Kevin Conroy, the legendary Batman voice actor who rose to fame on the popular ’90s series Batman: The Animated Series and later played the dark knight in the acclaimed Arkham games, passed away at the age of 66after a brief battle with cancer. News of Conroy’s death has been announced by Castmates on social media this morning and was confirmed in a press release Warner Bros. Discovery.
In the Warner Bros Discovery press release, Mark Hamill, who created his own now legendary version of The Joker, stars alongside Conroy in The cartoonsaid he loved Conroy like a brother because of his ability to lift his spirits whenever the two spoke.
“Kevin was a brilliant actor,” said Hamill. “He’s been the ultimate Batman for generations. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got just the right man for just the right role, and the world was a better place for it. Its rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery – all of these also helped influence my performance. He was the ideal partner – it was such a complementary, creative experience. I wouldn’t have made it without him. He will always be my Batman.”
“Kevin was far more than an actor for me to cast and direct – he was a dear friend for over 30 years whose kindness and generosity knew no bounds,” wrote Andrea Romano, Emmy-winning director of casting and dialogue. “Kevin’s warm heart, his wonderfully deep laugh and his pure zest for life will accompany me forever.”
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For many in Batman Fandom, Conroy was the undisputed voice of the cloaked crusader. Outside of btsConroy portrayed the iconic DC Comics hero in numerous animated films and animated spin-offs such as Batman beyond as well as video games like Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Series and NetherRealms injustice Title. He eventually stepped into the suit on the DC TV show for the first time in a live-action role. Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Continue reading: Becoming Batman was a fall apart for legendary voice actor Kevin Conroy
On social media, former colleagues post tributes while fans mourn the actor’s death by sharing clips and anecdotes that reflect who he was as a person.
Earlier this year, Conroy wrote a powerful short comic about how his journey to come out as a gay man helped him find his voice as a caped crusader. in the Find Batman, drawn and colored by artist J. Bone, Conroy recounted how he struggled with doubts about his own talent early in his career. In the LGBTQ+ themed DC comic, Conroy opened up about the struggles and self-doubt he had about his talent early in his career. Growing up in a devout Christian household, witnessing gay men being ridiculed during the Stonewall riots in the ’70s, witnessing the loss of close friends during the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the ’80s, and witnessing other actors in public and as Being labeled insults Privately led Conroy to don his own mask and protect parts of himself from the public eye for many years.
His formative experiences culminated on the day he was approached by Warner Bros. to audition for the role of Bruce Wayne bts. Though Conroy knew nothing about the character, he wrote that he felt connected to the “mask of confidence” that the superhero often displays when fighting crime.
“My heart was racing, I felt my face turn red, my breath deepened, I started to speak and a voice I didn’t recognize came out. It was a hoarse, hoarse rumble that shook my body,” Conroy said. “It seemed to roar from 30 years of frustration, confusion, denial, love, longing… Yes, I get it. Yes, this is terrain I know well. I felt Batman rising from deep within.”
