Kevin Conroy, who died at 66, was maybe the greatest performer

Actor Kevin Conroy has died. He was 66.

Conroy voiced the Caped Crusader on Batman: The Animated Series from 1992 to 1996, as well as in 15 films, 15 animated series and two dozen video games. To several generation of fans, including mine, he simply…was Batman.

That’s because Conroy understood something very fundamental about the character that no other actor to play Batman ever has:

Batman isn’t a disguise. Batman is the real guy.

It’s Bruce Wayne that’s the put-on — the pose, the performance, the face he shows to the world.

Conroy got that. Embodied it, really. But every other actor who’s slapped on the bat ears over the years inevitably adopts an overtly theatrical, affected voice when they play Batman.

For most of them, it’s a whispery rasp meant to seem super-butch, super-intimidating. It’s Clint Eastwood’s stoic Man With No Name in black Kevlar.

There have been a couple exceptions. Adam West went big, comically stiff and stentorian: “Careful, chum! Pedestrian safety!”

Christian Bale went even harder, punishing evil-doers (and his vocal folds) with a throaty, if weirdly adenoidal roar: “SWEAR TO ME!” A bullfrog with laryngitis, over here.

But Keaton, Clooney, Kilmer, Affleck and Pattinson all Eastwood-whisper their Bat-dialogue, as if they think they can save Gotham via ASMR.

All of them see Batman as the role to play, and convince themselves they need to create a separate, menacing persona to do so.

Conroy started from a much different place. His Batman was more natural, less forced, less false. He basically used his usual speaking voice. It’s something you can just sense immediately, and I think it’s one reason so many of us responded to his take as deeply as we did. We could see it: He’s not play-acting, he’s just acting.

The creators of Batman: The Animated Series have said that’s exactly what they were looking for. As they were auditioning people for Batman, actor after actor came in and did the Keaton/Eastwood whisper. It was everything they didn’t want their cartoon show to be — it was cartoonish.

But when Conroy slid into the booth, he just read the lines. He took his natural voice down only slightly, and inched closer to the mic.

But it wasn’t a pose, it was just him. He was cool. He underplayed. His Batman hangs back, he’s wry, even a bit sardonic. Mostly, though, he’s natural.

Plus, not for nothing? The guy had real pipes. In an episode of the animated series Justice League Unlimited, Batman is forced to sing a torch song in order to rescue Wonder Woman from the clutches of the evil witch Circe. And Conroy nailed it, while maintaining the character’s abiding Batmanishness.

https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/133992
https://pasteio.com/x9yYkZT5toa6
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/133997
http://pastebin.falz.net/2453471

https://vocus.cc/article/636f4ecafd897800010bc46a
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134098
https://jsfiddle.net/adikate954/342xf1s0/
https://dotnetfiddle.net/6TlLA3
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135705
https://apaste.info/ktFC
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134103
https://paiza.io/projects/57k2cHq3ZdNfDgQ_ETnlTw
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134909
https://paste.cutelyst.org/KgTx5nhmT

https://articlenetwork.site/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer/
https://muckrack.com/kevin-conroy-2/bio
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135740
https://issuu.com/kevinconroydeath
https://paste.feed-the-beast.com/view/d0d0b524
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134919

https://telegra.ph/Kevin-Conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-of-Batman-ever-11-12https://jsitor.com/chM7G8hsNy
https://caribbeanfever.com/photo/albums/batman
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135566
https://pastelink.net/3fnn2rut
https://ideone.com/9ZwvSr

https://techplanet.today/post/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-of-batman-ever
https://justpaste.it/58rap
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135571
https://ctxt.io/2/AAAQLbzDEA
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135765

https://blogmypost.com/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer/
https://paste.toolforge.org/view/d1e6da3a
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134128
https://onecompiler.com/php/3ynqj27u5
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134057
http://beterhbo.ning.com/profiles/blogs/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-of
https://onlinegdb.com/aDC-Pxu8i
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134944

https://s4244447.diary.ru/p221395750_kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-of-batman-ever.htm
https://rentry.co/2d9hf
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135805
https://backlinktool.io/p/yLypgoT2OEXmzH3b6LHP.html
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134062
https://bitbin.it/Eu4tQ4ch/
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134188

On the other hand, it’s Conroy’s Bruce Wayne that was a bit. An extended performance. He nudged his voice up a skosh, made it slightly softer. The result is the sound of privilege, of comfort, of a life of ease and unconcern.

What he was actually doing, of course, was talking like all the other privileged jerks Bruce Wayne hangs with. Basically? He was code-switching.
(Is it too much of a stretch to wonder if maybe Conroy was so good at it because he was gay, and perhaps knew a little bit more about code-switching, was more practiced at it, than other actors to play Batman? Okay, it’s a stretch. But I’m just saying: It factors, maybe.)

In the years since Batman: The Animated Series ended, he never shied away from the role that would come to define him, as many other actors have done. He continued to voice the character in other shows, movies and games. He was a fixture on the Comic Con circuit, where he loved engaging with fans. He even got to play an elderly version of Bruce Wayne on the CW show Arrow.

But it wasn’t his whole life. He trained at Julliard alongside Christopher Reeve, Robin Williams and Frances Conroy. He played Shakespeare, he played Broadway, he had long runs on Another World and Search for Tomorrow. He’s survived by his husband, a brother, a sister.

By all accounts, Conroy was a sweet guy who relished his Batman role and his fans, which is why there’s so many of us out here feeling a deep pang of loss tonight.

Kevin Conroy, Iconic Batman Voice Actor, Dies at 66

Kevin Conroy, best known for voicing Batman on Warner Bros.’ long-running TV show “Batman: The Animated Series,” has died after a short battle with cancer. He was 66.

“Batman: The Animated Series” originally aired for 85 episodes on Fox Kids from 1992-1995. Conroy’s deep, gravelly Batman voice was widely acclaimed by critics and comic book fans, with many regarding the actor as the definitive Caped Crusader. The series also featured Mark Hamill’s memorable performance as the Joker.

“Kevin was perfection,” Hamill said in a statement. “He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated.”

Conroy was so beloved for his Batman voice role that he continued with the character in various other DC projects, including the “Batman: Arkham” and “Injustice” video games franchises. He also appeared in various DC Universe Animated Original Movies, including “Batman: Gotham Knight” (2008), “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies” (2009), “Justice League: Doom” (2012), “Batman: The Killing Joke” (2016) and “Justice League vs. the Fatal Five” (2019), among other films. The 2019 “Justice League” animated film is Conroy’s last credited feature as Batman, and his most recent video game credit as Batman is Warner Bros.’ “MultiVersus” from earlier this year.

“He’s such an iconic character,” Conroy told DC in a 2014 interview. “He’s such a part of the American cultural landscape. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of and to have contributed to.”

In the live-action space, Conroy made his feature film acting debut in 1992 romance drama “Chain of Desire,” written and directed by Temístocles López. He also starred in a recurring role on the NBC soap opera “Another World” and appeared in episodes of classic series such as “Dallas,” “Murphy Brown,” and “Cheers.”

Conroy’s voice acting was not limited to Batman. He also lendt his talents to franchises such as “Scooby-Doo” (he had a voice role on the 2019 series “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?”) and “Masters of the Universe.” In the latter franchise, he appeared on episodes of Netflix’s “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” (playing Mer-Man in 2021) and “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” (playing Hordak earlier this year).

“Warner Bros. Animation is saddened by the loss of our dear friend Kevin Conroy,” WB Animation said in a statement. “His iconic performance of Batman will forever stand among the greatest portrayals of the Dark Knight in any medium. We send our warmest thoughts to his loved ones and join fans around the world in honoring his legacy.”

Conroy most recently wrote “Finding Batman,” which was showcased as part of DC Pride 2022 earlier this year. Conroy was openly gay, making him the only openly gay actor to portray Batman. “Finding Batman” recounted the actor’s experience playing the Caped Crusader while also coming to terms with his own sexuality.

Conroy was born in Nov. 1955 in Westbury, N.Y., and studied acting under John Houseman at The Julliard School alongside the likes of Christopher Reeve, Frances Conroy and Robin Williams. He is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy and brother Tom Conroy.

See more tributes to Conroy below.

Kevin Conroy, longtime voice of animated Batman, dies at 66

Kevin Conroy, the man behind the gravelly bass voice of Batman and who popularized that unmistakable growl that separated Bruce Wayne from the Caped Crusader, has died, according to his representative Gary Miereanu. He was 66.

DC Comics also confirmed the news.

Conroy died Thursday, shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer, Miereanu said.

https://tech.io/snippet/zdn1wjl
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135815
https://paste2.org/dAz5UCYK

https://pantip.com/topic/41728520
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135825
https://webhitlist.com/photo/albums/kevin-conroy
https://www.yamcode.com/sc70j7l9zs
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134067
https://www.onfeetnation.com/profiles/blogs/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-of
https://justpaste.me/tkVl2
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134979
https://www.pastery.net/bsmbsd/
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134097
http://allabouturanch.com/photo/albums/kevin-conroy-death
https://challonge.com/id/2qzeyidd
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134102
https://paste.rs/DRs.php

https://www.wadeszig.vip/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer/
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135840

https://kaalama.org/read-blog/211221
https://geany.org/p/1vMZz/

https://www.banditroom.site/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-2/
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135845
http://paste.jp/04a237f7/
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135004
https://www.wowace.com/paste/7a736330

https://party.biz/blogs/107197/180861/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer
https://issuu.com/kevinconroy88
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134117
http://ben-kiki.org/ypaste/data/60048/index.html
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135656
https://www.techrum.vn/threads/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-of-batman-ever.681991/
https://p.teknik.io/58Kdi

https://kuntal.org/kuntal/blog/view/114570/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-of-batman-ever
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/135850
http://healingxchange.ning.com/photo/albums/kevin-conroy
https://etextpad.com/xi3r87rb1e
https://ide.geeksforgeeks.org/7b3ff2d1-d780-47ee-ba28-5b02598e5852
https://new.c.mi.com/ph/post/134122
https://chopatti.com/forum/topic/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-of-batman-ever
https://rextester.com/NIPUC90690
http://www.shadowville.com/board/general-discussions/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-of-batman-ev#p567053
https://new.c.mi.com/tr/post/204236
http://ptits.net/boards/t/98825/kevin-conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-of-batman-ever.aspx
https://notes.io/qz9aF
https://stockhouse.com/companies/bullboard/c.thc/thc-biomed-international-ltd?postid=35093280
https://www.dancehalldatabase.com/forum/Dancehall-Reggae/Kevin-Conroy-who-died-at-66-was-maybe-the-greatest-performer-of-Batman-ever/fe9de7041388eb8ed9ed759a00b3809c/40656

Conroy’s work in the role is the basis for every iteration of Batman popular culture has seen since. He played Wayne and his superheroic alter ego for years on TV, including on the beloved “Batman: The Animated Series,” and his influence can be heard in the performances of Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson and many more who’ve played the character.

But few actors can say they’ve played Batman quite as often as Conroy: He appeared in more than 400 episodes of TV as the voice – and once, embodiment – of the Dark Knight.

From Broadway to Batman
Before he was Batman, Conroy regularly performed the work of the Bard: A graduate of Julliard’s esteemed acting program, Conroy appeared in adaptations of Shakespearean works from “Hamlet” to “King Lear,” usually at the Old Globe in San Diego. He appeared on Broadway, too, in “Lolita” and “Eastern Standard.”

But it’s undoubtedly the Bat for which Conroy is best known. He played Batman in over 60 productions, according to DC (which shares parent company Warner Bros. Discovery with CNN). His first and most enduring addition to the Batman canon is “Batman: The Animated Series,” which ran from 1992-1996, according to DC. In all, he would play the Bat and Bruce in over 15 different animated series (totaling nearly 400 episodes) and 15 films, including “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.”

He often played against Mark Hamill, who regularly voiced the Joker in animated projects, including the dark and disturbing “Batman: The Killing Joke.” The two had an obvious chemistry in their vocal performances that echoed the tug-of-war Joker and Batman often played.

“Kevin was perfection,” Hamill said in a statement to DC. “For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it.”

But Conroy wasn’t a Batman fan when he began his tenure – all he knew, he said, was Adam West’s campy portrayal from the 1960s. In a 2014 interview, he said he went in blind, one of hundreds of actors auditioning to voice the beloved superhero. To find the character, he turned to his Shakespearean training, saying he saw a bit of Hamlet in Bruce Wayne.

“I gave life to the character. I think I gave passion to the character,” he said in the 2014 interview. “I approached it from a purely acting perspective. A lot of the fans approach it from the whole ‘bible’ of Batman…It’s humbling to me.”

In 2019, Conroy finally appeared as a live-action Batman in a crossover episode of several DC TV properties, including “Arrow,” “Batwoman” and “Supergirl.” As a Bruce Wayne from a different universe, Conroy’s hero was battle-worn, depending on a robotic suit to help him walk after a “lifetime of injuries.”

In Batman, Conroy found courage to come out
Conroy related to his best-known character for another reason, too: Like Bruce Wayne, he also hid his insecurities behind a mask – he wasn’t comfortable coming out as gay due to homophobia within his industry. But being Batman helped him find his inner strength, he wrote in a short comic for DC.

“I often marveled at how appropriate it was that I should land this role. As a gay boy growing up in the ’50s and ‘60s, in a devoutly Catholic family, I’d grown adept at concealing parts of myself,” Conroy wrote in the comic, according to gaming outlet Kotaku.

Conroy later married Vaughn C. Williams, who survives him, according to DC.

Batman brought joy to others in times of need, too: A native New Yorker, Conroy felt called after the events of September 11 to work at a food relief station for first responders. One of the men he served recognized him, but a colleague didn’t believe that Conroy really was the voice of Batman. So Conroy performed one of his most famous lines, in that signature bass: “I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman!”

And with that, he proved he was, indeed, Batman and delighted first responders.

He’s a beloved Batman, fans say
Fans and fellow voice actors mourned Conroy’s loss online.

Clancy Brown, the voice of Mr. Crabs on “Spongebob Squarepants” and Lex Luthor in several animated series, called Conroy his “hero.” Liam O’Brien, famous for voicing anime series like “Naruto” and several video games, said he’s not sure he’d be a voice actor if he hadn’t been “so inspired by Kevin Conroy.”

Tara Strong, known for her voice work in “Rugrats” and “Loki” and worked with Conroy on “The New Batman Adventures,” shared a photo of Conroy lying on her lap with a smile. “He IS #Batman,” she wrote.

Hamill concurred. Many famous men have taken up Batman’s mantle – Bale, Pattinson, Ben Affleck, George Clooney among them – but few have gotten to explore all of the superhero’s emotions and traumas over several decades. For many fans of Batman, Conroy was the first iteration of the Dark Knight they ever knew and loved.

“He will always be my Batman,” Hamill said.

During the early days of the pandemic, Conroy shared a clip of himself reciting Shakespeare’s Sonnet 30 from his garden. A bittersweet reflection on lost loved ones and time passed, it ends on a hopeful note, all of which Conroy conveyed in his 45-second, off-the-cuff clip.

“But if the while I think on thee, dear friend/All losses are restor’d, and sorrows end.”

Kevin Conroy, voice of Batman, dies at 66

According to Variety, the actor passed away after “a short battle with cancer.” It’s not publicly known which cancer or when Conroy was diagnosed.

Although Conroy voiced Batman on several occasions, he’s perhaps best known for voicing the caped crusader in Batman: The Animated Series.

Batman: The Animated Series originally aired from 1992 to 1995. Conroy’s voice performance was loved by fans and acclaimed by critics and many Batman fans grew up with Conroy’s voice as the one, true Batman.

Mark Hamill, who voiced Joker in the series, released an emotional statement after the news broke.

“Kevin was perfection,” Hamill said. “He was one of my favourite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated.”

“Kevin was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and directing – he was a dear friend for 30+ years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no boundaries,” said casting and dialogue director Andrea Romano via The Hollywood Reporter. “Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever.”

Kevin Conroy, the definitive voice of Batman in animation and gaming, dies at 66

Conroy’s distinctive, raspy voice shot him to stardom as the Caped Crusader in “Batman: The Animated Series.”

Kevin Conroy, the iconic voice of Batman, died Thursday shortly after being diagnosed with cancer, according to his representatives.

He was 66.

Conroy’s deep and raspy voice shot him to stardom as the title character in “Batman: The Animated Series,” which ran from 1992 to 1996, according to a statement provided by his spokesperson.

He became the quintessential voice of the superhero in almost 60 different productions and video games, including 15 films, highlighted by “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.”

“Warner Bros. Animation is saddened by the loss of our dear friend Kevin Conroy,” the studio said in a statement. “His iconic performance of Batman will forever stand among the greatest portrayals of the Dark Knight in any medium. We send our warmest thoughts to his loved ones and join fans around the world in honoring his legacy.”

Although he voiced a rugged hero on the small and big screens, outside of work he was known as a gentle and kind soul. Conroy was a fixture on the convention circuit, where he showed as much respect, enthusiasm and gratitude for his army of fans as they showed him.

Emmy-winning casting and dialogue director Andrea Romano said her friendship with him spanned decades.

“Kevin was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and directing — he was a dear friend for 30+ years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no boundaries,” Romano said in the statement of his passing. “Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever.”

Mark Hamill, who voiced the Joker opposite Conroy’s Batman in multiple projects, called him “perfection.”

“He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother,” Hamill said. “He truly cared for the people around him — his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated.”

“Kevin was a brilliant actor,” Hamill added. “For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it. His rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery — that all also helped inform my performance. He was the ideal partner — it was such a complementary, creative experience.”

“I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.”

Conroy was born on Nov. 30, 1955, in Westbury, New York, and raised in Westport, Connecticut. He studied at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City alongside heralded actors like Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams.

He performed theatrically in New York and at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Conroy received praise from critics for his performances in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Public Theater, “Eastern Standard” on Broadway and the title role of Hamlet at the 1984 New York Shakespeare Festival.

Conroy also had guest roles on popular TV series such as “Cheers,” “Murphy Brown” and “Matlock.”

Conroy is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy. Memorial services are pending.