Death of Kevin Conroy, legendary voice of Batman


Kevin Conroy, the longtime voice of the animated Batman died this Thursday, November 10.

Warner Bros.

Kevin Conroy, who lent his voice to the animated character of Batman for 3 decades of television, specials and video games, died Thursday. He was 66 years old.

As reported by Deadline, his death was announced by his representative Gary Miereanu as well as Warner Bros. The cause of his death has not been revealed but he is said to have been battling cancer.

In a statement, Warner Bros. Animation thought “saddened by the loss of our dear friend Kevin Conroy. His iconic Batman performance will forever be 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.

Born November 30, 1955 in Westbury, New York, Kevin Conroy attended Juilliard School and studied alongside Christopher Reeve and Frances Conroy, under the tutelage of John Houseman. He was, at one point, a roommate of Robin Williams.

An actor on stage, television and film, he first began his career on stage in both New York and at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, notably playing Hamlet at the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1984.

On television he had recurring roles on Dynasty (1981), The Hell of Duty (1987) and Ohara (1897) and appeared as a guest on such series as Cheers, Murphy Brown, Spenser: For Hire or even Matlock.


ABC

Kevin Conroy in “Dynasty” (1981)

But his career really took off in the realm of dubbing with the Batman animated series which made its screen debut on September 5, 1992. He would eventually give voice to the Dark Knight in nearly 60 different productions, including 15 films and over 15 anime series spanning nearly 400 episodes and over 100 hours of television.


Dean Buscher/The CW

Kevin Conroy in “Crisis on Infinite Earths”

Conroy also brought the masked hero to life in dozens of video games before eventually playing live-action Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse’s 2019-20 crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths. In recent years, Kevin Conroy has been a staple of conventions.


Warner Bros.

Kevin was perfectionsaid Mark Hamill, who voiced The Joker opposite Conroy’s Batman. “He was one of my favorite people on the planet and I loved him like a brother. He genuinely cared about the people around him – his decency shone through in everything he did. Every time I saw him or talked to him, my spirits lifted.

Kevin was a brilliant actor. For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they had exactly the right person for the right role, and the world was a better place for it. Its rhythms and subtleties, its tones and its delivery – all of this also helped to inform my performance. He was the perfect partner, it was such a complementary and creative experience. I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.

The Batman animated series casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano said, “Kevin was so much more than an actor I had the pleasure of casting and directing – he was a dear friend for over 30 years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no bounds. Kevin’s warm heart, deliciously deep laugh, and pure love of life will be with me forever.

Kevin Conroy is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, his sister Trisha Conroy and his brother Tom Conroy.



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