Stage actor and legendary voice actor for the superhero Batman, Kevin Conroy, has passed away. He was 66 years old.

There are multiple generations of Americans who hear his voice when they think of Batman, having heard him voice the character since the early 1990s, through multiple television shows, movies, and even video games.

Conroy began his career on the stage, performing in New York and San Diego in performances ranging from Shakesperean classics like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet to Arthur Miller's The Last Yankee. He was also seen on classic small-screen staples, such as DynastyTour of DutySearch for Tomorrow, and Another World.

He also racked up several guest roles on shows like CheersMurphy BrownSpenser: For Hire, and Matlock.

 

But Conroy's popularity as a voice actor took off in the 1990s as the voice of Batman in Warner Bros. Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League.

"A noted stage, film and television performer, Conroy rose to unparalleled voice acting fame as the title character of the landmark Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1996)," DC Comics wrote in a statement. "He would establish never-to-be-broken records as the quintessential voice of Batman, bringing the Super Hero to animated life in nearly 60 different productions, including 15 films – highlighted by the acclaimed Batman: Mask of the Phantasm; 15 animated series, spanning nearly 400 episodes and more than 100 hours of television; as well as two dozen video games."

Conroy also got the chance to play a live-action Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse’s 2019-2020 “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event on the CW network.

Mark Hamill, the legendary Star Wars actor who portrayed Luke Skywalker, was also the voice actor for Batman's counterpart, The Joker, and the two were fast friends having worked together through so many episodes of Batman: The Animated Series.

“Kevin was perfection,” recalled Mark Hamill, in DC Comics' release on Conroy's death. “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.”

“Kevin was a brilliant actor,” Hamill said. “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.”

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