Diego Luna as Manolo Sánchez, a torero with a guitar and two swords, and the youngest in a family of skilled bullfighters. Emil - Bastien Bouffard as a young Manolo. Joe Matthews as young Manolo 's singing voice. Zoe Saldana as María Posada, Manolo and Joaquín 's best friend and love interest. She is also General Ramiro Posada 's daughter. Genesis Ochoa as a young María Channing Tatum as Joaquín Mondragon Jr., a young man who is Manolo 's closest friend and the town hero of San Angel. Elias Garza as a young Joaquín Ice Cube as the Candle Maker, a being who oversees the lives and stories of the living through candles and the Book of Life, which he also oversees. Ron Perlman as Xibalba, the ruler of the Land of the Forgotten and La Muerte 's husband. Kate del Castillo as La Muerte, the ruler of the Land of the Remembered and Xibalba 's wife. Christina Applegate as Mary Beth, a museum tour guide, the story 's narrator and one of La Muerte 's disguises. Tonita Castro as La Muerte disguised as an old woman. Héctor Elizondo as Carlos Sánchez, Manolo 's well - meaning yet extremely harsh father. Ana de la Reguera as Carmen Sánchez, Manolo 's deceased mother. She was credited as "Skeleton Carmen ''. Danny Trejo as Luis Sánchez, Manolo 's deceased grandfather. He was credited as "Skeleton Luis ''. Grey Griffin as Grandma Anita Sanchez, Manolo 's short great - grandmother who later dies due to cholesterol problems. Carlos Alazraqui as General Ramiro Posada, Maria 's father, who serves as the mayor of San Angel and the general of its army. Alazraqui also voices Dali Alazraqui also provides the vocal effects for Chuy, María 's loyal pig pet who thinks that he is a goat. Plácido Domingo as Jorge Sánchez, Manolo 's deceased great - granduncle who wears an eyepatch over his left eye and swords on his right arm and left leg. He was credited as "Skeleton Jorge ''. Jorge R. Gutierrez as Carmelo Sánchez, Manolo 's deceased tall and burly Aztec ancestor. He was credited as "Skeleton Carmelo ''. Gabriel Iglesias as Pepe Rodríguez, Joaquín 's larger brother. Cheech Marin as Pancho Rodríguez, Joaquin 's medium - sized brother. Ricardo Sánchez as Pablo Rodriguez, Joaquin 's short brother. Dan Navarro as Chakal, the Bandit King. Eugenio Derbez as Chato, a member and second of Chaka 's group of bandits. Anjelah Johnson as Adelita, one of Manolo 's deceased cousins and Scardelita 's twin sister who perished during the Mexican Revolution while protecting Emiliano Zapata. Sandra Equihua as Scardelita, one of Manolo 's deceased cousins and Adelita 's twin sister who wears an eyepatch. She perished during the Mexican Revolution while protecting Emiliano Zapata. Miguel Sandoval as the Land of the Remembered Captain, the guide to the Land of the Remembered and the resident that Manolo meets first. Angélica María Hartman Ortiz as Sister Ana, a Catholic sister who works in San Angel 's church. Sandra Echeverría as Claudia, a beautiful woman at San Angel and one of Joaquín 's biggest fans. Trey Bumpass as Luka Ramirez, a Mexican - American goth boy and one of the detention students in the present world who listens to Manolo 's story from Mary Beth. He was credited as "Goth Kid ''. Bumpass also voices an orphan in San Angel Kennedy "KK '' Peil as Sasha, a little Russian - American girl and one of the detention students in the present world who listens to Manolo 's story from Mary Beth. Ishan Sharma as Sanjay, an Indian - American boy and one of the detention students in the present who listens to Manolo 's story from Mary Beth. Callahan Clark as Jane, a Chinese - American girl and one of the detention students in the present who listens to Manolo 's story from Mary Beth. Eric Bauza as Father Domingo, a priest that works in San Angel 's church. Bauza also voices the Cave Guardian, the guardian of the Cave of Souls. Aron Warner as Thomas, a male museum tour guide. Troy Evans as Old Man Hemingway, an old man who lived at San Angel. Guillermo del Toro as the Land of the Remembered Captain 's Wife, the unnamed wife of the Land of Remembered Captain who died of a broken heart. Brad Booker as a train conductor
who plays la muerte in the book of life
Kate del Castillo Christina Applegate Tonita Castro