*In Pixar’s highly anticipated “Elio”, opening June 20, 2025, Yonas Kibreab voices the title role of an 11-year-old boy who accidentally becomes Earth’s representative to an intergalactic council. But in real life, Yonas is as grounded and charming as they come — and yes, he has opinions about space drinks, fashion, and what it means to lead.
EUR caught up with Yonas to talk about playing the imaginative Elio Solís and the surprising lessons he’s taking from this cosmic adventure.
When asked what he was obsessed with at age 11, just like his character, Yonas laughed.
“I was obsessed with so many things,” he shared. “One thing I always loved to do after coming home from school was making swords out of homemade items. I’d make swords out of paper. I loved doing origami, anything creative really.”
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That innate creativity clearly helped him tap into Elio’s colorful world.
One of the film’s key emotional arcs is watching Elio transform from an insecure boy into someone who embraces leadership. How did Yonas approach that transition in his voice performance?
“It wasn’t too hard to tap into that,” he said. “I felt like I was just on this journey with him because I can relate to Elio in so many ways. He’s almost become a part of who I am now. Reading the lines just made me think about his story. That’s why I was able to go from maybe sad to happy in a few minutes.”
Recording out of sequence was its own challenge.
“Sometimes we do the end scene first, or the beginning last,” Yonas explained. “You just have to take a deep breath and go into that next scene.”
The movie introduces audiences to a host of wild and whimsical aliens in the Communiverse — so which alien would Yonas want to be?
“I want to be like Ambassador Helix, the one who’s always drinking glorp!” he said, grinning. “He’s such a cool guy and on the smaller side, kind of like me. Also, glorp reminds me of boba, and I love boba.”
Asked what he’ll take away from the “Elio” experience, Yonas gave a heartfelt answer.
“Working with two amazing directors, Domee [Shi] and Maddie [Sharafian] — they helped me so much with my acting skills,” he said. “Usually in recording studios, you’re not recording with co-stars or other actors. So when I talked to them, they helped me a lot with this character. I just want to thank everybody at Pixar for guiding me and trusting me to play Elio.”
Elio rocks a signature look in the film: a cape made of trash and an eyepatch. If Yonas were leading the free world, what would his standout fashion accessory be?
“I love anything from bracelets to rings to necklaces,” he said, showing off some Elio-themed bracelets on his wrist.
“I think I’d want to make bracelets out of trash. You know, something different!”
Catch Yonas Kibreab as Elio when Pixar’s latest adventure lands in theaters June 20.
Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-bred entertainment journalist, producer, and host. Follow her socials @StilettoJill or visit JillMunroe.com. Catch her live M-F on KBLA Talk 1580 from 6PM to 7PM.
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