Top 10 Most Iconic Voice Actors in Animation

While his name may not immediately ring bells, Dee Bradley Baker is one of the most unique voice actors in the industry. He’s particularly famous for creating distinctive sound profiles for non-human characters and creatures. A few of Baker’s most famous roles include Perry the Platypus of “Phineas and Ferb” and both Appa and Momo on “Avatar: The Last Airbender” . In every creature role, he has the uncanny ability to convey a wide range of emotions through grunts, roars and more. That’s not to say his roles are all non-verbal though. Baker is also every single Clone Trooper in nearly every single “Star Wars” animated series. It takes a skilled actor to make so many subtle variations on what is essentially an identical voice!

This incredible actress has a resume full of popular roles that span decades. For the last 20 years, she’s been the primary voice for Daphne in various “Scooby-Doo” series. DeLisle perfectly captured the essence of the character while putting her own spin on the role. On the other side of the coin, she has also voiced memorably dry or villainous roles. Her Mandy on “The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy” was pretty intimidating. However, DeLisle’s Azula on “Avatar: The Last Airbender” might be her most frightening role. When she’s not voicing famous villains or heroes, she brings her skills to supporting characters like Martin Prince on “The Simpsons”. DeLisle’s voice is both distinctive and chameleonic.

Not every voice actor becomes famous for starring as characters in shows that they themselves created. But MacFarlane has the fortune and talent to be part of that exclusive club. On “Family Guy” he voices main characters Peter, Stewie, Brian and Quagmire. He also plays big roles on “American Dad!” like Stan and Roger. Even though a few of MacFarlane’s roles sound similar side by side, he always ensures that each character has their own distinct personality. The fact that he can sing as nearly all of them too is equally fantastic. Today, MacFarlane can celebrate that he’s still voicing comedy icons on one of the longest running animated shows out there.

“The Simpsons” has given us some of the most instantly recognizable voice actors out there. Dan Castellaneta is famous for voicing Homer. And without Nancy Cartwright, Bart might not be as memorable as he is today. But the actor we really wanted to highlight was Hank Azaria. The range of characters he’s voiced on the “Simpsons” is simply incredible. Azaria has played Chief Wiggum, Moe Szyslak, Professor Frink and so much more. While he may not star as one of the titular family members of the show, his voice is key. He’s been ensuring that the town of Springfield is full of colorful characters for three decades and counting. All in all, much like his character Bartok from “Anastasia,” Azaria is “magnificent.”

John DiMaggio is one of those voices you can instantly recognize in every cartoon he’s in - and he’s in a lot of them! When it comes to main roles, he’s famous for playing Jake the Dog in “Adventure Time”. He also shone as the voice of Bender on “Futurama.” Speaking of that show, we have to give a shout to his sci-fi co-star Billy West for playing Fry and so many other roles. That easygoing performance was perfectly contrasted against DiMaggio’s gravelly and exuberant voice. When he’s not playing a magical dog or futuristic robot, you can catch the fantastic actor demonstrating his incredible range by playing villains like the Joker. DiMaggio’s distinct voice and sheer talent have made him a standout performer.

While Conroy had a handful of great vocal performances over the years, he’ll always be fondly remembered for his legendary tenure as the dark knight of Gotham. Conroy brought a ton of nuance and strength to his dual role as Batman and Bruce Wayne during his popular 90s’ series. From there, he went on to voice the iconic character in several shows, throughout major video games and within numerous films. Conroy was brought back again and and because he effortlessly conveyed the Dark Knight’s gravitas, intensity, and vulnerability. He continued to dedicate time to the character up until his passing in 2022. No matter how many Batman actors come next, none of them will embody Batman quite like Conroy did.

Tara Strong is one of the most prolific voice actresses in the industry. To go over all her roles, we’d need a longer video. Within superhero media alone, she has played Batgirl, the earthshaking Terra and Raven in practically every medium you can think of. Strong has also played the adorable heroine Bubbles on “The Powerpuff Girls”. Additionally, she lent her voice to “Twilight Sparkle” on “My Little Pony.” Strong’s range has also let her nab the roles of several major adolescent boy characters. She asked for countless wishes when she played Timmy Turner of “The Fairly OddParents” fame. Outside of that role, she played Ben Tennyson in several “Ben 10” shows. ” Like her many powerful characters, Tara Strong can do just about anything.

As of 2023, this voice actor has over 400 credits! His performances have brought many of our favorite childhood characters to life. He’s the voice of both Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, as well as a host of Disney characters over the years. However, you probably recognize him most as either Darkwing Duck or Disney’s Pete. When he’s not playing loveable heroes, he’s playing entertaining villains like Dr. Robotnik and the lovable “Star Wars” pirate, Hondo Ohnaka. Cumming also has a fantastic singing voice that he famously used to provide some of the vocals on “Be Prepared”. The fact that he was able to sound like Jeremy Irons and sing at the same time gives you an idea of how talented he is.

400 roles sounded like a lot right? Well, Frank Welker has around 860 to his name! And with all those parts, Welker has become incredibly adaptable. He’s played villains like Dr. Claw from “Inspector Gadget” and Megatron from “Transformers.” He’s played famous non-verbal characters like Curious George. But perhaps his longest running and most well-known parts are as Fred and sometimes the titular lead canine of “Scooby-Doo.” It’s incredible to think that Welker can play an easily spooked dog as convincingly as he can play a terrifying metal robot. By taking on both intimidating and gentle roles, this actor secured his place in many of our childhood memories.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Tom Kenny
SpongeBob is Just the Tip of The “Ice King-berg” For This Actor

Mark Hamill
He Pulls a Real Jedi Mind Trick By Making Us Forget All Those Villainous Voices Are Him!

Peter Cullen
Once You Hear the Voice No Introduction is Necessary

Tress MacNeille
She’s Had Major Roles on “Animaniacs,” “The Simpsons,” “Futurama” & More

H. Jon Benjamin
His Roles as Bob Belcher & Archer Alone Are Enough to Make Him Memorable

They didn’t call him “the man of a thousand voices” for nothing! Mel Blanc brought some of the most celebrated cartoon characters of all time to life! He played Barney Rubble, Woody Woodpecker, and both Tom and Jerry during his career. But Blanc is most famously known for all the roles he played in the “Looney Tunes” franchise! He’s starred as Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Tweety, Sylvester and more. We don’t know if we’ll ever see a voice actor like Blanc again. During his historic career, he managed to lay the foundation for characters that have been popular for over 80 years and counting. We’re reminded of Blanc’s tremendous legacy each and every time we see Bugs or hear: “That’s all folks.”