Top 10 Voice Acting Performances by Comedic Actors

“Hercules” (1997)

Since “Taxi” in the late 1970s, Danny DeVito has been an iconic comedic actor. One of his most famous roles has been as Frank Reynolds in “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” In the realm of voice acting, he went above and beyond the call of duty for Phil from “Hercules.” The grizzled half-man, half-goat becomes the title character’s mentor, who is hesitant to train him at first. By the movie’s conclusion, both characters fulfill their dreams, with Phil even getting a kiss from Aphrodite. We also have to shout out DeVito’s performance as the title character in “The Lorax.”

“Finding Nemo” (2003)

Many know the story of a clownfish named Marlin who, along with a forgetful blue tang, goes on a perilous journey through the sea in search of his lost son, Nemo. That blue tang’s name is of course Dory—voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. Using her famous voice to great effect, her performance earned her several award nominations, including a win for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. While the former talk show host later faced public controversy unrelated to the film, her character Dory remains one of the most beloved in animation history.

“Despicable Me” (2010)

Gru starts as a grouchy, evil supervillain, initially hyper-fixated on stealing the moon. We all either love or hate his minions—Illumination’s most globally successful creation. It’s unlikely the franchise would be as popular as it is without Carell’s phenomenal performance. You’d be forgiven for watching every movie in the franchise and not even realizing it’s Steve Carell. His unique accent, which is vaguely Eastern European, was almost entirely created by Carell himself. The primary test group for his voice was his children, who found it hilarious—and the rest is history. His work as Gru makes us wish he did more voice acting. He clearly has a talent for it.

“Inside Out” (2015)

As soon as it was released, “Inside Out” became an instant Pixar classic. One of the main characters, Joy, has become so popular she’s cameoed in a variety of media, including “Disney Infinity 3.0.” She was voiced by acclaimed actress and comedian, Amy Poehler. In the 2000s, Poehler was a main member of “Saturday Night Live,” but she left for her career-defining role as Leslie Knope in “Parks and Recreation.” She’s had a plethora of voice acting roles, like Snow White in “Shrek the Third”—but none quite stand out like Joy.

“The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)

Emperor of the Inca Empire in Peru, Kuzco starts this film as a spoiled, arrogant leader—one that’s not hard to hate. By the movie’s end, he’s learned to become a way more likeable person after getting transformed into a talking llama. Stand-up comedian David Spade did a remarkable job providing the character’s voice. Outside of Kuzco in “The Emperor’s New Groove,” Spade’s done a few smaller voice roles—but none of them stood out like Kuzco. While Kuzco came back for the spin-off series, “The Emperor’s New School,” Spade wouldn’t return, getting replaced by J. P. Manoux.

“The Lion King” (1994)

To “Lion King” fans, “Hakuna Matata” is one of the series’ most memorable phrases. It’s sung by Timon and Pumbaa, the lovable meerkat and warthog duo that is beyond fun to watch. Originally, Nathan Lane, the voice of Timon, and Ernie Sabella, the voice of Pumbaa, auditioned to play other roles. However, after the producers noticed their amazing chemistry, Lane and Sabella were given the more defining roles of Timon and Pumbaa. After doing a brilliant job providing the voice of Timon for the 1994 production of “Lion King,” Lane reprised his role in the franchise’s second and third films.

“Monsters, Inc.” (2001)

While he initially works full-time as a monster terrifying children, it’s a real challenge not to love Mike Wazowski. He’s played by comedian Billy Crystal, who rose to fame in the 1970s, and has been a cultural icon since. Alongside Crystal, his best buddy Sully is voiced by John Goodman, another icon—but Wazowski is the fan favorite. Perhaps it’s surprising when you look at his design as a one-eyed green ball. It’s unlikely he would have ever achieved this status without Crystal’s enthusiasm for the role. In fact, he once said it was the perfect role for him.

“Shrek” (2001)

First gaining fame in stand-up comedy, followed by SNL, and then in films, Eddie Murphy has undoubtedly become one of America’s most famous comedians. His first iconic voice acting role was as Mushu in “Mulan”—but no one will contest that Donkey in “Shrek” is his most loved animated character. It was so popular, he even received a BAFTA nomination for the franchise's first movie. Alongside Murphy, the title character was voiced by Mike Myers. While his role was extremely memorable, the accent is hilariously far from authentic. Hence, we think Murphy provides a much more impressive performance.

“Looney Tunes” (1938-89)

The most famous Looney Tune is easily Bugs Bunny, primarily portrayed by voice acting giant, Mel Blanc. It wasn’t just Bugs Bunny either—he also voiced Daffy Duck, Tweety, the Tasmanian Devil, and a whole bunch of other “Looney Tunes” characters. This huge list of credits has caused people to call him “The Man of a Thousand Voices.” While he wasn’t a traditional comedian, he rose to fame on radio in 1927 for doing an eclectic range of voices. In the end, Blanc played Bugs Bunny for just over half a century, solidifying his place as a titan of voice acting history.

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

Ferrell Gave His Voice to This Hilarious Blue Supervillain

The World May Not Universally Love Po if Not for Black’s Talents

It’s Virtually Impossible Not to Adore Silverman as Vanellope

Without Allen, He Wouldn’t Be the Most Memorable Toy in Cinema

Arnett’s Deep Voice Is One of the Easiest to Recognize

“Aladdin” (1992)

For decades, Williams was one of America’s most prolific comedians. During his career, he had a variety of voice acting roles, including one in the adorable penguin movie “Happy Feet.” But the Genie in “Aladdin” was by far and away his most widely acclaimed. The amount of energy he brought to the character was mind-blowing, making every scene he’s in a delight to watch. Williams was so influential that the Genie’s mannerisms were based on him. While recording, Williams would improvise constantly, and the animators would pick the funniest ad-libs to make it into the final.


Were there any particularly outstanding performances we forgot to include? Leave them in the comments below!