In The Emoji Movie, T. J. Miller voiced Gene, the emoji who can express multiple emotions.
Gene is the film’s central character and is presented as a “meh” emoji living inside a smartphone. Unlike the other emojis, whose expressions are expected to remain fixed, Gene can make several different faces. This unusual ability drives the film’s adventure through the phone’s apps and systems.
T. J. Miller is an American actor and comedian known for screen roles including Erlich Bachman in the television series Silicon Valley. In The Emoji Movie, his voice performance gives Gene a comic, energetic personality as the character searches for a way to fit in.
The movie was released in 2017 and also features voices by James Corden, Anna Faris, Maya Rudolph, Patrick Stewart, and Sir Patrick Stewart as Poop. Gene is not the same character as Hi-5, who is voiced by James Corden.