Kevin Conroy | |
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Born | [1] Westbury, New York, U.S.[1] | November 30, 1955
Died | November 10, 2022 New York City, U.S. | (aged 66)
Education | Juilliard School (BFA) |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1978–2022 |
Spouse | Vaughn C. Williams |
Website | realkevinconroy |
Signature | |
Kevin Robert Conroy (November 30, 1955 – November 10, 2022) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of the DC Comics superhero Batman in various animated media, beginning with 1992's Batman: The Animated Series[2][3] and its subsequent spin-off TV series and feature films in the DC Animated Universe. Due to the popularity of his performance as Batman, Conroy went on to voice the character for multiple films under the DC Universe Animated Original Movies banner and the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham and Injustice video games.
Conroy was born on November 30, 1955, in Westbury, New York,[1] into an Irish Catholic family. He moved to Westport, Connecticut, when he was about 11 years old. He had three older siblings.[4]
Due to the tumultuous environment in his home, Conroy lived with a family friend during his last year of high school. Conroy's father was an alcoholic and once attempted suicide while Conroy was in high school. In adulthood Conroy was estranged from his father for many years but reconciled shortly before his father's death. Conroy was at both his mother and his father's side when they died.[5]
Conroy moved to New York City in 1973 when he earned a full scholarship to attend the Juilliard School's drama division, studying under actor John Houseman. While there, he roomed with Robin Williams, who was in the same group as both Conroy and Kelsey Grammer.[6] After graduating from Juilliard in 1978, he toured with Houseman's acting group The Acting Company, and the following year he went on the national tour of Ira Levin's Deathtrap.[7][4] Conroy and his co-star Brian Bedford did not get along, and got into an on-stage brawl during the opening night performance of Deathtrap at the Kennedy Center.[5]
In 1980, after playing the role of Jerry Grove in the New York-based daytime soap opera Another World, Conroy moved out to California to pursue further work in television. Conroy became associated with the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, where he performed in productions of Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. From 1980 to 1985, he acted in a variety of contemporary and classic theater pieces, including the Broadway productions of Edward Albee's adaptation of Lolita and Eastern Standard. He told The New York Times that, as a gay man living in New York in the time of the AIDS epidemic, he "went to so many funerals that I felt such a sense of obligation" to portray the character of a TV producer secretly living with AIDS in Eastern Standard.[4]
Conroy returned to television in the 1985 TV movie Covenant and had a role on another daytime soap drama, Search for Tomorrow. Conroy played gay lawyer Bart Fallmont on Dynasty from 1985 to 1986.[8] He was a series regular on Ohara in 1987, and as the company commander on Tour of Duty from 1987 to 1988, before starring in a series of television movies. Though initially cast as one of the show's main characters, his role on the show was reduced while it filmed in Hawaii and he ended up spending much of his time making portraits of tourists on the Honolulu boardwalk. Conroy also guest starred on shows such as Cheers, Search for Tomorrow, Matlock and Murphy Brown.[9]
As a voice actor, Conroy is best known for his starring role as Bruce Wayne / Batman in the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995).[10][11] He continued to voice Batman in numerous animated spin off projects, which collectively took place in what is known as the DC Animated Universe (DCAU). These spin-offs include the TV shows The New Batman Adventures (1997–1999), Batman Beyond (1999–2001, in which he portrays an elderly Bruce Wayne retired from crimefighting), Justice League (2001–2004), and Justice League Unlimited (2004–2006), as well as the theatrical film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993),[12][13] and the direct-to-video films Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998), Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000), and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003). He also voiced Batman for the character's guest appearances in the DCAU's Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock and The Zeta Project.[14]
I often marveled at how appropriate it was that I should land this role. As a gay boy growing up in the 1950's and 60's in a devoutly Catholic family, I'd grown adept at concealing parts of myself. Of putting aspects of myself in a separate box and locking it away.
—Kevin Conroy, from his autobiographical comic Finding Batman[15]
Conroy is distinguished for being the first voice actor to use two distinct voices to portray Bruce Wayne and Batman, which Michael Keaton had previously done in Tim Burton's live-action Batman films.[7] However, Conroy based his dual-voice performance on Leslie Howard in 1934's The Scarlet Pimpernel.[16] Conroy went on to voice Batman in the direct-to-video DC Universe Animated Original Movies: Batman: Gotham Knight (2008), Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009), Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010), Justice League: Doom (2012), Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013), Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014), Batman: The Killing Joke (2016), Batman and Harley Quinn (2017), and Justice League vs. the Fatal Five (2019).[9][17][18] In a tally of the actor's performances that include his every episode and movie portrayal of Batman in live-action and animation, Conroy portrayed the character longer than any other actor. The previous record-holder was Olan Soule, who voiced Batman in various animated works between the late 1960s and early 1980s (including Super Friends).
After the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, Conroy participated in relief efforts by volunteering to cook for police officers and firefighters. During an audio commentary on Batman: Gotham Knight, Conroy expressed his surprise at the reaction of the emergency service workers to his presence. At the behest of another cook, Conroy called out from the kitchen to the dining area in his "Batman voice", reciting the iconic line, "I am vengeance! I am the night! I am Batman!" (from the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Nothing to Fear"[19]). This was greeted by cheers and applause from emergency service personnel, many of whom had been fans of Batman: The Animated Series during its airing in the 1990s. Conroy confessed to being humbled and deeply flattered by the reaction.[20]
In preparation for the theatrical release of the 2012 live-action film The Dark Knight Rises, Conroy re-dubbed Christian Bale's Batman lines for an animated version of one of the film's trailers.[21]
Conroy stated at the 2013 Dallas Comic Con that he had been working on "the next Arkham", leading to rampant speculation that he would reprise his role as Batman in Batman: Arkham Origins. In June 2013, however, it was confirmed that Conroy would not be involved in Arkham Origins, meaning Conroy may have been referring to a yet-unannounced game from the Rocksteady Arkham series.[22] On March 4, 2014, a new Arkham game titled Batman: Arkham Knight was announced with Conroy reprising his role.[23]
He confirmed on Twitter in October 2013 that he had filmed a role on Tim Daly's web series The Daly Show,[24] where Conroy parodied his role as Batman in a fight with Daly parodying Superman (whom Daly previously voiced in Superman: The Animated Series).[25]
Conroy portrayed Bruce Wayne of Earth-99 in live-action in the Batwoman episode of Arrowverse crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths". This was his only live-action portrayal of the character.[26]
Mark Hamill, Conroy's frequent voice actor co-star as the Joker, spoke highly of working with Conroy. Regarding his willingness to be involved in a Batman-related project, Hamill says, "When they offer me roles now, I say, 'Is Kevin doing it?' ... I don't even have to read the script, if Kevin's doing it I'll do it."[27]
In a 2016 interview with The New York Times promoting the animated adaptation of The Killing Joke, Conroy revealed that he was gay.[4] As part of DC Comics' 2022 Pride anthology, Conroy wrote "Finding Batman", a story that recounted his life and experiences as a gay man. It received critical acclaim upon release.[28] He was married to Vaughn C. Williams at the time of his death.[29][30]
Conroy made an effort to conceal his homosexuality throughout most of his career. He spoke in "Finding Batman" about the discrimination he faced once potential collaborators and employers found out about his homosexuality. Conroy said that on multiple occasions he had been removed from consideration for acting jobs due to his sexual orientation.[31][32]
Conroy made frequent appearances at comic book conventions; his last convention was in Connecticut in July 2022.[33]
Conroy died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City from colorectal cancer on November 10, 2022, at age 66. He did not publicly disclose that he was ill.[34] Conroy's death was announced in a press release issued by Warner Bros. Discovery.[35]
Conroy's death quickly became international news. The entertainment world, friends, and fans responded to his death through social and other media outlets.[36] People who paid tribute to him included Mark Hamill,[37] Tim Daly,[38] Dana Delany,[39] Susan Eisenberg,[40] Tara Strong,[37] Matthew Mercer,[41] Steve Blum,[42] Andrea Romano,[37] Paul Dini,[37] Diane Pershing[37][43] George Takei,[44] Lynda Carter,[44] and James Gunn.[45] DC Comics also released a statement and gave free online access to "Finding Batman" as a way to honor Conroy.[46]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1978 | How to Pick Up Girls! | Bartender | Television film[55] |
1980 | Another World | Jerry Grove | Recurring role[36] |
1982 | Born Beautiful | Stan [56][57] | Television film |
A Midsummer Night's Dream | Lysander[58] | ||
1983 | A Fine Romance | Phil [59] | |
Kennedy | Ted Kennedy | Miniseries[60] | |
1984 | George Washington | John Laurens | 1 episode[61] |
1984–85 | Search for Tomorrow | Chase Kendall | 79 episodes[36] |
1985 | Covenant | Stephen | Television film[62][63] |
1985–86 | Dynasty | Bart Fallmont | Recurring role; season 6[49] |
1986 | Matlock | Clark Harrison | Episode: "The Affair"[49] |
Kay O'Brien | David | Episode: "Princess of the City" | |
Spenser: For Hire | Gallagher | Episode: "Shadowsight"[64] | |
1987 | Ohara | Captain Lloyd Hamilton | Main role; season 1[49] |
1987–88 | Tour of Duty | Captain Rusty Wallace | Recurring role; season 1[49] |
1988 | Killer Instinct | Dr. Steven Nelson | Television film[65] |
1990 | So Proudly We Hail | Francis Crosby | Television film[66] |
1989–90 | Cheers | Darryl Mead | 2 episodes[67] |
1990 | The Face of Fear | Frank Dwight Bollinger | Television film[68] |
WIOU | Lenny Lubinsky | Episode: "Pilot"[69] | |
1991 | Murphy Brown | Roger Harris | Episode: "Terror on the 17th Floor"[67] |
Hi Honey – I'm Dead | Brad Stadler | Television film[70] | |
1992 | Rachel Gunn, R.N. | Dr. David Dunkle | Main role[71] |
The Secret Passion of Robert Clayton | Hunter Roy Evans | Television film[72] | |
Battle in the Erogenous Zone | Mondo Ray | Television short[73] | |
1992–95 | Batman: The Animated Series | Bruce Wayne / Batman, Additional voices | Main role[14] |
1994 | Island City | Colonel Tom Valdoon | Television film[74] |
1994 | The New Adventures of Captain Planet | Army Corps of Engineers Official (voice) | Episode: "Jail House Flock"[67] |
1995 | The Office | Steve Gilman | Main role[68] |
1996 | The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest | Hardman (voice) | Episode: "Manhattan Maneater"[67] |
1997–99 | The New Batman Adventures | Bruce Wayne / Batman, Henchman (voices) | Main role[14] |
Superman: The Animated Series | Bruce Wayne / Batman (voice) | Recurring role[14] | |
1999–2001 | Batman Beyond | Bruce Wayne / Batman, Stage Batman (voices) | Main role[14] |
2001 | The Zeta Project | Bruce Wayne (voice) | Episode: "Shadows"[14] |
2001–04 | Justice League | Bruce Wayne / Batman, Additional voices | Main role[14] |
2002–04 | Static Shock | Bruce Wayne / Batman (voice) | 5 episodes[14] |
2004–06 | Justice League Unlimited | Bruce Wayne / Batman, Joe Chill (voices) | Main role[14] |
2006 | The Batman | John Grayson (voice) | Episode: "A Matter of Family"[14] |
2008 | Ben 10: Alien Force | Bellicus (of Alien X), Warrior #2 (voices) | Episode: "X = Ben + 2"[14] |
2009, 2013 | The Venture Bros. | Captain Sunshine (voice) | 2 episodes[67] |
2010 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, Phantom Stranger (voices) | 2 episodes[14] |
2013 | DC Nation Shorts: Tales of Metropolis | Bruce Wayne / Batman (voice) | Episode: "Lois Lane"[75] |
2014 | DC Nation Shorts: Batman Beyond | Television short[76] | |
DC Nation Shorts: Batman: Strange Days | Television short [77] | ||
DC Nation Shorts: Shazam! | Zeus (voice) | Episode: "Wisdom"[78] | |
2015 | Turbo Fast | Stinger (voice) | Episode: "The Sting of Injustice"[14] |
2016–18 | Justice League Action | Bruce Wayne / Batman (voice) | Main role [14] |
2018 | Teen Titans Go! | Episode: "Real Orangins"[14] | |
2019 | Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? | Episode: "What a Night, For a Dark Knight!"[79] | |
Welcome to the Wayne | Prismal (voice) | 7 episodes[14] | |
Batwoman | Bruce Wayne (Earth-99) | Episode: "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two"[80] | |
Crisis Aftermath | Himself | Guest[81] | |
2021 | Masters of the Universe: Revelation | Mer-Man (voice) | Episode: "The Most Dangerous Man in Eternia"[82] |
2022 | He-Man and the Masters of the Universe | Hordak (voice) | Episode: "The End of the Beginning (Part 2 of 2)"[83] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Ollie & Scoops | The Creature (voice) | Final role[94] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | Hamlet | Performer | Old Globe Theatre[95] |
1981 | Lolita | Performer | Broadway[96] |
1982 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Performer | Old Globe Theatre[97] |
1989 | Eastern Standard | Peter Kidde | Broadway[34] |
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Annie Award | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Television Production | Batman Beyond, "Out of the Past" | Nominated | [98][99] |
2015 | Play Legit's Best | Best Actor | Batman: Arkham Knight | Won | [100] |
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4. Tales of Metropolis One of the newer DC Nation Shorts, Tales of Metropolis also easily ranks as one the funniest things we've seen. ..., and the recent Lois Lane short brought in even more harmonious hilarity. Plus, it features Batman voiced by Kevin Conroy, which is ALWAYS an amazing thing.
CA: Is Kevin Conroy the voice of Batman in this short? BT: Yes. He is. It's funny... he's got one line of dialogue. CA: Wow. BT: It's two words! He got a very good payday that day for word to dollar ratio!
Conroy has lent his voice to the Caped Crusader in cartoons and games for many years, with his first video game credit being The Adventures of Batman and Robin on the Sega Mega CD in 1994.
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Presented content of the Wikipedia article was extracted in 2022-11-25 based on https://en.wikipedia.org/?curid=953857