Kevin Conroy
| Kevin Conroy | |
|---|---|
 Conroy at 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International | |
| Born |
November 30, 1955 Westbury, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Juilliard School |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Known for | Batman (voice) |
Kevin Conroy (born November 30, 1955) is an American stage, screen and voice actor; best known for his voice role as the DC Comics character Batman on the 1990s Warner Bros. television series Batman: The Animated Series,[1] as well as various other TV series and feature films in the DC animated universe. Due to the popularity of his performance as Batman, Conroy went on to voice the character for multiple films under the DC Universe Animated Original Movies banner and various video games; including the acclaimed Batman: Arkham series.
Personal life
Born in Westbury, New York, Conroy moved to Westport, Connecticut when he was about 11 years old. He moved to New York City in 1973 when he earned a full scholarship to attend Juilliard's drama division, studying under actor John Houseman. While there, he roomed with Robin Williams who was in the same group as both Conroy and Kelsey Grammer.[2] After graduating from Juilliard in 1978, he toured with Houseman's acting group The Acting Company, and the following year he went on the national tour of Ira Levin's Deathtrap.[3]
In September 2016, Conroy endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.[4]
Career
In 1980, Conroy decided to try his hand in television and moved out to California. He landed a role in the daytime soap opera Another World. He became associated with the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, where he performed in productions of Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. From 1980 to 1985, he acted in a variety of contemporary and classic theatre pieces, including the Broadway productions of Eastern Standard and Edward Albee's adaptation of Lolita. In 1984, he played the title role in Hamlet at the New York Shakespeare Festival. He returned to television in the 1985 TV movie Covenant and had a role on another daytime soap drama, Search for Tomorrow. He was a series regular on Ohara in 1987, and as the company commander on Tour of Duty from 1987 to 1988, before starring in a series of television movies. Though initially cast as one of the show's main characters, his role on the show was reduced while it filmed in Hawaii and he ended up spending much of his time doing portraits of tourists on the Honolulu boardwalk. He has also guest starred on shows such as Cheers, Dynasty, Search for Tomorrow, Matlock and Murphy Brown.[5]
As Batman
As a voice actor, Kevin Conroy is best known for his starring role in the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995).[6][7] He continued to voice-play Batman in the subsequent spin-off series: The New Batman Adventures (1997–1999), Batman Beyond (1999–2001), Justice League (2001–2004) and Justice League Unlimited (2004–2006), all of which take place in what is commonly referred to as the DC animated universe (DCAU). His tenure in the role also includes the theatrical film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993),[8][9] and the direct-to-video films Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998), Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000) and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003). He also voiced Batman for the character's guest appearances in the DCAU's Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock and The Zeta Project.
Conroy is well remembered by fans for being the first person in animation to use two distinct voices to portray Bruce Wayne and Batman, which Michael Keaton had previously done in Tim Burton's live-action Batman films.[3] In a tally of performances that include every episode, movie and guest appearance made as Batman, Conroy has portrayed the character longer than any other actor in either live-action or animation. The previous record-holder was Olan Soule, who voiced Batman in various animated works between the late 1960s and early 1980s; including Super Friends. Apart from the DCAU, Conroy has also portrayed Batman in the direct-to-video DC Universe Animated Original Movies: Batman: Gotham Knight (2008), Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009), Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010), Justice League: Doom (2012), Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013), Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014) and Batman: The Killing Joke (2016).[5][10][11]
After the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, Conroy participated in relief efforts by volunteering to cook for police officers and firefighters. During an audio commentary on Batman: Gotham Knight, Conroy expressed his surprise at the reaction of the emergency service workers to his presence. At the behest of another cook, Conroy called out from the kitchen to the dining area in his "Batman voice", reciting the iconic line, "I am vengeance! I am the night! I am Batman!" (from the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Nothing to Fear"[12]) This was greeted by cheers and applause from emergency service personnel, many of whom had been fans of Batman: The Animated Series during its airing in the 1990s. Conroy confessed to being humbled and deeply flattered by the reaction.[13]
In preparation for the theatrical release of the 2012 live-action film The Dark Knight Rises, Conroy re-dubbed Christian Bale's Batman lines for an animated version of one of the film's trailers.[14]
Conroy stated at the 2013 Dallas Comic Con that he had been working on "the next Arkham", leading to rampant speculation that he would reprise his role as Batman in Batman: Arkham Origins. In June 2013, however, it was confirmed that Conroy would not be involved in Arkham Origins, meaning Conroy may have been referring to an yet-unannounced game from the Rocksteady Arkham series.[15] In March 4, 2014, a new Arkham game titled Batman: Arkham Knight was announced with Conroy reprising his role.[16]
He confirmed on Twitter that he filmed a role on Tim Daly's web series The Daly Show,[17] where Conroy parodied his role as Batman in a fight with Daly parodying Superman (whom Daly previously voiced in Superman: The Animated Series).[18]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | How to Pick Up Girls! | Bartender | TV movie |
| 1980 | Another World | Jerry Grove | (2 episodes) |
| 1982 | Born Beautiful | Stan | TV movie |
| 1982 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Lysander | TV movie |
| 1983 | A Fine Romance | Phil | TV movie |
| 1983 | Kennedy | Ted Kennedy | TV mini-series |
| 1984 | George Washington | John Laurens | TV mini-series; 1 episode |
| 1984-85 | Search for Tomorrow | Chase Kendall | (4 episodes); "Episode 8556", "Episode 8574", "Episode 8669", "Episode 8670" |
| 1985 | Covenant | Stephen | TV movie |
| 1985-86 | Dynasty | Bart Fallmont | Recurring role; 8 episodes |
| 1986 | Matlock | Clark Harrison | (1 episode); "The Affair" |
| 1986 | Kay O'Brien | David | (1 episode); "Princess of the City" |
| 1986 | Spenser: For Hire | Gallagher | (1 episode); "Shadowsight" |
| 1987 | Ohara | Captain Lloyd Hamilton | Recurring role; 11 episodes |
| 1987-88 | Tour of Duty | Captain Rusty Wallace | Recurring role; 12 episodes |
| 1988 | Killer Instinct | Dr. Steven Nelson | TV movie |
| 1990 | So Proudly We Hail | Francis Crosby | TV movie |
| 1989-90 | Cheers | Darryl Mead | (2 episodes); "The Ghost & Mrs. LeBec", "Death Takes a Holiday on Ice" |
| 1990 | The Face of Fear | Frank Dwight Bollinger | TV movie |
| 1990 | WIOU | Lenny Lubinsky | (1 episode); "Pilot" |
| 1991 | Murphy Brown | Roger Harris | (1 episode); "Terror on the 17th Floor" |
| 1991 | Hi Honey - I'm Dead | Brad Stadler | TV movie |
| 1992 | Rachel Gunn, R.N. | Dr. David Dunkle | Main role; 13 episodes |
| 1992 | The Secret Passion of Robert Clayton | Hunter Roy Evans | TV movie |
| 1992 | Battle in the Erogenous Zone | Mondo Ray | TV short movie |
| 1994 | Island City | Colonel Tom Valdoon | TV movie |
| 1995 | The Office | Steve Gilman | Recurring role; 6 episodes |
| 2015 | Island of the Mega Shark | Narrator | (1 episode) |
Television (animated)
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-95 | Batman: The Animated Series | Bruce Wayne / Batman / Additional Voices | Main role; 85 episodes |
| 1996 | The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest | Hardman | (1 episode); "Manhattan Maneater" |
| 1997-99 | The New Batman Adventures | Bruce Wayne / Batman / Henchman | Main role; 24 episodes |
| 1997-99 | Superman: The Animated Series | Bruce Wayne / Batman | (5 episodes);
|
| 1999-01 | Batman Beyond | Bruce Wayne | Main role; 48 episodes |
| 2001 | The Zeta Project | Bruce Wayne | (1 episode); "Shadows" |
| 2001-04 | Justice League | Bruce Wayne / Batman / Technician / Cop / Civilian / Lord Batman / High Council Thanagarian | Main role; 37 episodes |
| 2002-04 | Static Shock | Bruce Wayne / Batman | (5 episodes);
|
| 2004-06 | Justice League Unlimited | Bruce Wayne / Batman / Joe Chill / Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis) / Pilot / Sky Patrol Officer | Main role; 18 episodes; also performed, though uncredited, the song "Am I Blue?" in the episode "This Little Piggy" |
| 2006 | The Batman | John Grayson | (1 episode); "A Matter of Family" |
| 2008 | Ben 10: Alien Force | Bellicus / Warrior #2 | (1 episode); "X Equals Ben Plus 2" |
| 2010 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Batman of Zur-En-Arrh / Phantom Stranger | (2 episodes)
|
| 2009-13 | The Venture Bros. | Captain Sunshine | (2 episodes);
|
| 2013 | Tales of Metropolis | Bruce Wayne / Batman | (1 episode); "Lois Lane" |
| 2014 | Batman Beyond | Bruce Wayne | TV short |
| 2014 | Batman: Strange Days | Bruce Wayne / Batman | TV short |
| 2015 | Turbo FAST | Stinger | (1 episode); "The Sting of Injustice"[19] |
| 2016 | Justice League Action | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Main role |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Chain of Desire | Joe | |
| 2013 | Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics | Himself | |
| 2013 | I Know That Voice | Himself | |
| 2014 | Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives | The Narrator | Documentary film |
| 2016 | Yoga Hosers | Canadian Bat, Man! | |
Film (animated)
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Batman: Mask of the Phantasm | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Theatrical release |
| 1998 | Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Direct-to-video |
| 2000 | Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Direct-to-video |
| 2003 | Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Direct-to-video |
| 2005 | The Complete Robin Storyboard Sequence | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Direct-to-video Short film |
| 2008 | Batman: Gotham Knight | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Direct-to-video |
| 2009 | Superman/Batman: Public Enemies | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Direct-to-video |
| 2010 | Superman/Batman: Apocalypse | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Direct-to-video |
| 2012 | Justice League: Doom | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Direct-to-video |
| 2013 | Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie | The Mayor of Red Bank | |
| 2013 | Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Direct-to-video |
| 2014 | Batman: Assault on Arkham | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Direct-to-video |
| 2015 | Batman vs. Robin | Thomas Wayne | Direct-to-video |
| 2016 | Batman: The Killing Joke | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Limited theatrical release/Direct-to-video |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Adventures of Batman & Robin | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Sega CD version |
| 1999 | Crusaders of Might and Magic | Drake | |
| 2001 | Batman: Vengeance | Bruce Wayne / Batman | |
| 2001 | Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy | Ollie the Fisherman | Did recording again for the remastered version for the PS3 version download and disc due to problems with audio. |
| 2003 | Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne | Lord Jack / Cleaner / Commando | |
| 2003 | Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu | Bruce Wayne / Batman | |
| 2003 | Lords of EverQuest | Lord Palasa | |
| 2009 | Batman: Arkham Asylum | Bruce Wayne / Batman / Thomas Wayne | |
| 2011 | DC Universe Online | Bruce Wayne / Batman | |
| 2011 | Batman: Arkham City | Bruce Wayne / Batman / Hush | |
| 2011 | Batman: Arkham City Lockdown | Bruce Wayne / Batman | |
| 2012 | Harley Quinn's Revenge | Bruce Wayne / Batman | |
| 2013 | Injustice: Gods Among Us | Bruce Wayne / Batman | |
| 2015 | Infinite Crisis | Bruce Wayne / Batman | [20][21] |
| 2015 | Batman: Arkham Knight | Bruce Wayne / Batman / Hush | |
| 2017 | Injustice 2 | Bruce Wayne / Batman |
Stage plays
| Stage Play | Character played | Location performed | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts | ? | Hudson Guild | ? |
| Come Back Little Sheba | ? | Roundabout Theatre | ? |
| Deathtrap | Clifford Anderson | (on Broadway) | 1979 |
| Eastern Standard | Peter Kidde | Golden Theatre (Broadway) | 1989 |
| The Greeks | Achilles | Hartford Stage | 1984 |
| Hamlet | Laertes | New York Shakespeare Festival | 1984 |
| Hamlet | Laertes | Old Globe Theatre, San Diego | ? |
| King Lear | Edgar | San Diego Shakespeare Festival | ? |
| The Last Yankee | Lenny Hamilton | Signature Theatre | 12/30/97 - 2/8/98 |
| Lolita | ? | (on Broadway) | ? |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Lysander | New York Shakespeare Festival | 1984 |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Lysander | Old Globe Theater, San Diego | 1982 |
| Mother Courage | ? | ? | ? |
| Much Ado About Nothing | ? | San Diego Shakespeare Festival | ? |
References
- ↑ "Top 10 Comic to TV Adaptations". IGN. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
- ↑ "PoP! Interviews Kevin Conroy". Panels on Pages.
- 1 2 Murphy, Joel (2009-10-01). "One on One with Kevin Conroy". HoboTrashcan.
- ↑ http://www.cbr.com/voice-of-batman-kevin-conroy-trashes-trump-backs-hillary/
- 1 2 "Conroy On Voicing The Caped Crusader In Batman: Gotham Knight". World's Finest Online.
- ↑ "A History of Batman on TV". IGN. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
- ↑ "The Greatest Comic Book Cartoons of All Time". IGN. January 26, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ↑ "Top 25 Animated Movies of All-Time". IGN. Retrieved 2012-10-10.
- ↑ "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
- ↑ Harvey, James (February 29, 2008). "Kevin Conroy to play Batman in Batman: Gotham Knight". World's Finest Online.
- ↑ McMillan, Graeme (April 25, 2012). "Batman Voice Actor Kevin Conroy Spills DC's Potential Animated 'Flashpoint' Plans". ComicsAlliance.
- ↑ "I am Vengeance. I am the Night. I AM BATMAN!". YouTube.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ↑ Batman: Gotham Knight audio commentary.
- ↑ BTAS/TDKR trailer on The Hub on YouTube, Web Video.
- ↑ Kubba, Sinan (June 11, 2013). "Batman: Arkham Origins doesn't feature Kevin Conroy after all". Joystiq. AOL. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ↑ Dyer, Mitch (March 4, 2014). "Arkham Knight Has No Multiplayer, Kevin Conroy Returns as Batman". IGN. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
- ↑ "Kevin Conroy on Twitter". Twitter.
- ↑ Video on YouTube
- ↑ "The Sting of Injustice". Turbo F.A.S.T. Season 2. Episode 8. July 31, 2015. Netflix.
- ↑ Turbine, Inc. Infinite Crisis. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Scene: Credits, Voice Over Talent.
- ↑ "Infinite Crisis Credits".
External links
 |
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Kevin Conroy |
- Kevin Conroy talks life, Batman and video games
- Kevin Conroy at the Internet Movie Database
- Audio Interview w/ The Rafferty/Mills Connection Podcast (2009)
- HoboTrashcan - One on One with Kevin Conroy (2009)
| Preceded by Adam West |
Voice of Batman 1992-2006 |
Succeeded by Rino Romano |
| Preceded by Jeremy Sisto |
Voice of Batman 2008-present |
Succeeded by Various Others (concurrent) |