Nicolas Cantu Explained

Nicolas Cantu
Birth Date:2003 9, mf=yes
Birth Place:Mexico City, Mexico
Other Names:junky janker TheCAN2Network[1]
Years Active:2014present
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Nicolas Cantu (born September 8, 2003), known by his internet pseudonyms junky janker and TheCAN2Network, is an American actor, internet personality, video producer, and former animator.

Cantu is best known for being the third voice of Gumball Watterson in the Cartoon Network animated television series The Amazing World of Gumball (2017–2019) and the voice of Leonardo in the animated film (2023) and its Nickelodeon television adaptation Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2024). Cantu is also well known for starring as Elton Ortiz in the AMC television series (2020–2021)[2] [3] and as Hark in the film The Fabelmans (2022).

His YouTube channel has over 425,000 subscribers.[4]

Early life

Nicolas Cantu was born in Mexico City, Mexico[5] and raised in Austin, Texas. He is of Mexican descent; both of his parents are from Mexico City.[6] [7] His father is a lawyer, whereas his mother is a social worker.[8] Cantu is the second of three sons, having two brothers, Sebastian and Matias.[9] He grew up in San Antonio, Texas and attended Stone Oak Elementary School.[10] [11] He moved to Los Angeles, California when he was 10 years old in order to pursue his acting career. Cantu eventually moved back to San Antonio in 2022.[10]

Career

Television

He began his acting career at the age of twelve with a guest voice role as Diego Márquez in a 2016 episode of the Nickelodeon series . He then began voice acting in main roles in the same year. His first main voice role was as Rowan Freemaker in the Disney XD television series .[12] He also starred as Paco on the TV animated show Future-Worm!, voiced Prince James for the Disney Junior show Sofia the First, replacing Tyler Merna, and provided additional voices for the Cartoon Network reboot series The Powerpuff Girls.[13] From 2017 to 2019, he voiced the title character on the Cartoon Network series The Amazing World of Gumball, replacing Jacob Hopkins during the fifth season. In The Gumball Chronicles, an eight-episode miniseries based on the show, which premiered on the said network in 2020, he was replaced by Duke Cutler due to puberty. He then made his live-action debut in the former's year with a guest role in an episode of Teachers as Quinn and played Travis on an episode of Disney Channel's Raven's Home. In 2018, Cantu appeared as Raymond on The Good Place. In 2019, he made one-episode appearances on the TV series Bizaardvark, Sydney to the Max and DuckTales. He voiced Winston on Middle School Moguls and appeared as Andrew on the CBS sitcom The Unicorn. He also voiced Dak on the Netflix series . In 2020, he voiced Rhys on an episode of Where's Waldo?, played Elton Ortiz on AMC's and provided the voice of Teia on the animated series Puppy Dog Pals. In 2021, he played Dennis Kern on an episode of The Rookie, appeared as JJ on two episodes of and voiced Ensign Mainstay on the Netflix series Kid Cosmic. In 2022, he voiced Smooth Jason and Wrinkly on the Netflix show Oddballs. His most recent 2023 roles include Barry in the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, Otto in the Disney Channel animated TV series Hailey's On It! and Charlie in the Netflix animated TV series Skull Island. He voiced Leonardo in the 2024 Nickelodeon animated television series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Film

Cantu began his film career at the age of fourteen with a voice role as Curly on the 2017 Nickelodeon TV film .[14] [15] He then starred in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans as Hark in 2022.[16] [17] He provided the voice of Leonardo on the 2023 film .[18]

Personal life

Cantu is a gamer.[19] On November 8, 2018, he hosted a fundraiser for the Children's Hospital Los Angeles at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, California.[20]

Cantu came out as pansexual on Twitter in December 2022. He is autistic and has ADHD.[21] [22]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
2017Curly (voice)TV Movie[23]
2017The Impossible JoyTomasShort film[24]
2017VikesJoey[25]
2022The FabelmansHark[26]
2023Leonardo (voice)[27] [28]

Television

YearTitleRoleNoteRef
2016Diego Márquez, Crocodile, Polar Bear (voice)2 episodes[29]
2016–2017Rowan Freemaker (voice)31 episodes[30]
2016–2018Future-Worm! Paco (voice)6 episodes[31]
2016–2018Sofia the FirstPrince James (voice)14 episodes[32] [33]
2016–2019The Powerpuff GirlsAdditional voices
2017–2019The Amazing World of GumballGumball Watterson, Humor, Anxiety, Zachariah Lopez Kirby (voice)71 episodes
2017TeachersQuinn1 episode
2017Walk the PrankKid #11 episode
2017Raven's HomeTravis1 episode[34] [35]
2018The Good PlaceRaymond1 episode
2019BizaardvarkJackson1 episode
2019Sydney to the MaxDominic1 episode
2019DuckTalesB.O.Y.D. (voice)1 episode[36]
2019Middle School MogulsWinston (voice)4 episodes
2019–2020The UnicornAndrew
2019–2020Dak (voice)26 episodes
2020Where's Waldo?Rhys (voice)1 episode
2020–2021Elton Ortiz20 episodes[37]
2020Puppy Dog PalsTeia (voice)1 episode
2021The RookieDennis Kern1 episode[38]
2021JJ2 episodes
2021–2022Kid CosmicEnsign Mainstay (voice)2 episodes
2022Family GuyHigh School Kid by the Bleachers (voice)1 episode
2022OddballsSmooth Jason, Wrinkly (voice)2 episodes
2023American Born ChineseBarry2 episodes
2023Hailey's On It!Otto (voice)1 episode
2023Skull IslandCharlie (voice)8 episodes[39]
2024Star Wars: Tales of the EmpireDante (voice)1 episode
2024–presentTales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesLeonardo (voice)12 episodes[40]

Nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref
2018 Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production The Amazing World of Gumball, episode "The Grades" [41]
2019 Best Performance in a Voice-Acting Role: Teen Artist Sofia the First [42]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: nicolasCAN2 Official YouTube Channel . youtube.com.
  2. News: Actor Nicolas Cantu returns to San Antonio after 8 years. Martinez. Kiko. September 15, 2022. San Antonio Express-News. July 29, 2023.
  3. Web site: Exclusive: 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond's Alexa Mansour, Nicolas Cantu On Relating To Teens In A Post-Apocalyptic World. Pardiwalla. Tanzim. September 30, 2020. Mashable. July 29, 2023.
  4. Web site: junky janker's YouTube Stats (Summary Profile). Social Blade. July 29, 2023.
  5. Web site: Nicolas Cantu Talks 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' And Latin Representation. en. August 12, 2021. fangirlish.com. Raquel.
  6. Web site: Raquel . 2021-08-12 . Nicolas Cantu Talks 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' And Latin Representation . 2023-11-22 . Fangirlish . en-US.
  7. Web site: Wamangu . Peris . 2021-03-15 . Nicolas Cantu (Junky Janker) biography: who is the voice of gumball? . 2023-11-22 . Legit.ng – Nigeria news. . en.
  8. Web site: Peterson . Robbie . 2023-06-22 . Who is child actor Nicolas Cantu? Age, Height, Parents, Wiki . 2023-11-22 . The Biography . en-US.
  9. Web site: Bring your #brother to work day #brotherlylove #brothers #fountain #beautifulday #california #dreamworks #project @sebastiancantuuu #nicolascantuofficial . instagram.com.
  10. News: Martinez . Kiko . 5 things to know about San Antonio actor, 'Ninja Turtles' star Nicolas Cantu . 8 August 2023 . San Antonio Express-News . Hearst Newspapers, LLC . 2 August 2023.
  11. Web site: San Antonio actor makes film debut in Steven Spielberg's 'The Fabelmans'. Price. Robert. December 3, 2022. WOAI-TV. July 29, 2023.
  12. Web site: LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures Premieres June 20 on Disney XD . www.starwars.com.
  13. Web site: San Antonio native Nicolas Cantu's character keeps developing in final season of Walking Dead spinoff . www.sacurrent.com.
  14. Web site: Nick Titles 'Hey Arnold!' Movie Starring Original Voicers . www.animationmagazine.net.
  15. Web site: Nickelodeon Reveals Title of the Hey Arnold! TV Movie as Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie; Original Voice Actors Return . ir.paramount.com.
  16. News: 'I mean, it's Steven Spielberg': Former NEISD student will star in legendary director's film . San Antonio Express-News . Silmi . Malak .
  17. Web site: San Antonio actor makes film debut in Steven Spielberg's 'The Fabelmans' . news4sanantonio.com. December 2, 2022 .
  18. Web site: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Nicolas Cantu on Taking Charge as Leonardo . www.denofgeek.com. July 25, 2023 .
  19. Cantu. Nicolas. Danny Clayton. Walking Dead: World Beyond's Nicolas Cantu on How to Survive an Apocalypse. BUILD Series Sydney. November 2, 2020. Yahoo! News. July 29, 2023.
  20. Web site: Please join my friends and I on Thursday, November 8th to help raise funds benefiting the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. We will have a dine-in event happening ALL DAY at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. SWIPE RIGHT to see flyer for details. @childrensla @gunnarsizemore @andrerobinson2 @junkyjanker @noah_k_bentley #chla #childrenshospitallosangeles #fundraiser #juniorambassador #helpingkids . instagram.com.
  21. Web site: Gumball destroys dream Full Video (LOTS OF SWEARING) . 2024-07-25 . . November 25, 2023 .
  22. ncantu . 1606524885752336384 . Pansexual. December 24, 2022.
  23. Web site: Hey Arnold movie: Nickelodeon announces title, 19 original actors returning . ew.com.
  24. Web site: Nick Sets "Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie" for Nov. 24th Debut . www.animationscoop.com.
  25. Web site: Filming this "Vikes" movie I met my BFF @carterhastings1 Our viewing party was so much fun!! . facebook.com.
  26. Web site: San Antonio actor Nicolas Cantu stars in Steven Spielberg's 'The Fabelmans'. Martinez. Kiko. November 23, 2022. San Antonio Express-News. July 29, 2023.
  27. Web site: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Tallerico. Brian. July 27, 2023. RogerEbert.com. July 29, 2023.
  28. Web site: The cast #tmnt #tmntmovie . instagram.com.
  29. Web site: Nicolas Cantu: The Rising Star in Voice Acting . www.sarkariexam.com. January 6, 2024 .
  30. Web site: LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures – Nicholas Cantu Interview . youtube.com. June 21, 2016 .
  31. Web site: New 'Walking Dead' Spinoff Casts Its First Three Leads . deadline.com. July 10, 2019 .
  32. News: World Beyond actor Nicolas Cantu in TMNT: Mutant Mayhem teaser . Undead Walking. March 6, 2023 .
  33. Web site: Excited to be Prince James!!#sofiathefirst #voiceoveractor #voiceactor #disneychannel #nicolascantuofficial . instagram.com.
  34. Web site: Great times as guest star on #ravenshome with this funny and #amazing lady ❤️ @ravensymone #actors @disneychannel #funonset #lovemyjob #kidactor #disney #show #ravensfan @nicolascantoo #nicolascantuofficial . instagram.com.
  35. Web site: Shooting an #episode for #ravenshome was #epic #disneychannel #setlife #halloween #scary #newepisode #mustwatch #happyday #funday #nicolascantuofficial . instagram.com.
  36. Web site: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Nicolas Cantu on Taking Charge as Leonardo. Kelley. Shamus. July 25, 2023. Den of Geek. July 29, 2023.
  37. Web site: New 'Walking Dead' Series Casts Three Lead Roles (EXCLUSIVE). Otterson. Joe. July 10, 2019. Variety. July 30, 2023.
  38. Web site: @therookieabc @abcnetwork . instagram.com.
  39. Web site: Nerdist Watches SKULL ISLAND's First Episode with Series Star Nicolas Cantu. Ratcliffe. Amy. June 22, 2023. Nerdist. July 30, 2023.
  40. Web site: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is already spawning a sequel and a spinoff series. Pulliam-Moore. Charles. July 26, 2023. The Verge. July 29, 2023.
  41. Web site: 'Coco' Tops 2018 Annie Awards Nominations With 13. Flores. Terry. December 4, 2017. Variety. July 29, 2023.
  42. April 20, 2019. 2019 Young Artist Academy – 40th Awards Nominations. July 29, 2023. 4:59. Young Artist Award. YouTube.