The Most Famous Voice Actors of All Time

Every generation of kids has certain iconic cartoon character voices that just stuck with them. But have you ever wondered who the famous voice actors are behind the animated characters we love, from Saturday morning cartoons to blockbuster video games?

For kids growing up in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, Mel Blanc’s Bugs Bunny from Looney Tunes brings up all kinds of nostalgia. If you were a kid growing up in the 1970s and 80s, Frank Welker’s Fred from Scooby-Doo has to bring a smile to your face. Kids and teens from the 1990s are stopped in their tracks when they hear Nancy Cartwright voicing Bart Simpson from The Simpsons. And Tara Strong’s dynamic range provided the voice for many 2000s kids’ favorite shows.

In this article

1. Mel Blanc
2. Don LaFontaine
3. Robin Williams
4. Frank Welker
5. Nancy Cartwright
6. Billy West
7. Tom Kane
8. Grey DeLisle
9. Tara Strong
10. Kevin Conroy
11. June Foray
12. Charlie Adler
13. Cree Summer
14. Phil LaMarr
15. Rob Paulsen
16. Maurice LaMarche
17. Lauren Tom
18. Tress MacNeille
19. Troy Baker
20. Mark Hamill
21. The Impact of Voice Actors

The best voice actors influence audio projects with their unique styles and skills, making them essential for engaging character portrayals. They not only craft voices but also shape memories across generations. So without further ado, let’s take a walk down memory lane to your favorite spot on the couch for those Saturday morning cartoons. Here are the 20 most famous voice actors of all time who have given life to some of the most iconic animated characters in history!

Mel Blanc

Often referred to as the “Man of Thousand Voices,” Mel Blanc is perhaps the most famous voice actor of all time. He is best known for his work on Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, where he voiced characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Tweety Bird. Blanc’s talent and versatility made him a staple of the golden age of animation.

Blanc’s journey to becoming a voice acting legend started as a radio musician in the late 1920s. He gained recognition for his versatile voices on a low-budget radio program that he co-hosted with his wife. In 1937, Blanc joined Leon Schlesinger’s animation unit at Warner Bros., marking the beginning of his prolific voice acting career in animation. His first role for Warner Bros. was voicing a drunken bull in the 1937 short Picador Porky.

Don LaFontaine

Known as the “King of Voiceovers,” Don LaFontaine’s iconic voice can be heard in thousands of movie trailers, commercials and television promos. His most famous work is the “In a world…” voiceover, which has been featured in many films and trailers, garnering him widespread recognition in the industry. He was also the announcer on America’s Most Wanted for over 80 episodes.

LaFontaine died in 2008 but his voice lives on in animated series like Family Guy and Phineas and Ferb.

Robin Williams

While he was primarily known as a comedian and Oscar-winning actor, Robin Williams was also a talented voice actor. He provided his voice for several animated films, such as Aladdin where he portrayed the Genie, FernGully: The Last Rainforest where he voiced Batty Koda and Happy Feet where he played Ramon. Williams’s unique talent for voice acting brought a distinct charm and energy to these characters, making them memorable parts of each film.

Williams died in 2014 but his legacy lives on in the roles that he played throughout his career, including his iconic voice acting roles.

Frank Welker

Frank Welker is a voice acting veteran with over 50 years of experience in the industry and more than 800 credits to date. He is best known for his work on animated TV shows and films such as Transformers (as Megatron), Scooby-Doo (as Fred Jones) and The Simpsons (as Santa’s Little Helper and Snowball II). His voice was also heard in popular 80s children’s shows like The Smurfs, Inspector Gadget, Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters and G.I. Joe.

Welker continues to voice the character of Fred and has been the voice of Scooby-Doo since 2002. He’s also voiced characters for Star Wars, Disney and Marvel franchises.

Nancy Cartwright

Nancy Cartwright is a versatile voice actor who has lent her talents to numerous animated TV shows and films. She is best known for her work as the voice of Bart Simpson on The Simpsons, a role she has played for over 30 years. In addition to voicing characters on The Simpsons, Cartwright has also voiced the characters Chuckie on Rugrats, Rufus on Kim Possible and Mindy in Animaniacs.

In 1978, she moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in voice acting, where she trained under famed voice actor Daws Butler. Her first professional voice acting role was Gloria in the animated series Richie Rich.

She won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1992 for “Outstanding Voice-Over Performance” for her portrayal of Bart Simpson. She was also nominated for the same award in both 2017 and 2020 and has a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Kim Possible. In 2000, Cartwright published her autobiography My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy, which she also turned into a successful one-woman play.

Billy West

Billy West, a voice acting veteran of over three decades, has given life to numerous iconic characters. His most well-known work is his portrayal of Philip J. Fry, Dr. Zoidberg and Professor Farnsworth in the show Futurama, Stimpy on Ren and Stimpy and Doug Funnie on Doug. In film, he was the voice of Bugs Bunny in 1996’s Space Jam.

During the 1990s, West frequently appeared on The Howard Stern Show, where he became known for his spot-on imitations of Larry Fine from the Three Stooges, Marge Schott, the owner of the Cincinnati Reds, and Jackie Martling, Stern’s head writer. After relocating to Los Angeles, West achieved great success as a voice actor and performer. His impressive range and memorable character voices have solidified his place among the top voice actors of all time.

Tom Kane

Tom Kane is a prolific voice actor with over 200 credits to his name. He is best known for his work on Star Wars: The Clone Wars (as Yoda), The Powerpuff Girls (as Narrator) and The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (as Nick Fury).

He also works in voice acting for video games, appearing in titles like Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and other Star Wars games as Admiral Ackbar as well as several of the Call of Duty games.

Kane began his career as a voiceover artist when he was just 15 years old in his hometown of Kansas City. After completing college, he had already recorded hundreds of commercials. He then made the move to Hollywood where he found success in voicing movie trailers, network promos, games, feature films, and cartoons.

Grey DeLisle

Grey DeLisle, also known as Grey Griffin, is a highly talented voice actor with a range of unique and memorable voices. With a range spanning from Daphne in the Scooby-Doo universe to Azula in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Vicky in The Fairly OddParents, DeLisle’s versatility has brought a wide variety of characters to life. In 2021, she made her debut as Monster Girl on the Prime Video animated series, Invincible, based on the comics by The Walking Dead creator, Robert Kirkman.

Recognized as one of the most prolific voice actors in the industry, DeLisle started as a stand-up comic. It was impressions during her comedy routines that caught the attention of a casting director who advised her to take up voice acting.

Tara Strong

Tara Strong is a well-respected voice actor with a career spanning over 25 years. She is best known for her work on The Powerpuff Girls (as Bubbles), My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (as Twilight Sparkle) and Batman: The Animated Series (as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl).

In the Batman universe, she has voiced Harley Quinn in animated series and video games. She has also brought life to characters such as Timmy Turner in The Fairly OddParents and Rikku in the Final Fantasy series. For some of her more recent work, Strong made her debut as the character Miss Minutes on Loki in 2021.

Kevin Conroy

The late Kevin Conroy was a highly respected voice actor with an esteemed career that spanned over 30 years. He was best known for his work as the voice of Batman in numerous animated TV shows and films, including Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond. This work — characterized by his deep, gravelly voice — became synonymous with Batman for many fans, cementing his legacy as one of the quintessential versions of the character.

In addition to voice acting, Conroy was an accomplished stage and screen actor, performing in Broadway productions, soap operas and primetime dramas. Conroy passed away in 2022.

June Foray

June Foray blazed trails in the voice acting industry with a career that spanned over six decades. Widely renowned and respected as a great voice actor, She was best known for her roles as Rocky the Flying Squirrel in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, Granny in the Looney Tunes franchise and Grammi Gummi in Adventures of the Gummi Bears. She won a Daytime Emmy for her work on The Garfield Show and received the Governor’s Award at the 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards.

Foray died in 2017 but her contributions to the voice acting industry have left a lasting legacy, inspiring many iconic voice actors, including some of the most talented voice actors in the field.

Charlie Adler

Charlie Adler, a highly praised and incredibly adaptable voice actor, is well-known for his exceptional ability to give life to a wide range of animated characters. A Daytime Emmy winner for his work as the voice director on Rugrats, he has voiced characters in popular shows such as Cow and Chicken, Eek! The Cat, Rocko’s Modern Life, Tiny Toon Adventures and the late 80s Transformers series.

In video games, he’s the voice of M.O.D.O.K. in several Marvel titles and Starscream in the Transformers franchise (a character he also voices for the films). Adler’s distinct voice and ability to adapt it to a wide range of characters have made him a sought-after talent in the industry.

Cree Summer

Cree Summer has made a significant impact on the world of voice acting through her distinctive voice and ability to portray a diverse array of characters. She is best known for her work on animated series such as Rugrats, Codename: Kids Next Door, Tiny Toon Adventures and Drawn Together. By far, one of her most memorable roles is that of Penny on Inspector Gadget.

Summer is equally known for her live-action work on the small screen, especially as Freddie Brooks on A Different World and her recurring role as Lenny on Better Things.

Phil LaMarr

Phil LaMarr’s prolific career in voice acting is characterized by a range of characters across animated series and video games. Notable roles include the title character in Samurai Jack, Hermes Conrad in Futurama and Vamp in the Metal Gear series.

A graduate of Yale who also studied improv at Second City, LaMarr was part of the sketch and improv powerhouse, The Groundlings. An original cast member of Mad TV from 1995 – 2000, his other live-action work includes film roles like Marvin in Pulp Fiction.

Rob Paulsen

With his nearly four-decade-long career, Rob Paulsen has significantly shaped the world of voice acting. He has lent his voice to iconic characters such as Yakko Warner in Animaniacs, Pinky in Pinky and the Brain, and Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. His ability to bring these characters to life has earned him a spot among the industry’s top voice actors.

Maurice LaMarche

We can’t talk about Rob Paulsen without also including Maurice LaMarche in the conversation. A voice actor known for his range and versatility, he is the voice of Brain in Pinky and the Brain, Odval in Disenchantment, and various roles in Futurama, The Simpsons, Rick and Morty, Hey Arnold! and The Critic. He also took over voicing the role of Inspector Gadget when Don Adams retired in 1999.

Lauren Tom

Lauren Tom is known for giving life to various characters in multiple animated series. She is best known for her roles like Minh and Connie in King of the Hill, Amy in Futurama and various characters in Codename: Kids Next Door. Friends fans know her as Julie, Ross Geller’s girlfriend in Season 2 of the series. She was also Mrs. Tran on Supernatural and Celia Mack on Andi Mack.

Tom started her career in the theater. She joined a touring company of A Chorus Line at 17 and within a year, she was performing in the Broadway production as Connie. She received an Obie Award for her Off-Broadway work and also appeared in Broadway productions like Hurlyburly and Doonesbury.

Tress MacNeille

Tress MacNeille, a veteran voice actor of over four decades, has lent her voice to some of the most iconic characters in animation. She is best known for her work as various characters on The Simpsons and Futurama and is especially loved as Dot Warner in Animaniacs. MacNeille’s unique voices and memorable characters have made her a well-regarded figure in the industry.

She wanted to be a voice actor from the age of 8 but went to broadcasting school and became a disc jockey before moving into voice acting. She was also a member of The Groundlings for 10 years and assistant to a voice talent agent before landing her first part on Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo.

Troy Baker

Troy Baker is celebrated as a voice actor for his impactful contributions to the video game industry, most notably as the voice of Joel Miller in The Last of Us and The Last of Us: Part II and as Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite. His performances are often compared to legendary voices included on this list that have defined and shaped the art of voice acting.

His various film and TV roles include characters in Rick and Morty, The Legend of Vox Machina and Dota: Dragon’s Blood. He also voiced both Batman and the Joker in the crossover animated film, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill cemented his place in pop culture history by playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars universe, but he also boasts a diverse and impressive voice acting career. While he is renowned for his chilling portrayal of the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Hamill has also voiced a wide range of other characters. This includes SkekTek the Scientist in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and Muska in the English dub of Castle in the Sky. His versatility and talent in voice acting have made him a notable figure in the industry.

One of his most iconic roles debuted in 2021 when he voiced Skeletor in Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation series for Netflix. He continues to play the role in the continuation of the series, Masters of the Universe: Revolution. He is also the English voice of Granduncle in the Oscar-winning Miyazaki film, The Boy and the Heron.

The Impact of Voice Actors

From Bugs Bunny to Bart Simpson, the voices behind our favorite characters have the power to transport us back to our childhood, fill us with nostalgia and make us laugh or cry. These talented voice actors have brought joy to many generations and continue to influence the world of animation and beyond.

Famous voice actors have a profound impact on the media we consume, bringing characters to life and creating memorable experiences. From the iconic voices of cartoon characters to the complex characters of video games, voice actors are essential to the success of many forms of media. They have the power to evoke emotions, create empathy and engage audiences in a way that few other professions can.

Many voice actors have become household names, with their iconic voices and memorable characters becoming an integral part of popular culture. Whether it’s the nostalgic comfort of hearing a beloved cartoon character or the emotional depth of a video game protagonist, voice actors play a pivotal role in shaping our entertainment experiences and leaving a lasting impression on audiences worldwide.