Why Ray Fillet From TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Sounds So Familiar

Big-budget animated movies are known for often having surprisingly star-studded casts, but the number of big names attached to "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" may just make it the most impressive example yet. Just about every character that gets introduced in the movie will have fans pointing at the screen and whispering, "I know that voice." 

From John Cena as Rocksteady to Maya Rudolph as Cynthia, those familiar with these actors will have little trouble knowing who's who. However, there are a couple characters in the film who may sound familiar, but whose actors are a little more difficult to identify. One prime example is Ray Fillet, the mutant manta ray who's buddied up with the villainous Superfly.

If viewers are having trouble telling who Ray's performer is, it's because the celebrity in question is actually a musician first and an actor second. The mutant is played by none other than hip-hop artist Post Malone, who dominated the radio waves in the late 2010s with a bunch of hit songs. The singer is known for singles like "Congratulations," "rockstar" featuring 21 Savage, and "Circles," among others. Most people probably recognize Post Malone from his music alone, though there's a slight chance they might also be familiar with him through his limited work on several other movies.

Post Malone actually plays a major part in the unique musical identity and flair of 2018's animated flick "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." For one thing, he created the mega-popular song "Sunflower" along with Swae Lee, and which Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) jams out to throughout the movie. However, even those that knew about Post Malone's song may be surprised to hear that the musician also has a small acting role in the movie.

Post Malone's part in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is incredibly minor, but he does get one of the funniest one-liners in the entire film. While Miles flees from Prowler partway through the movie, several civilians inspect one of the bizarre structures created due to the multiversal glitches affecting Miles' home universe. One of these bystanders, voiced by none other than Malone, quips, "Yeah, I think it's a Banksy" — referencing the infamous abstract street artist.

Post Malone has also dipped his toe into the realm of live-action performances. In 2020, the entertainer appeared under his real name, Austin Post, as a member of the cast for Netflix's action-comedy film "Spenser Confidential." The movie stars Mark Wahlberg as the classic Ace Atkins character Officer Spenser, who takes on a nefarious case of corruption in his own department. Post portrays a jailed criminal named Squeeb, who Spenser fights off at the beginning of the movie and later presses for leads.

In an interview with Extra TV, Wahlberg recalled how his friendship with Post Malone led to the musician getting a role in the movie. "We were hanging out at my house one night, and he was just going on and on about how wanted to die in a movie. I was like, 'Well, I don't know about dying in a movie, but I'd like to see you act in a movie,' and I knew he could pull it off."