'Despicable Me 3's Big Villain Actually Has A History In Comedy

You've seen the promos and commercials at every bus stop and before any YouTube clip. Your kids have been itching to see silly, familiar Minions, and meet new, conniving villains. One of those villains who they might not recognize wears a purple jumpsuit and parachute pants. So who plays Balthazar Bratt in Despicable Me 3? The voice actor has a history in some more grown-up comedic roles, and has won Emmys, Tonys, and a Grammy for his work.

Trey Parker brings Balthazar Bratt to life on the big screen. Bratt is an 80's-obsessed former child star, and has the mustache, turtle neck, and shoulder pads to prove it. Gru and Bratt are enemies in the film and, for the sake of saving you from any spoilers, I'll just leave it at that.

Parker shared his initial reaction to the new role with Access Hollywood, remembering: "When they first asked me to do this, I was like 'wow, nobody's ever asked me to do that before, no one's asked me to do voices." But Parker was definitely game, especially because his biggest fan would get to hear his work: "At the time, my daughter was about two, and I was like 'oh, how cool would it be to go the the premiere and have my daughter be able to watch something I actually did, instead of like, you can't see this."

What Parker's alluding to is his work in co-creating the tv show South Park, where he did lend his voice to the infamous Eric Cartman. He's helped write, produce, and make music for a number of adult comedies as well, but Despicable Me 3 marks his foray into kids' movies. This conflict has some of his fans feeling a bit uneasy, as you'll see below:

Parker took a natural approach to voicing Bratt: "I didn't have to do much," he admitted to Access Hollywood. "I didn't really want to do a character." He noted that the production company's approach was already "so visual and everything."

Despicable Me 3 opens in theaters on Friday, just in time for the holiday weekend. In addition to Parker, the third installment of the animated hit features Steve Carrell, Kristin Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, and Russell Brand. Though some are questioning if Despicable Me 3 is as good as its predecessors, the current combo of comedians all but guarantees that you and your little ones will have a silly, villainous time.