Kevin Conroy, an iconic voice actor best known for his 30 year tenure as Batman, has died at the age 66.
A remarkable legacy was left by him as DC’s superhero, having voiced Caped Crusader in 1992 for the highly acclaimed DC comic. Batman: The Animated Series. Conroy was then cast as Batman in over 400 episodes of television and many animated movies.
The voice-over genius was so well-known that he played Batman.
The 2013 documentary is a brilliant example of this phenomenon. I Know That VoiceThis article examines the careers of some the best voice actors in the world, including Hank Azaria and Seth Green, as well as Conroy.
Conroy’s story is told in the film as he recounts his time volunteering at a New York City food aid station a week after the 2001 attacks.
Sign upSubscribe to the Indy100 Weekly Newsletter, a free weekly publication
The actor opens the story by recalling an encounter he had with an architect volunteer. Conroy: “In the middle of the night, 3 nights into this, this one guy goes ‘so, my day job is I’m an architect. What’s your day job?’ I said I do voices mostly.”
After realizing who he was talking too, the man became exaggerated. “‘I knew’,”The man said so. “You’re the guy who does Batman. You’re that Kevin Conroy!”
“So this guy goes into the dining hall and this is the first week after the attack and there is just this sombre sadness and yoi hear the guy go, ‘guys, guys, you’re not gonna believe whose been cooking your dinners. It’s Batman!”
“There’s this long silence and you hear ‘bulls**t’ from the back of the place. Then somebody else said: ‘Make him prove him’ and I was like ‘oh, this is good.'”
Conroy did not want to disappoint the good people and recited his Batman slogan. He added: “So, from this back kitchen: ‘I am vengenace, I am the night, I am Batman!’ There’s this long pause and you hear from the back: ‘Holy f**k that is Batman!’ And suddenly the whole place was laughing.
The architect then turned to me and asked ‘What does it feel like to be Santa Claus because that’s just what happened here.”
Since Conroy’s death was announced Friday, thousands of tributes have been paid. Mark Hamill, who voices the Joker in Batman: Animated Series, wrote: “Stunned by the loss of this brilliant actor. Words can’t express my admiration and respect for the man. I loved him like a brother.”
Susan Eisenberg, the voice actor for Wonder Woman in Justice League animated series, was also added: “Kevin was the most decent of men. He was kind, smart, talented, & deeply appreciative of a career that spanned decades! He leaves behind a legacy that will never be matched or forgotten. To his legion of fans, I am so sorry, but please know that he saw you… & he loved you, too!”
Kevin Smith, a filmmaker, made several podcasts with Conroy. He also cast Conroy in a cameo role in his 2016 film Yoga Hosers added: “I lost a hero today. We all did. The one true Batman – the voice I’ll always hear in my head whenever I read or write a Batman comic book – has passed. I’ll miss you forever, @RealKevinConroy. Thanks for defining the Dark Knight with your powerful pipes… and for being a friend.”
Get involved in our news democracy. To help improve this article’s ranking, click the upvote button at the top.