Michaela Jill Murphy
Michaela Jill Murphy (born August 18, 1994), also known by her stage name Jessie Flower, is an American voice actress. She is best known for voicing Toph Beifong in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Chaca in Kronk's New Groove and The Emperor's New School.
Michaela Jill Murphy | |
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![]() Murphy in 2024 | |
Born | Southern Indiana, U.S. | August 18, 1994
Other names | Jessie Flower |
Alma mater | Yale University (BA) |
Occupation |
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Years active | 2003–present |
Website | www |
Early life
Murphy was born in Southern Indiana. She became interested in acting at the age of four, and her mother, Evette, moved them to Los Angeles to begin her career, where she appeared in commercials for Barbie and Mitsubishi. She starred as an orphan in Oliver! when she was five.[1]
Career

At the age of 7, Murphy began auditioning for voice over roles and parts, in which she provides automated dialogue replacement (ADR) and additional voices. Her first voice over role was in the Pixar animated film Finding Nemo, where she played one of the school fishes and baby turtles.[2] Murphy played the role of Chaca in Kronk's New Groove.[3] She would reprise the role later in the spin-off series The Emperor's New School. She later called it the "most fun" voice acting she has ever done.[1]
In 2005, Murphy voiced Meng in an episode of the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Her performance for Meng convinced Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, the co-creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender, to cast her for the role of Toph Beifong, because of the "energy" she brought to the role, thereby joining the main cast for its last two seasons. She later told The Tab that she continued voicing Toph until her first year in high school and called the role her favorite voice acting experience[1] and said she felt "pretty connected" to Toph's character,[2] although she was only eleven years old when she was cast.[4] Even so, she later admitted that she is rarely recognized in public, even when cosplaying as Toph at San Diego Comic Con without any recognizing her as the voice actor of Toph.[2]
She would later voice the character Peggy in Random! Cartoons in 2008-2009[5] and the young version of Franny in the 2007 film, Meet the Robinsons.[6]
In 2014, Murphy guest-starred in The Legend of Korra, voicing a young Suyin Beifong, the youngest daughter of Toph.[7][3] It was later described as helping lay the groundwork of Suyin's "personality while also paying tribute to her original role."[8] Murphy became an assistant theater manager at Yale University in the fall of that year, but didn't perform until the next year, joining the university's theater scene, working on a production of Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play and performing in the musical Hello Again, among other productions.[1][9] She graduated from Yale University in 2017, where she majored in a dual B.A. in Theater and Film Studies with concentrations in Playwrighting and Screenwriting.[10] Before that time, she voiced the English dubbed voice of Eiko Carol in the World of Final Fantasy video game.[11]
In 2021, Murphy provided the voice of Nasse in the English dub of Platinum End.[12] The next year, she provided the voice of a minor character in the English dubbed version of Super Cub.[13]
Personal life
Murphy resides in Los Angeles. Murphy is openly bisexual. In June 2021, she celebrated Pride Month in an Instagram post, writing, "Pride is forever...Be kind to those around you, love is love is love!...There have been many who don’t swing my way, on multiple gender fronts, and that’s okay!"[14] Previously, she broke up with her boyfriend before she started going to Yale University, in 2014, when she changed her hair color "to purple from virgin brown."[1] She is of Irish descent.
In September 2020, she founded Bandit Basics, an e-commerce platform that sells merchandise inspired by Toph Beifong, and her culture.[15]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Finding Nemo | Additional voices | credited as Jessie Flower |
2004 | Spider-Man 2 | ADR cast | uncredited |
2005 | Kronk's New Groove | Chaca | credited as Jessie Flower |
2006 | Curious George | Kid #4 | credited as Jessie Flower |
2006 | Akeelah and the Bee | ADR cast | credited as Jessie Flower |
2006 | Over the Hedge | Additional voices | credited as Jessie Flower |
2006 | The Ant Bully | Additional voices | uncredited |
2006 | Brother Bear 2 | Young Nita, Additional voices | credited as Jessie Flower |
2006 | Night at the Museum | ADR cast | credited as Jessie Flower |
2007 | Meet the Robinsons | Young Franny | credited as Jessie Flower |
2008 | An American Affair | Additional voices | credited as Jessie Flower |
2011 | Justin Bieber: Never Say Never | ADR cast | uncredited |
2011 | That's What I Am | Additional voices | credited as Jessie Flower |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005-2008 | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Meng, Toph Beifong | credited as Jessie Flower |
2006 | The X's | Girl, Ghost | Episodes: "From Crusha with Love/Xcitement," "The Haunting of Home Base," credited as Jessie Flower |
2006-2008 | The Emperor's New School | Chaca | credited as Jessie Flower |
2008 | Random! Cartoons | Peggy | Episode: "Tiffany," credited as Jessie Flower |
2014 | The Legend of Korra | Young Suyin Beifong | Episode: "Old Wounds," credited as Jessie Flower |
2021 | Super Cub | Clerk | English dub, Episode: "Reiko" |
2021 | Platinum End | Nasse | English dub, credited as Michaela Murphy |
2022 | Camp WWE | Bianca Belair | Episode: "Sicked Slaughter" |
Shorts
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Recording | Cassidy | credited as Michaela Murphy |
2016 | The Profit | Diane | credited as Jessie Flower |
2016 | Happy Endings | Lily | credited as Jessie Flower |
2018 | The Flickering Forest | Forest Sprite | credited as Michaela Murphy |
2021 | Stalgia | Kate | also director |
2021 | The Letter | Ellie | |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth | Toph Beifong | credited as Jessie Flower |
2008 | Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into the Inferno | Toph Beifong | credited as Jessie Flower |
2011 | Nicktoons MLB | Toph Beifong | credited as Jessie Flower |
2016 | World of Final Fantasy | Eiko Carol | English dub, uncredited |
References
- Murphy, Michaela Jill (October 6, 2015). "Junior actress Michaela Murphy was a star in Avatar: The Last Airbender". The Tab (Interview). Online: Tab Media, Ltd. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- Murphy, Michaela Jill (March 30, 2021). "Junior actress Michaela Murphy was a star in Avatar: The Last Airbender". The Daily Illini (Interview). Interviewed by Aliza Majid. Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- Fuentes, Terry (May 21, 2020). "Meet the Cast and Characters of "Avatar: The Last Airbender"". Seventeen. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- Khan, Aina J. (September 1, 2020). "'I've seen grown men cry' – why Avatar: The Last Airbender still touches millions". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- "Peggy Voice". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- "Franny (Young) Voice". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- "Suyin Beifong (Young) Voice". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- Edwards, Belen (December 11, 2020). "Every Avatar Actor Who Returned In Legend Of Korra (And Who They Played)". Screenrant. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- "Michaela Murphy". Yale College Arts. Yale University. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- "Michaela Murphy". Backstage.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- "Eiko Carol Voice". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- Mateo, Alex (October 28, 2021). "Crunchyroll Announces Dubs, Casts for Platinum End, ODDTAXI, Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro, Sakugan, More Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- "Super Ono Clerk Voice". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- Michaela Jill Murphy (June 29, 2021). "I was indeed the DD, shook hands with Lance Bass, and danced my tush off. Pride is forever (along with this fur coat) ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜. Happy June and happy love and happy happy! Be kind to those around you, love is love is love!..." Instagram. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- Michaela Jill Murphy (September 28, 2020). "Bandit Basics is live!!! Grab the first piece of our first bundle now!! This is a LIMITED EDITION shirt, as the wholesale provider is no longer making this style! Excited for what happens next 💚🌳🌱". Instagram. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
External links
- Official website
- Michaela Jill Murphy at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Michaela Jill Murphy at IMDb