Kevin Conroy, the constant voice of Batman for a generation of fans, dies at 66
Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman for nearly three decades, died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 66.
The actor’s voice was best known for his portrayal of Batman in the Warner Bros. animation series “Batman: The Animated Series” and the films “The Dark Knight Returns,” “Batman & Robin” and “The Dark Knight Strikes Back.” He also performed the voice for several animated episodes of TV’s “Batman: The Brave and the Bold.”
Conroy had been battling prostate cancer all his life but continued to voice Batman during his final weeks. He was diagnosed in 2009 and underwent surgery and radiation treatments.
Fans expressed their sadness and shock online.
“I am utterly heartbroken. I loved Batman and I will miss him. He was one of the greatest Batman voices and I can’t help but wonder how his voice will sound in Heaven,” wrote one on Twitter.
“Never fear. He is with us to our mutual happiness. I was so blessed to have worked with him,” wrote another.
He died at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. No cause of death was given.
According to the Associated Press, he was the first actor to voice Batman while also being the youngest actor to do so. He was 6 when the series began in 1968.
As far as acting roles go, he was the fifth-youngest actor to have his name in the opening credits of a film (the others are George Sanders, Richard Burton, James Caan and Charlton Heston) and was the fourth-youngest acting Oscar winner to be named to an Academy Award (the others are Judy Garland, Robert Redford and Marlon Brando).
In addition to voice-acting, Conroy was a stand-up comedian, a voice-over artist for video games and a voice-over artist on the animated television series “Family Guy.” During his career he appeared on such TV shows as “The Andy Griffith Show,” “The Honeymooners” and “Laverne & Shirley.”
He also acted in the film
