Within our smartphones is a world of smiley faces, flowers, royals . . . and a pile of poo. And now many of them have come alive, in the off-Broadway musical “Emojiland.” Several key players tell us how — and sometimes why — they bring a digital character to life.

Ann Harada, Pile of Poo

Getting cast: “My kid was like, ‘Oh, Mom, are you sure?’ I told him I don’t have any dignity, and I think it’s fine. For better or worse, the poo’s the most famous emoji. If it’s good enough for Patrick Stewart [the voice of Poop in “The Emoji Movie”], it’s good enough for me.

The challenge: “When I’m doing the show, I always feel I have to go. But I’m in this costume and have to finish the song.”

Breakout moment: “The lyric I keep coming back to is, ‘You are what you do/When life hands you a pile of poo.’ Which is to say that you just have to keep going and show up. It’s what we in a society owe to each other.”

Lesli Margherita, Princess

The role: “For years, I’ve called myself Queen Lesli — it’s part of my persona. I like to rule my little kingdom. My friends think this role is tailor-made for me.”

Her inspiration: “Princess is very Miss Piggy, so I took a lot from her. And when I’ve got this huge tiara on my head, Princess is pretty much all there.”

Favorite moment: “Singing while sliding down an 11-foot pole.”

Max Crumm, Man in Business Suit Levitating

What does this emoji even mean? “He’s one of the original wingding fonts they had on PC’s: a completely random man in a business suit, levitating.”

His process: “I’ve had a lifetime of practice being a man in the suit. The challenge here was getting good at riding a hoverboard. There’s a number called ‘The Firewall Ball,’ and I even get to dance on it.”

Personal favorites: “I use emojis every day, usually the rainbow and the 100, with two lines under it — that means you agree with someone. We should probably retire the eggplant. Let’s leave the aubergine in 2019.”

Heather Makalani, Kissy Face

Finding her inner Kissy: “When I auditioned, I played her more California-girl ditzy. But at the first reading, I heard the other actors and saw Kissy’s costume — this cute, sexy cheerleader outfit — and thought it would be fun for her to have a high-pitched, childlike voice to go with it.”

When it’s best used: “It’s a joke emoji for me: ‘Oh, I love you,’ even though I texted something kinda harsh. Now I use it all the time.”

What’s missing: “I’m from the island of Guam, and I’d love some more Guam emojis. There’s a flag, but I’d love a carabao, too. That’s an Asian water buffalo, and they have so many of them on Guam.”

Dwelvan David, Guardsman

The role: “An emoji version of the British guard at Buckingham Palace. I trained as an opera singer and, being a man of a certain age and stature, I get a lot of roles that require me to be an imposing figure. This show is just a lot of fun.”

Biggest challenge: “Keeping my face like rubber so I can play three other emojis. For Worried Face, I channel the audition process.”

Why use emojis at all? “They’re like New Age hieroglyphs. Telling a story through pictorials is amazing!”