Kevin Conroy, the prolific voice actor who defined Batman for generations of audiences, has died. He was 66. The actor died Thursday, Warner Bros. announced.
Conroy voice starred in the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series from 1992-96, and continued on with the role through nearly 60 different productions spanning 15 films and 400 episodes of television as well as video games. In recent years, he was a fixture on the comic convention circuit.
“Kevin was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and directing – he was a dear friend for 30+ years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no boundaries,” said casting and dialogue director Andrea Romano. “Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever.”
Mark Hamill, who played Conroy’s onscreen foil The Joker, mourned his collaborator in a statement.
“Kevin was perfection,” recalled Hamill. “He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated.”
Conroy was born Nov. 30, 1955 in Westbury, New York, and grew up in in Westport, Connecticut. He studied acting at Julliard alongside noteworthy actors such as Christopher Reeve and was roommates with Robin Williams. He went on to pursie work on stage before landing roles in the 1980s on TV series such as Dynasty, Tour of Duty and Ohara. He also appeared on soaps Search for Tomorrow and Another World and had guest spots on Cheers, Murphy Brown, Spenser: For Hire and Matlock.
In 1992 the trajectory of his life and career changed forever when Batman: The Animated Series debuted on Sept. 5.
“I remember Mark and I were at the WB sound studio to do ADR work and we got to watch the opening credits,” Conroy told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. “We hear the opening theme with the strings and the lush colors. It was incredibly dramatic. And I looked at Mark and said, ‘Did you have a clue this is what we were doing?’ He said, ‘No, I’m blown away!’ We both felt we were a part of something really special.”
Damn Who will be Batman in everything now? That's not even that old these days.
'Next time I let Superman take charge, just hit me. Real hard.'
'You're a princess from a society of immortal warriors. I'm a rich kid with issues. Lots of issues.'
'No. No dating for the Batman. It might cut into your brooding time.'
'Tactically we have multiple objectives. So we need to split into teams.'-'Dibs on the Amazon!'
'Hey, we both have a Martian's phone number on our speed dial. I think I deserve the benefit of the doubt.'
'You know, for a guy with like 50 different kinds of vision, you sure are blind.'
Batman wrote: 2022-11-11 11:55am
Shit. RIP. He will be missed.
My condolences to your friends and allies. Robin, Jim Gordon, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Terry McGinnis. I’m sure they will miss you mightily. But they will take care of Gotham for you.
I had a Bill Maher quote here. But fuck him for his white privelegy "joke".
I get back from watching Chadwick's funeral (via Wakanda Forever), only to get home to find another beloved actor has died.
RIP, Kevin. You are forever the voice of Bruce and Batman.
Nitram, slightly high on cough syrup: Do you know you're beautiful?
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
Who will be Batman in everything now? That's not even that old these days.
