Kevin Conroy, the man behind the gravelly bass voice of Batman and who popularized that unmistakable growl that separated Bruce Wayne from the Caped ...
For many fans of Batman, Conroy was the first iteration of the Dark Knight they ever knew and loved. I think I gave passion to the character,” he said in the 2014 interview. 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. He appeared on [Broadway](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/kevin-conroy-36088), too, in “Lolita” and “Eastern Standard.” To find the character, he turned to his Shakespearean training, saying he saw a bit of Hamlet in Bruce Wayne. 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. 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.” 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. His first and most enduring addition to the Batman canon is “Batman: The Animated Series,” which ran from 1992-1996, “For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. “Kevin was perfection,” Hamill said in a statement to DC. Conroy’s work in the role is the basis for every iteration of Batman popular culture has seen since.
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Pop Culture Happy Hour host Glen Weldon about the death of actor Kevin Conroy, best known as the voice of Batman in the 1990s ...
That's the face he shows to the world. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. CHANG: Conroy was the voice of the caped crusader on "Batman: The Animated Series" from 1992 to 1996. He was a fixture in the Comic-Con circuit. But it seems like Kevin Conroy never shied away from the role that would end up defining him, right? He just reads the lines. They see Batman as a role to play, a big one. So, I mean, there have been so many actors who've depicted Batman over the decades. He was the quintessential Batman to several generations of fans, including NPR's very own Glen Weldon of Pop Culture Happy Hour. And it's so simple, but it's so fundamental. Conroy died of cancer on Thursday at the age of 66. I am the knight.
Conroy, considered by many fans to be the quintessential Batman, voiced the Dark Knight in the classic '90s animated series and Arkham video games.
Conroy voiced Batman in animated TV shows, feature films and video games for nearly 30 years.
Kevin Conroy was in many ways the definitive Batman. Here are some of his greatest performances as the Dark Knight.
Kevin Conroy, the prolific voice actor of 'Batman: The Animated Series', has died at 66.