The late Kevin Conroy is a bonafide legend as far DC animated series and video games are concerned. The veteran voice artist is best known for bringing Batman to life in the 1992 animated series that also heralded a long and successful career spanning over 3 decades. His distinctive voice that immortalized the DC icon is one that will be hard to replace.
In an interview a few years ago, Conroy spoke about how the gig fell into his lap after a laborious audition process which saw Warner Brothers trying out over 500 voices. The actor also elaborated on his ignorance regarding the character and his legacy, which was clarified to him by pioneering animator and DC producer Bruce Timm.
Kevin Conroy Had This Misconception About Batman
It is difficult to imagine anyone other than Kevin Conroy’s raspy voice bringing the character of Batman to life on television. Over multiple animated series and video games, the celebrity has given the DC icon pride of place and has justified Warner Brothers’ faith in him.
Interestingly, Conroy’s knowledge about the DC superhero’s cinematic legacy was minimal, which he realized only during the audition process. In an interview with Crazy Jacks Museum, the actor revealed that he was taken aback when Warner Brothers approached him for a brand new show on Batman.
While he believed that the character had been seen on screen for many years through Adam West’s Batman in 1966, he was informed by producer and animator Bruce Timm that this show was completely different and a pioneering effort in its own right.
“He said, ‘no no no that’s not what we are doing. This is new, it’s never been a cartoon or animated show. We all love Adam but that’s not what we are doing.”
Timm went on to brief Conroy extensively on the legend of Batman in the comics which ultimately helped the actor to internalize the character and bring out all the nuances to perfection.
How Kevin Conroy Used Batman’s Story To Create His Distinctive Voice
An important facet for any actor is to completely immerse himself or herself into the character. This is what legendary voice actor Kevin Conroy did to bring out the nuances of Batman. Having brought the DC icon to life over various animated series, Conroy succeeded in internalizing Batman and all his complexities wholeheartedly.
In an interview with Crazy Jacks Museum, the late celebrity spoke of his process and how this helped in bringing the superhero to life with just his voice capturing all the aspects of the character from his first audition. Speaking of Batman’s tragic past beginning with the murder of his parents, he said,
“I always imagine myself back in that alley watching his parents get killed and I go to the voice. So that’s where the voice came from. It came from the soul. It was just an actor improvising”
Conroy added that it was his honor to have been chosen for this project, which he believed was a game changer for him in many ways. With every episode of the series, the actor felt that he was even more invested to ensure that the character would be remembered for a long time to come.
