Audiences often relate to certain actors or performers and loyally watch their work. Sometimes audiences can recognize their favorites just by their voices. There are certain performers; however, who can use their voice to portray multiple characters and audiences would never know. While many studios are moving towards using popular actors for voice-over work, professional voice actors are full of talent and are able to stylize their performances based on the character. There are many talented voice actors, but some stand above the rest.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
9 Tara Strong
Nickelodeon
Tara Strong is the voice of many beloved cartoon characters since she got her first role at 13 in Hello Kitty’s Furry Tale Theater. She is most known for her roles as Timmy Turner in the Fairly OddParents and Batgirl in The New Batman Adventures. She is also very well known for her work in voicing video game characters. She voices Rikku in the Final Fantasy series and Harley Quinn in Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Jim Cummings
Walt Disney Pictures
Jim Cummings has voiced many childhood characters across generations. He is most remembered as the second voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger and the firefly Ray in The Princess and the Frog. However, his voice is well recognized from the almost 600 performances he has done since his debut on The Scooby-Doo Show in 1978. He also became Disney’s go-to actor for matching well-known characters’ voices for spin-off shows and video game cameos.
7 Seth MacFarlane
20th Television Animation
Known for his highly successful adult animation series Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane is a master of voices. He started as a writer and storyboard artist on Cartoon Network’s Johnny Bravo and not long after, developed Family Guy with Fox. MacFarlane voices four of the main characters, as well as multiple reoccurring side characters. The show’s huge success led to other popular shows being made by MacFarlane, like American Dad! and The Cleveland Show.
6 Billy West
20th Television
The comedian and impressionist Billy West started in the ’80s as a radio comedian. He was a regular on The Howard Stern Show, where he became known for his voice impressions, giving way for a successful voice acting career. He played characters in The Ren & Stimpy Show and Doug. He was also brought in to impersonate the famed Mel Blanc’s voices for Looney Tunes characters in Space Jam. In the 1999 show Futurama, West played the characters Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, Zapp Brannigan, Richard Nixon, and many other smaller parts.
5 Casey Kasem
Sourced via Warner Bros. Television Animation Studios
The beloved voice actor and radio DJ Casey Kasem got his start working in broadcasting in the ’60s. He was even a children’s television show host for a while. He became a popular radio personality before taking on the role of Shaggy in Scooby-Doo: Where Are You! in 1969. He lent his voice talents for Josie and the Pussycats and Super Friends. Then, in 1970, Kasem began hosting the original American Top 40 on weekends. Even after Kasem’s passing, reruns of the American Top 40 are replayed for fans to continue listening to their favorite radio personality.
4 Peter Cullen
Sunbow Entertainment
Peter Cullen took voice acting to a new action-packed level. Starting out as various characters in The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, Cullen voiced King Kong in 1978 and K.A.R.R. in the Knight Rider TV series. He took on the voice roles of the Mogwai in Gremlins and the Predator in the 1987 Predator film. He is most recognized as the voice of the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime. Cullen has voiced Optimus Prime since 1986, and continues to do so even in the upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
3 John DiMaggio
John DiMaggio has a cult following for his special characters. He plays the infamous Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War franchise and Dr. Drakken in the Kim Possible series. His fan-favorite role is the robot Bender from the hit show Futurama. DiMaggio caused a storm on the internet when he revealed that his reprise to the role was on hold in 2022 due to contract negotiations. While he did concede to the pay rate that was being asked, he caused enough of a ruckus for the public to be aware of the compensation issue among voice actors.
2 Mark Hamill
Distributed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution
The famed Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, is also known for his amazing character work as a voice actor. He played Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender, while also playing in shows like Totally Spies and Code Name: Kids Next Door. The most popular role Hamill has lent his voice to is Joker since 1992 in Batman: The Animated Series. He has continued the role in multiple DC series, films, and the ever popular Arkham video game series. Hamill’s version of the Joker character is a favorite among DC fans, and has them campaigning for new material for Hamill to work on.
1 Mel Blanc
Warner Bros.
The man of 1,000 voices himself, Mel Blanc, is still the standard that voice actors are held to. Like many, Blanc began his career in radio broadcasting. At the age of 19, he was noticed for being able to voice multiple characters that sounded nothing alike. Soon after, he became the voice of the Looney Tunes. What started as a couple of characters soon became a plethora of wacky characters. Blanc’s work is remembered across generations as voices from our childhoods and the wonderful memories and crazy adventures that went along with them.
