The late actor Kevin Conroy earned worldwide recognition after he voiced the character of DC Comics superhero Batman in various animated series, starting with Batman: The Animated Series, which premiered in 1992. He continued to voice the character in animated series including The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited.
Without showcasing his face on-screen, the late actor managed to impress the audience with his deep and raspy voice, which helped define the character for the audience for almost three decades. The actor passed away at the age of 66 on November 10, 2022, following a private battle with intestinal cancer. Before his passing, Kevin Conroy had shared a technique he used to nail Batman’s voice.
Kevin Conroy talks about the secret behind Batman’s voice
Actor Kevin Conroy’s voice for Batman: The Animated Series for the character of Batman was finalized among 500 voices for the role. Voice director Andrea Romano, according to Geek Tyrant, had narrowed it down to 120 actors who had auditioned for the part, and later she and Bruce Timm narrowed it down to five. Bruce Timm shared with Vulture (via Geek Tyrant);
“We got to the point where we were so desperate that anybody who would walk through the door, even if it was for a different part, we would say, ‘Oh, by the way, would you be interested in playing Batman as well? Because we can’t find our Batman.”
He added that Kevin Conroy showed up after his agent suggested that he auditioned for the part. Timm noted that they straightaway told Conroy that they were looking for someone like Michael Keaton. He explained that they needed someone who could differentiate between Bruce Wayne’s and Batman’s voices. In an interview with Crazy Jacks Musems, the actor mentioned that Bruce Timm had to explain the Dark Knight legacy to him. He added,
“It was just my actor imagination in the room that day at that moment, and I just improvised. I just put myself in the darkest, saddest place I could go, trying to imagine myself as that eight-year-old boy watching his parents murdered in front of him, and it , my voice just went to this very dark place.”
Conroy mentioned that over the years, whenever he had to play the role in the series, he always imagined himself back in that dark space. The actor added that’s where the voice came from, noting that it was just an act that came from the soul.
Timm revealed in his interview that they asked Conroy to read for both Bruce Wayne and Batman, and right out of the gate, without any help from them, Conroy nailed it. The voice director added that when Kevin opened his mouth, they instantly knew that he was the one, not only because he had the voice they wanted, but also because he understood the character well. Romano noted that Conroy managed to create a difference between his Batman voice and Bruce Wayne’s voice.
Kevin Conroy’s method notes similarities with the late actor Heath Ledger’s voice for The Joker
If Kevin Conroy’s portrayal (in terms of voice) as Batman is regarded as top tier, Heath Ledger’s portrayal as The Joker is no less. The actor appeared as The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and managed to transform his voice and body to inhabit the role of a homicidal maniac.
Christopher Nolan, in his interview with THR, revealed that Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious were the influences they had on the character of The Joker. According to reports (via Screen Rant), the actor was so in deep with the character that he opted to isolate himself a few weeks before the scheduled filming time.
Looper reported that the actor had pushed himself physically and mentally further than he had ever done for a role, which led to him isolating himself for over a month and being involved with makeup and wardrobe-related decisions for the character. The extreme process of bringing justice to the character on-screen took a toll on the actor, who was left exhausted and sleep-deprived.
The New York Times noted that he only slept two hours per day and began writing and pasting pictures to inspire him and help him get into the character. The publication added that the late actor had been studying ventriloquist dummies to give his character a scary voice.
Both actors went to a dark place to define their voices for the iconic characters they played on-screen. It is one of the reasons why no one has managed to come close to their character portrayals.
Batman: The Animated Series is streaming on HBO Max.
