Not long ago, voice actors in animated features were as unknown as they were unseen.

The pay wasn't great, but there was a group of vocal pros (from Mel Blanc to, more recently, Frank Welker) who could play every part. But over the last quarter-century or so, thanks to the animation renaissance brought about by Disney and Pixar, animated features have gained prestige, and the anonymous voice pros have largely been pushed aside by A-list actors you'd never have imagined would do cartoons.

Case in point: Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm in the new "Minions," opening July 10. Here are 13 more stars who've defied expectations and made the medium of animation their own.