Actor Kevin Conroy, 66, who was well-known as the voice of Batman in the animated series of the character, died on Thursday.
The iconic voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, has passed away at the age of 66 after a battle with cancer. 💔
The actor is known for his long run as Batman in “Batman: The Animated Series” and many other animated Batman and DC projects from 1992 to present. pic.twitter.com/xiRc2Apsvv
— Etalk (@etalkCTV) November 11, 2022
Conroy voiced the character in 85 episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” (1992-1996) as well as 15 films including “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” and 15 animated series.
“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,” casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano stated, as dc.com reported. “Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever.”
Conroy studied acting at The Julliard School with compatriots including Christopher Reeve, Frances Conroy, and Robin Williams. He played Hamlet at the 1984 New York Shakespeare Festival as well as being featured on TV in shows such as “Dynasty,” “Tour of Duty,” “Ohara,” “Cheers,” “Murphy Brown,” “Spenser: For Hire,” and “Matlock.”
“Kevin brought a light with him everywhere,” Paul Dini, producer of “Batman: The Animated Series,” declared, “whether in the recording booth giving it his all, or feeding first responders during 9/11, or making sure every fan who ever waited for him had a moment with their Batman. A hero in every sense of the word. Irreplaceable. Eternal.”
Tara Strong, who voiced Batgirl in the DC Animated Universe, tweeted, “I don’t have the words. Not today. My heart is broken. There will never be another. He IS #Batman.”
“Early on, I said, ‘This is the most famous and powerful guy in Gotham,” Conroy told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. “Are you telling me he just puts on a mask and no one knows it’s him? Seriously? There’s got to be more to the disguise. My template for the two voices was the 1930s film The Scarlet Pimpernel. I played Bruce Wayne as sort of a humorous playboy to counteract the brooding nature of Batman.”
Of “Mask of the Phantasm,” Conroy recalled Romano’s reaction after he had finished an emotional scene: “Andrea came in after the recording and grabbed me in a hug. Andrea said, ‘I don’t know where you went [emotionally], but it was a beautiful performance.’ She knew I was drawing on something.”
