Who Is Yonas Kibreab? Meet the Filipino-American Lead Star of Disney Pixar’s "Elio"

At just 14 years old, Filipino-Eritrean actor Yonas Kibreab is making his mark as the voice behind Pixar’s next big character—and bringing fresh representation to the screen while he's at it.

Starring as the titular role in Disney and Pixar’s new feature Elio, Kibreab brings a natural ease to the role that suits his character’s curious and offbeat spirit. The film follows an 11-year-old boy who’s mistaken for Earth’s intergalactic ambassador after being beamed up by aliens. But who exactly is the boy behind the voice of Elio Solis? Here are five things to know about Yonas Kibreab.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Yonas Kibreab is of Filipino and Eritrean descent. In an interview with JoySauce, the young actor shared how meaningful it is to represent Black and brown kids in a Pixar film. “Representing this community, being able to be in a Pixar movie, and being able to be an example for kids that want to do anything artistic—it’s so great, and I'm so humbled to be a part of that,” he said.

Yonas first auditioned for Elio during the pandemic, recording his lines in a makeshift booth inside his parents' closet. At the time, the project was known simply as Adrian Molina Untitled Project, referencing the Coco co-director. He eventually landed the scratch role, a temporary voice recording used to guide animators, before officially being cast as Elio at age 12.

Before Pixar, Yonas already had a solid resume. The young actor played Luna in Blumhouse’s Blood Moon, appeared as a Jedi youngling in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and had recurring roles in Pretty Freekin Scary and Sweet Tooth. He’s also made guest appearances in Silicon Valley, Raven’s Home, and Better Things.