We got some sad news this past week. Legendary Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy has passed away after a short battle with cancer. He was 66 years old.
I’ve seen a lot of articles focusing on his career as a voice actor, but my introduction to Kevin was on TV in the mid-eighties as Captain Rusty Wallace. It was on one of my favorite tv shows of all time, a Vietnam War drama called Tour of Duty. He played a no-nonsense Army Captian. The show mainly focused on Bravo company’s second platoon. It ran for 3 seasons from 1987 to 1990 before it was canceled. It was also my introduction to the music of the Rolling Stones. Yes I know I was a little late to the game, but I was only twelve years old at the time. “Painted Black” was such a good song for a television show theme song. Beyond the pilot episode, Kevin was only in a hand full of episodes after, but he did a great job in each. If you are into army dramas, I recommend searching this one out. You won’t be disappointed. The next time I heard of Kevin was during what many consider, his greatest role. Which came in 1992 as the voice of Batman, on Fox’s Batman the Animated Series. He voiced both Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman. Opposite Mark Hammil as the Joker both actors became the quintessential voices for each role. Batman had been on TV and in films prior to Kevin’s introduction into the DC universe. Adam West is probably the only other person besides Kevin that is best known for his portrayal of the caped crusader. That’s some good company to keep if you were to ask me.Here’s an interesting fact, Kevin had tried out for the role of Joe Hackett on the TV show Wings on NBC. He lost the role to Tim Daly. The same Tim Daly that became the voice of Superman on Superman the Animated Series.
Watch them here act as both Batman and Superman in a spoof created by Tim and his son Sam for the Youtube Channel DalyShowTv.
Beyond the series, he also voiced Batman in several animated movies as well as a number of Batman-themed video games.
Most recently he made a cameo as a multiverse Batman/Bruce Wayne on the WB crossover, Crisis on Infinite Earths. He played a version of Batman that had successfully killed Superman. A darker Black Knight than we are used to seeing on tv. Again his portrayal of Batman was one of the highlights of this star-studded crossoverInteresting fact number 2, Kevin was roommates with Robin Williams during their early years. They attended Juilliard with their friend Christopher Reeve.
In addition to his work as Batman, Conroy has also voiced other iconic characters such as Superman, Green Lantern, and Aquaman. He is truly a legend in the world of voice acting, and his work has had a lasting impact. But for many fans, Conroy is the definitive voice of Batman. That is the character he will be best known for.
On a personal note, the Batman Intro I created for the 2021 Pulsecon Showcase on my ToyBeast YouTube channel was a homage to Mr. Conroy. I’ve been a fan for a very long time. So for nearly three decades, Kevin Conroy has been the voice of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman. Conroy brought a level of gravitas to the role that few other actors could match. He made Batman seem like a real person, someone who was struggling with his own demons. That’s what made him so compelling to watch. In conclusion, I am going to go and watch Batman, Mask of the Phantasm to mourn the loss of this great man in my own way. Our prayers and condolences to his family. Rest in peace Mr. Conroy. We will miss you.