Kevin Conroy Dies: Longtime Voice Of Animated Batman Was 66
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Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman for three decades of animated TV, specials and video games, died Thursday. He was 66.
His death was announced by his rep Gary Miereanu and Warner Bros. A cause was not disclosed, but he reportedly had been battling cancer.
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In a statement, Warner Bros. Animation said it “is saddened by the loss of our dear friend Kevin Conroy. His iconic performance of Batman will forever stand 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.”
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An actor with credits on stage, television and film, Conroy became a premier voice actor as the title character of Batman: The Animated Series (1992-96). He’d eventually give voice to the Dark Knight in nearly 60 different productions, including 15 films and more than 15 animated series spanning nearly 400 episodes and more than 100 hours of television.
Conroy also voiced Batman in dozens of video games and was featured as a live-action Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse’s 2019-20 “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event.
“Kevin was perfection,” said 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 truly cared for the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated.”
In recent years, Conroy was a fixture on the convention circuit.
“Kevin was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and directing – he was a dear friend for 30+ years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no boundaries,” said casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano. “Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever.”
Born on November 30, 1955, in Westbury, NY, and raised in Westport, CT, Conroy attended The Juilliard School and, under the tutelage of John Houseman, studied alongside Christopher Reeve and Frances Conroy. He was, at one point, a roommate of Robin Williams.
Conroy began his stage career following in both New York and at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, playing Hamlet at the 1984 New York Shakespeare Festival.
On TV, he had recurring roles in Dynasty, Tour of Duty and Ohara and appeared on the soaps Search for Tomorrow and Another World. He had guest roles on Cheers, Murphy Brown, Spenser: For Hire and Matlock.
His voice acting career took off with Batman: The Animated Series, which debuted on September 5, 1992. Conroy’s association with the Dark Knight would continue with Batman Beyond and Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, Batman: the Killing Joke, Batman: Gotham Knight, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman.
“Kevin was a brilliant actor,” Hamill said in his statement. “For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it. His rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery – that all also helped inform my performance. He was the ideal partner – it was such a complementary, creative experience. I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.”
Conroy is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy. Memorial services are pending.
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