Kevin Conroy, was one of the most celebrated actors in the entertainment industry who gained recognition after he voiced the character of Batman in 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series. He had appeared in various television series, including Search for Tomorrow, Dynasty, Ohara, and more, but what made him stand out was being the voice behind one of the most loved characters in DC Comics.
Kevin Conroy’s voiceover performance for Batman has helped in defining and extending the Batman legacy over the years. The actor had no idea that a voice over role could bring him the success and fame. But the actor revealed that it was not the character of Batman that he wanted to voice when he went to audition.
Kevin Conroy revealed that voice director Andrea Romano convinced him to voice Batman
In conversation with the DC Comics Blog with Tom Beedle, now-late actor Kevin Conroy revealed that he went in to read for a different DC character when he went in for the auditions of Batman: The Animated Series. He shared with Beedle,
“Actors always want to do the things that’s most out of their realm. So of course, when I went in, I wanted to read for The Joker, Bullock, and Commissioner Gordon. I wanted to read for all the characters parts.”
Conroy further revealed that it was the voice director Andrea Romano who then stepped in, took him aside, and said,
“Don’t you get it? It’s called Batman. You would be in every episode. This is the role you should want.”
Romano’s words convinced Conroy to read for Batman, but he suggested changes to it. He revealed he had asked them if he could make Batman completely disappear behind the mask. He explained that he suggested that because he wanted to bring some character to the superhero.
Conroy also admitted that, by differentiating the voices of Wayne and Batman, he was able to have fun with it and enjoyed voicing him on-screen. He shared that Bruce Timm and Paul Dini are brilliant writers who understood the psychology of the DC Comic superhero well.
In the documentary Kevin Conroy: I Am the Knight, which appeared in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (via The Pop Verse), the actor admits that he thought Batman was the real character and Bruce Wayne was the disguise. He added while talking about the iconic voice of Batman:
“I just went to a very dark and private place in my vocal range because it seemed like such a dark and private world he lived in.”
For Bruce Wayne, he used a sound that was comprehensively more elevated, adding that there was a lot more modulation to the voice and a lot of color, which also proved fun to do.
Kevin Conroy praises Andrea Romano for understanding how actors work
Back in 2014, Kevin Conroy in his conversation with Tom Beedle for the DC Comics Blog, had praised voice director Andrea Romano, who he said also started as an actor. This is why Romano has a real love for actors and loves to work with them. The actor had explained that she not only understands the actors she is working with, but also respects them for their craft. She knows that if she wants her actors to perform well, they need to be fed by other actors. The actor mentioned,
“If you’re acting in a vacuum, it’s just never as good. So she always insists on everyone being together. The books for all Batman: The Animated Series were done as radio plays where she’d have all the cast in a studio together; as a result, those recordings were phenomenal.”
Conroy talked about his experience of working with Mark Hamill, who was the voice for The Joker, and shared that they have always worked well together. The actor added that Star Wars actor is a very talented guy, who has an amazing animation collection, in addition to knowing everything about the genre.
One piece of advice that Conroy was asked to give to future Batman voices, was simply to be genuine and authentic with the voice of Batman. He explained that it was because the voice is very organic and comes from deep inside a person, which is that audiences relate to as well. Conroy mentioned that the actors who voice Batman in the future should respect that the fans genuinely love the character and would know if its voice did not sound realistic.
Batman: The Animated Series is available to stream on HBO mAx.
