There is no denying that any animated project is as good as its voice-over artists. Luckily, the DCAU has never come across an ‘L’ when it comes to finding the right person to voice the characters. They have Andrea Romano to thank for that. The Goddess of Casting has worked across many, many projects as a casting director, including Popeye and Son, Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, and so on.
Needless to say, she has worked with a ton of voice-over artists, and picking a favorite amongst them has got to be like finding a needle in the hay. However, there was one actor who held a special part in her heart and if you think that is Kevin Conroy, you couldn’t be more wrong.
Andrea Romano Would’ve Loved to Work with This Actor in Every Project
Undoubtedly, Kevin Conroy was a God when it came to voicing DC Comics’ Batman. Throughout his career, the man played Batman for an unending list of projects that were spread across film, television, and even video games.
Andrea Romano, who was the casting and voice director of Batman: The Animated Series, saw Conroy give an audition for the lead role and instantly fell in love with his performance. He would then go on to become the voice of the superhero for years to come.
Still, Conroy wasn’t the man Romano wanted to work with in every single project of hers if she could. Talking to Comic Mix in 2011, Romano was discussing the cast of All-Star Superman, where she was asked about Matthew Gray Gubler’s casting as Jimmy Olsen.
Gubler, who is best known for his work as Dr. Spencer Reid in Criminal Minds, was intensely praised by Romano who became one of the biggest fans of his work. She told Comic Mix,
“I think Matthew is such a talent. He just did an episode of Criminal Minds where his character was suffering a migraine throughout the entire episode, and he was so good that you actually felt his headache.”
She then complimented Gubler’s voice stating that it had a “naturally youthful quality.” Now that is what we call a compliment! Romano added that if she had a role worthy of Gubler in every single one of her projects, she would undoubtedly hire him for it, no questions asked.
“What I love about Matthew’s voice is that it’s got a naturally youthful quality, and there’s something interesting he does naturally where he almost ends every sentence with a question mark. It’s a very specific speech pattern. His sentences tend to go up at the end. He’s a perfect Jimmy Olsen – sweet, endearing, slightly nerdy. If I had a role for him in every project, I would always hire him.”
Apart from All-Star Superman, Romano and Gubler also worked on Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur and Batman: Assault on Arkham.
What Andrea Romano Looked For Before Casting DCAU’s Superman
Romano is an industry veteran when it comes to voiceover directors. She has an impressive list of Emmy Awards and other accolades to show for her over 25 years in the business.
This is why production behemoths entrusted her with voiceover direction for All-Star Superman. Talking to Comic Mix, she explained the nuances of her craft & revealed fascinating insights behind some of the most influential animated productions to come out of Hollywood.
When asked about her checklist for an ideal Superman voice, she emphasized the importance of layers & depth to make the character interesting. She said,
“…when we can give Superman some layers, that makes him interesting. And every actor I’ve used for Superman has brought some amazing layers.”
She explained her perception of the DC character stating,
“Superman is such an interesting character because, while he isn’t human, he has so many human qualities. He’s interesting because without the effects of certain kryptonites, his instincts are always going to be to do the right thing. But you don’t want that to come off as being a Boy Scout or one note. And so you need kind of the white knight, but to still keep him interesting”
With such a cerebral insight into comic book characters, she stitched together a phenomenal cast of voice actors that ensured the success of shows like All-Star Superman, including James Denton in the lead role.
All-Star Superman is available to rent on Prime Video.
