou Who’s mother?
Donna Who is Cindy-Lou’s mother in the 2018 film. She is a single parent raising Cindy-Lou and her younger twin brothers.
Who is Mr. Bricklebaum?
Mr. Bricklebaum is the Grinch’s cheerful neighbour. He loves Christmas and believes that he and the Grinch are best friends.
Who is Fred in The Grinch?
Fred is the large reindeer the Grinch briefly recruits to pull his sleigh. He was created for the 2018 movie.
Who is the mayor in the 2018 Grinch movie?
Mayor McGerkle is Whoville’s mayor in the animated movie and is voiced by Angela Lansbury.
Who played Cindy Lou Who in the live-action movie?
Taylor Momsen played Cindy Lou Who opposite Jim Carrey in the 2000 live-action film.
Final Thoughts
The Grinch, Max and Cindy-Lou Who remain the heart of every version of the story. The 2018 movie expands their world with Donna, Bricklebaum, Fred and Cindy-Lou’s friends, while the 2000 film creates its own version of Whoville around the Grinch’s childhood.
Keeping the adaptations separate makes the characters much easier to understand.
Donna Who is Cindy-Lou’s single mother in the animated movie, while Lou Lou Who and Betty Lou Who are her parents in the live-action film. Mayor McGerkle belongs to the 2018 story, while Mayor Augustus May Who belongs to the 2000 version.
Which version of the Grinch and Whoville do you return to every Christmas?
Let me know in the comments.
