“Hey! I know that voice! There are a lot of iconic voice actors out there, but they don’t get as much popularity as their live-action counterparts, especially since, in recent years, more live-action actors have started staking roles in movies lively”. Movies. While there are some voice roles in live-action films and voice-over narrations, the majority of voice acting roles come from animated films, television, and anime. Although some notable voice actors are also movie stars, many of the most productive voice actors are rarely noticed in real life. However, from Disney princesses to Looney Toons to Adult Swim, the most productive voice actors They bring their roles to life.
The history of dubbing begins with the radio; However, the first example of “modern” dubbing is the 1928 Disney animated short “Steamboat Willie. ” The short features Walt Disney as the voice of Mickey Mouse and is the first time synchronized voice acting has been used for animated characters. While the Fleischer brothers’ 1926 “My Old Kentucky Home” was earlier, it used Vitaphone technology to make it look like a cartoon. the character was making a song and not a “modern” synchronized sound (it must also be said that “My Old Kentucky Home” is very racially insensitive).
Since then, the dubbing industry has grown enormously, especially in the area of animated television. This list covers film and television voice actors, as there is a lot of overlap. Although this list does not focus on advertising acting, there are also notable actors in the advertising voice acting arena. This list focuses on acting rather than documentary voice roles (sorry to Morgan Freeman and David Attenborough). Some voice actors are immediately recognizable, while others demonstrate versatility by converting their voices for each role. This list seeks to celebrate either while also highlighting veterans of the animation industry.
Rob Paulsen is a truly prolific voice actor who has performed in over 500 roles. He won an Emmy and three Annie Awards for his work in the Animaniacs franchise, where he played Yakko and Pinky. He also starred in A Goofy Movie, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, The Land Before Time films, The New Adventures of Jonny Quest, Tinker Bell, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.
Paulsen began acting as a voice actor in the 1980s. In 1983 he landed his first role in the series G. I. Joe: a series of true American heroes. He has also appeared in several live-action films and shows, but is best known for his animated works. He also worked in commercials, adding a 1993 Got Milk ad directed by Michael Bay as the voice of a radio DJ asking a Revolutionary War enthusiast, “Who shot Alexander Hamilton?”
Tara Strong began acting in plays as a teenager, but she has a staple of animated television. She has voiced characters in The New Batman Adventures, Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!, Rugrats Girls, The Powerpuff Girls, The Fairly OddParents, The Proud. Family, Xiaolin Showdown, Ben 10, Family Guy and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. He has also worked on the English dubbing of Studio Ghibli films such as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.
Strong is set to paint characters in the upcoming TV Goblins Animated and Here’s How. Outside of film and television, she has worked in video games, including the recent Batman: Arkham Shadow, in which she reprized her role as Harley Quinn.
Mae Questel was one of two women who provided the voice of Betty Boop in the 1930s and 1940s. Questel voiced the character from 1931 until 1938 (she also reprised the role in 1988 for Who Framed Roger Rabbit); she took over the role from Margie Hines, who returned to the role in 1938 when Questel took time off to start a family. The two women also shared the role of Olive Oyl in the Popeye cartoons.
Questel voiced several Max Fleischer cartoon characters, although they were largely uncredited at the time. She went on a multi-decade hiatus in the late 1930s, but resurfaced in the 1960s with live-action roles in films such as It’s Only Money, Bells Are Ringing, Funny Girl, and New York Stories. His last film, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, in 1989.
Don LaFontaine is an exception on this list. While most voice actors are known for their work in television and films, LaFontaine is best known for his voiceovers, specifically in film trailers. Nicknamed “The Voice of God,” LaFontaine is best known for declaring, “In a world. . . “
Throughout his career, LaFontaine has lent his resounding voice to 5,000 film trailers and 350,000 commercials, programs, and presentations. He even gave the impression of being himself in a 2005 GEICO ad, where he is dubbed “the movie announcer. “He is not necessarily an “actor”, his voice is essential in American media and it turns out to exclude his legacy when it comes to the history of voice acting.
Like other great voiceover artists such as Bill Thompson and Eleanor Audley, Phil Harris is best remembered for his work on Disney animated films. He has played characters in The Jungle Book, The Aristocats and Robin Hood, but has also appeared in many other live-action roles.
Harris began his career in radio in the 1930s. His last role in Rock-a-Doodle was in 1991. He is also a musician and bandleader. He sang the original 1950s song “The Thing” and conducted with his band in Las Vegas in the 1970s and 1980s.
Many voice actors are perfect because of their versatility. Jodi Benson is far from the most versatile, but she has a wonderful niche: the princesses of the game. Benson worked with lyricist Howard Ashman in the Broadway play Smile before auditioning for his film The Little Mermaid.
She has since voiced Barbie and Thumbelina and has taken over voicing several iconic Disney characters in sequels, spin-offs video games (including being the voice of many iterations of Belle, Anita in 101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure, Lady in Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure and the A Bug’s Life videogame’s Princess Atta). She has also appeared in Disney’s Enchanted and the live-action version of The Little Mermaid in cameo roles.
Patrick Warburton is the type of actor most people have seen or heard of in something. His voice is very deep and recognizable. He began acting in the 1980s, but began landing notable roles in the 1990s, specifically on television. He has appeared on Seinfeld, NewsRadio, Ellen and Dave’s World.
His voice acting resumed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with roles such as Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove, Walter Wolf in Hoodwinked! and Ken in Bee Movie. He has also voiced Joe Swanson on Family Guy since 1999. Since then, he has also voiced Buzz Lightyear in Star Command’s Buzz Lightyear and Brock Samson in The Venture Bros.
H. Jon Benjamin is a familiar voice for fans of adult animation. He is the voice of Bob on Bob’s Burgers and Archer on Archer. He has also performed voice-over roles in live-action films such as The Can of Vegetables in Wet Hot American Summer and The Inner Monologue in Boy Kills World.
Benjamín began his career as an actor. He then became a voice actor in the independent hit Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. He continued in the cult comedy with guest roles on shows such as Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Freak Show and The Venture Bros.
Sometimes nicknamed “The Voice of NBC,” Casey Kasem is best known for hosting American Top 40. However, he has also played several iconic characters, such as Shaggy in Scooby-Doo and Dick Grayson in Batman. She has also played characters on Sesame Street, Transformers and Josie and the Pussycats.
Kasem started his career in radio in Michigan; however, he left to help tend his family’s grocery store. He really made a name for himself later on in broadcasting in Cleveland in the 1960s. Around the same time, he started to work as a voice actor. Kasem is also remembered for his activism. He supported animal rights, affordable housing, Palestinian Independence and rights for Arab Americans and the homeless. He was a dedicated vegan, even quitting voicing Shaggy after being asked to do a Burger King commercial in the 1990s.
Nancy Cartwright will be nostalgic for many millennials. She is best known for playing Bart on The Simpsons, but also voiced Mindy on Animaniacs, Rufus on Kim Possible, and Chuckie Finster on Rugrats. Cartwright began working in live-action films and television shows, but is best known for her voice work.
She has been nominated for three Emmys for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance, winning one. While Cartwright’s most famous role is Bart Simpson, she has voiced several other characters on the long-running animated sitcom, including Maggie Simpson, Ralph Wiggum and Todd Flanders. In 2024, she also made news by revealing that she is the aunt of pop star Sabrina Carpenter.
Mark Hamill is probably most recognizable as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, but he’s also a prominent voice actor. Although his first voice acting role was in Wizards in 1977, his voice acting career didn’t take off until the 1990s, when he began voicing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series.
Since then, he has voiced roles in Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Avengers Assemble, various Scooby-Doo houses, and Star Wars, Regular Show, and Adventure Time.
Kevin Conroy is best remembered as the long-time voice of Batman. Conroy voiced Batman from 1992 in Batman: The Animated Series to 2024’s Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three, which was released posthumously and dedicated to his memory.
Some of Conroy’s early performances were Shakespearean performances at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego and guest roles on live television. However, he found that as a gay man, acting roles were limited and he didn’t think about roles because of his sexuality. Collaborator Mark Hamill (the longtime voice of the Joker) said of Conroy: “When I get offered roles now, I say, ‘Does Kevin do it?’. . . I don’t even have to read the script; if Kevin does it, I will. Hamill also chose to avoid voicing the Joker after Conroy’s death, quoting his character: “Without Batman, crime has no punchline. “
Cree Summer is a prolific voice in cartoons. She is best known for gambling characters such as Susie Carmichael in Rugrats and Elmyra Duff in Tiny Toon Adventures, but she has also lent her voice to roles in Batman Beyond, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Codename: Kids Next Door, Atlantis: The Door. Lost Empire, Danny Phantom, Drawn Together and more.
Summer started her career as the voice of Penny in the first season of Inspector Gadget. She has appeared in live-action roles as well, including A Different World and Abbott Elementary. Summer is also a musician and released her album Street Faërie in 1999.
Kari Wahlgren began her career as a voice actress doing voiceovers for anime such as FLCL and Witch Hunter Robin. Although she continues to work in voice acting, she has since worked on American projects, adding Young Justice, Gravity Falls, Winx Club, Rick and Morty , The Fairly OddParents, Infinity Train and Big Hero 6: The Series.
Walhgren also voices numerous video game characters. She is a very versatile voice actress who rarely appears in live-action roles.
Dan Castellaneta is known for being the voice of Homer Simpson. However, he voices many other Simpsons characters, adding Grandpa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, Sideshow Mel, Itchy, and Barney Gumble. Outside of The Simpsons, she has voiced characters in Hey Arnold!, Futurama, Olive, the Other Reindeer, and many others.
Castellaneta also took over the role of Genie from Robin Williams, starting with 1994’s The Return of Jafar. Outside of voice work, he often appears as a guest star on live-action TV. Castellaneta started his career as a comedian at Chicago’s Second City before landing a role on The Tracey Ullman Show, where he also first started voicing Homer Simpson in a series of shorts.
While Robin Williams has voiced several animated characters, adding Batty in FernGully: The Last Rainforest, Fender in Robots, and Ramon in Happy Feet, he does so primarily for his role as Genie in Aladdin in 1992. The role of the Genio. Se is considered a watershed moment in the history of animation, especially when it comes to celebrities presenting themselves as voice actors. In particular, a giant component of paper is also improvisation.
Outside of voice acting, Williams is known for his roles in films such as Good Will Hunting, Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Birdcage and The Fisher King. Williams began his career as a comedian in the Area of San Francisco Bay Area in the 1970s. In the late 1970s, he appeared in several television shows before starring in Mork.
In recent years, many celebrities have taken on voice roles, but few really feel like voice actors. Alan Tudyk is a notable exception. Tudyk began with roles in films such as Patch Adams, 28 Days, and A Knight’s Tale. Early in her career, she also starred in the television series Firefly. Since then, he has appeared in television shows and films, including Beautiful Boy, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Trumbo, Death at a Funeral, Santa Clarita Diet, and Resident Alien.
Tudyk began acting as a voice actor on Ice Age in 2002 and has become a go-to voice actor. He is the voice of the Joker in the Harley Quinn series, the Flash in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Chatsberry in Adventure Time, and K-2SO in various Star Wars properties. Perhaps most notably, though, he’s voiced a character in every Walt Disney Animation Studios film since Wreck-It Ralph in 2012 (where he voiced King Candy and Turbo). Notable roles in this series include Duke Weaselton in Zootopia, Duke of Weselton in Frozen, and most recently, Hei Hei the Rooster in Moana 2. He has also provided the sounds for several animal characters.
While most of the entries on this list are actors known specifically for their voiceover work, James Earl Jones is an actor known for his voice. Jones is more widely known as a live-action actor, having played roles in films like Coming to America, The Sandlot and Field of Dreams. However, he is behind one of the most iconic voice performances of all time, Darth Vader, in the Star Wars films. He also played Mufasa in The Lion King. While those are his two most famous voice roles, he also lent his voice to 2005’s Robots, The Simpsons and many narration roles.
Jones began his acting career as a Shakespearean-level actor. In 1964, he played his first film role, Dr. Strangelove. She continued to work in film and television until 2021, when her latest film Coming 2 America was released. Technically, his last role as Darth Vader on the TV show Obi-Wan Kenobi, but that functionality was generated through Respecer. During his impressive career, he won two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, a Golden Globe Award, the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Academy Honorary Award.
Sterling Holloway appeared in over 140 films and TV shows over his nearly 50-year career. However, he is probably best remembered for his work with The Walt Disney Company. While he was considered for a role in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, he didn’t start working on Disney films until he voiced Mr. Stork in 1941’s Dumbo. He went on to be the voice of the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, Adult Flower in Bambi and the long-time voice of Winnie the Pooh.
Holloway got his start in touring theater companies and silent films. He went on to have a prolific career in radio, TV, and film (both live-action and animated). Holloway had a very distinctive, almost falsetto voice that should have made character differentiation hard; however, his characters feel fully realized and separate.
Verna Felton started as a vaudevillian child performer at the turn of the century, but by the 1930s, she was working in radio. Her first film role was in the 1917 silent film The Chosen Prince, or the Friendship of David and Jonathan. She was a popular live-action character actor in the 1940s and early 1950s. The 1940s also saw her first voice acting role in 1941’s Dumbo.
She continued to work with Walt Disney in iconic roles, including the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, Aunt Sarah in Lady and the Tramp, Flora in Sleeping Beauty and perhaps most of all, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother. Her last role (released posthumously) as Winnifred in 1967’s The Jungle Book.
Jim Cummings starred in more than 400 roles, with the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. He has been the voice of Winnie the Pooh since 1988 (and Pooh’s boyfriend Tigger since 1989) and the Tasmanian Devil since 1991. He has also lent his voice to characters. in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, The Jungle Book 2, CatDog, The Princess and the Frog, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Shrek and many other television shows, video games and movies.
Cummings started his career at Disney, specifically on Dumbo’s Circus. He quickly became Sterling Holloway’s replacement for Winnie the Pooh. He made a place for himself at the company for his spot-on impressions of past stars, including Holloway and J. Pat O’Malley. He also stepped in for Jeremy Irons as the singing voice for Scar in The Lion King on the track “Be Prepared” after Irons developed vocal problems while recording. In 2019, he started a podcast, Toon’d In! with Jim Cummings.
Sometimes credited as Gray Griffin, Gray DeLisle is said to have played over 2,000 roles in over 500 projects. Some of her notable roles include Daphne from Scooby-Do (2001), Mandy (and others) in The Sinister Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Padme in Star Wars: Clone Wars, and Azula in Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has also directed several voices in RugratsArray The Powerpuff. Girls, The Fairly OddParents, Samurai Jack, Foster Home for Imaginary Friends and Johnny Bravo.
His resume is incredibly long and one of his most notable skills is being able to play characters from the same series without them looking for the same thing. He has also released several music albums.
Tom Kenny is probably most recognizable as the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, but he has worked in voiceovers since Rocko’s Modern Life in 1993. He won two Emmy Awards for his voice work on SpongeBob SquarePants. He also won two Annie Awards (one for SpongeBob SquarePants and another for betting on the Ice King in Adventure Time).
Kenny started out as a comic book and comic artist before becoming a voice actor. Kenny is primarily noted for his television voice acting with roles in The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, CatDog, The Fairly OddParents, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Frog and Toad, and Rick and Morty. Although he is much better known for his voice work, he was a cast member of the live-action Mr. Show (and gave an impression in its “reboot,” with Bob and David). Kenny collaborates with his wife, Jill Talley, who is also a noted voice actress.
While Keith David is known for his live-action roles in films like Platoon, Requiem for a Dream, American Fiction and Barbershop, he also has an extensive resume as a voice actor. David started his career in the 1980s in theater before quickly acting in films like The Thing and TV shows like Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.
She has played characters in the English dub of Princess Mononoke, Hercules, Coraline, The Princess and the Frog, Gargoyles, Adventure Time, and Hazbin Hotel. He has also narrated documentaries such as Ken Burns’ Jazz, Muhammad Ali, and Jack Johnson’s Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall. He has several upcoming projects, expressing Masego in Mufasa: The Lion King.
Billy West began his career in radio in the 1980s. However, he is best known for voicing many characters in Futurama, the main characters in Doug and The Ren & Stimpy Show, and Bugs Bunny in 1996’s Space Jam. He also voiced to characters like Elmer Fudd, Popeye, Shaggy Rogers, Rocket Raccoon and Woody Woodpecker. West is a wonderful impressionist who has demonstrated his talent on the Howard Stern Show.
He also made advertising paintings. He took over the role of Red M&M from Jon Lovitz in 1996. He also voiced the Honey Nut Cheerios mascot, Buzz, from 1990 to 2004. Some of West’s most impressive artwork can be found in Futurama. Since he plays several characters, in addition to Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, and Zapp Brannigan, there are scenes in the series where he plays characters. His voice for Fry is also his own voice at age 25, meaning he does an impression of his younger self when he returns to voice the character.
Screen Rant called Phil LaMar one of the “best voice actors ever,” and he has a wildly impressive resume. He started his career as a voice actor in 1983 on the animated show Mister T. While has appeared in films like Pulp Fiction and Step Brothers, he has always been more prolific on TV shows. Some will recognize LaMarr as one of the original MadTV cast members. He was a noted impressionist and writer on the show.
He has voiced characters on shows like Family Guy, King of the Hill, Futurama, The Proud Family, Harley Quinn and many others. However, some of his most famous roles include Samurai Jack on Samurai Jack, Static on Static Shock and John Stewart on Justice League. LaMarr has become especially synonymous with superhero projects. He has played both Marvel and DC heroes across properties.
June Foray earned the name “First Lady of Animated Voices. ” While she was also known as “the female Mel Blanc,” Chuck Jones once joked, “June Foray is not the female Mel Blanc, Mel Blanc was the male June Foray. ” » Like many big names, Foray began his career in radio. He continued to voice iconic cartoon characters, adding Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Looney Tunes’ Granny, Rocky J. Squirrel, Natasha Fatale, and even Cinderella’s cat Lucifer.
Foray not only stands out for his contributions on screen; She is also an advocate of animation as a medium. He is credited with creating the Annie Awards and helped create the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2001.
Sometimes called “the guy with a thousand voices,” Mel Blanc was a hugely influential figure in the golden age of American animation. Blanc began his career in radio in the late 1920s, but is best remembered for his work in cartoons. He has lent his voice to characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn and the Tasguy Devil.
Blanc, the first voice actor to earn on-screen credits for 1944’s Little Red Riding Rabbit. Blanc also worked for Hana Barbara in the 1960s, where he voiced characters such as Barney Rubble, Cosmo Spacely, Dino the Dinosaur, and Secret Squirrel. , Speed Buggy and Captain Caveman. Notably, Blanc rarely worked with Disney after being dropped as the voice of Gideon the Cat in Pinocchio (the character is usually silent; however, Blanc’s hiccups made the final cut). However, he reprized many of his Warner Bros. characters’ voices for 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit. His last film, 1990’s Jetsons: The Movie, was released a year after his death. White smoked from the age of nine until age 77, when he had to quit due to emphysema.
Bottom Line
That’s it, friends! There are so many actors who haven’t gotten their due, and this list only scratches the surface of a booming industry with historical roots.
There are many great Black voice actors with recognizable names, such as James Earl Jones and Eddie Murphy, but one name that fans of voice acting should know is Phil LaMarr. LaMarr has been voicing the Green Lantern since the early 2000s. He is a prolific actor who has appeared in over 500 roles. While he has appeared in many live-action parts, he is most known for his voice work.
Another notable actor is Keith David. David has appeared in live-action films and in voice roles. He has voiced characters in Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, Todd McFarlane’s Spawn, and The Princess and the Frog (where he also sang himself as the villainous Doctor Facilier).
One of the most recognizable deep-voiced actors of all time is James Earl Jones, who lent his iconic voice to Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise and Mufasa in The Lion King. However, many other deep-voiced actors work in animation.
H. Jon Benjamin has a distinctly deep voice and is notable for voicing Bob on Bob’s Burgers and Archer on Archer. Benjamin was joined on Archer by another deep-voiced actor, Patrick Warburton, who played Brock Sampson on the adult animated TV show. Warburton is probably best known for playing Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove alongside the iconic Eartha Kitt.
While the voice acting industry is reportedly around 70% male, there are many excellent female voice actors. June Foray is sometimes called the “First Lady of Animated Voicing,” and she left a mark on the industry by voicing characters on Looney Tunes and Rocky and Bullwinkle.
More recently, many women have excelled in voice acting. Gray DeLisle, perhaps best known for playing Scooby-Doo’s Daphne in various projects since the early 2000s, has voiced more than 2,000 characters in her four-decade career.
January 8, 2025: This article has been updated.
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