Exploring Nicolas Cantu's career: Voice of Gumball and beyond
Nicolas Cantu expressed his desire to be an actor at 7. Although he participated in most school plays, his talent soon became too big for the small stage. At 10, the on-screen star left the life he knew in Texas behind and moved to Los Angeles to hone his skills. Did the sacrifice ultimately pan out?
I had a passion for film from a young age. Some achievements in art have the power to inspire. However, you can only create something inspirational by tapping your creative energy.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Nicolas Cantu's profile summary
- Nicolas Cantu's parents are natives of Mexico City
- Becoming the Gumball voice actor and other roles
- Insights into Nicolas Cantu's film career: Voicing the Ninja Turtles' leader
- Nicolas Cantu's wears many hats: YouTube and gaming careers
- A net worth reflecting Nicolas Cantu's successful acting endeavours
- FAQs
Key takeaways
- Nicolas is best known by his pseudonyms Junky Janker and TheCAN2Network.
- He made his acting debut voicing Diego Márquez in Dora and Friends: Into the City!
- Cantu is widely recognised for voicing Gumball Watterson in The Amazing World of Gumball.
- The actor was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 2019.
Nicolas Cantu's profile summary
| Full name | Nicolas Cantu |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 8 September 2003 |
| Age | 21 years old (As of April 2025) |
| Zodiac sign | Virgo |
| Birthplace | Austin, Texas, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mexican |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Alma mater | Stone Oak Elementary School |
| Height | 5'6" (168 cm) |
| Weight | 60 kg (132 lbs) |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Sexual orientation | Pansexual |
| Marital status | Single |
| Siblings | 2 |
| Profession | Actor, internet sensation, ex-animator |
| Years active | 2014-present |
| Net worth | $1.5 million |
| Social media | YouTube |
Nicolas Cantu's parents are natives of Mexico City
Although various sources report Mexico City as Nicolas' birthplace, he shed light on his early life and background in a February 2021 interview with LatiNation, saying:
I was born in Austin and raised in San Antonio, Texas. However, I relocated to Los Angeles, California, in 2014 to pursue my acting career.
Cantu's mother is a social worker, while his dad is a lawyer. Nicolas is the second of three sons, having two brothers, Matias and Sebastian.
Source: Getty Images
Becoming the Gumball voice actor and other roles
Nicolas made his career debut in 2014, starring in several TV commercials, including one for the San Antonio Spurs.
In 2017, he bagged the role of voicing the title character in The Amazing World of Gumball Cartoon Network series. Cantu replaced American actor Jacob Hopkins, who had played the part since 2014, during the fifth season. Below are some of his acting and voicing roles on television:
| Year | Title | Role |
| 2016-2017 | Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures | Rowan Freemaker (voice) |
| 2016-2019 | The Powerpuff Girls | Additional voices |
| 2019 | Sydney to the Max | Dominic |
| 2020-2021 | The Walking Dead: World Beyond | Elton Ortiz |
| 2022 | Oddballs | Smooth Jason |
| 2024 | Star Wars: Tales of the Empire | Dante (voice) |
How long did Nicolas Cantu voice Gumball?
The actor played this role for about two years (2017 to 2019). During the series' eight-episode 2020 spin-off, he was replaced by Duke Cutler as his voice had changed due to puberty.
Source: Getty Images
Insights into Nicolas Cantu's film career: Voicing the Ninja Turtles' leader
Junky Janker launched his film career at 14 with a voice role in the 2017 Nickelodeon film Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie. Five years later, he portrayed Hark in The Fabelmans.
In 2023, Nicolas bagged a voicing role on Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's animated superhero film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Speaking about his character Leonard during a July 2023 interview with Critqal, revealing:
Leo is the group's strategist. Despite being a teenager, he envisions being part of New York's best and most famous crime-fighting team.
In February 2024, Cantu told Wonderland Magazine of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem:
If I could use three words to describe the film, they would be knee-slapping, action-packed and turtle-action.
Nicolas Cantu's wears many hats: YouTube and gaming careers
The Unicorn star created his YouTube channel on 1 August 2016. Although Cantu has not posted content on the platform since 2020, he has 415,000 subscribers as of 10 April 2025.
Source: Getty Images
His most popular video dates to 2019 and boasts 2.1 million views. Additionally, Nicolas is a gamer who is a big fan of Fortnite and Minecraft.
A net worth reflecting Nicolas Cantu's successful acting endeavours
According to We Got This Covered, the Raven's Home star is worth $1.5 million. He reportedly earned between $200,000 and $300,000 for his role in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and $70,000 for The Fabelmans.
FAQs
In 2021, Cantu appeared on an episode of The Rookie alongside Nathan Fillion. Here are some frequently asked questions about him:
How old is Nicolas Cantu?
The American Born Chinese star (21 as of April 2025) was born on 8 September 2003. He is of Mexican descent.
What is Nicolas Cantu's sexual orientation?
Nicolas came out as pansexual via a tweet in December 2022. Nonetheless, he keeps details about his dating life under wraps.
Source: Getty Images
What is Nicolas Cantu doing now?
The actor's most recent role was voicing Tommy in the 2025 adult animated television series Common Side Effects.
From a young age, Nicolas Cantu nurtured the desire to be an actor, and at 12, he began to carve out his career in the industry. Today, he boasts 47 acting credits, including a voice role in The Amazing World of Gumball.
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