16 Best Voice Actors of All Time

The folks at Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, Disney, and DreamWorks Animation know the importance of the voice actor’s ability to mimic various sounds and tones. Unique onomatopoeias, strange pitches, and eerie effects dribble between a performer’s vocal cords to produce the best characters in entertainment.

Every character lives through a voice actor in television, film, gaming, radio, and other audio ventures. Voice acting accomplishes not only sound editing tasks but also gives the performers an engaging space to act without a camera. Armed with a script, headphones, and producers, voice actors achieve volumes of believability to fantastic lengths. Of course, some stars shine brighter than others, with many possessing significant range and presentation.

As such, these particular voice actors stand as the best in entertainment, given their versatilities, résumés, commitments, and legacies. Hundreds of off-screen actors exist, yet these respective performers administer the finest work fans and critics embrace.

Mel Blanc

For decades, “The Man of a Thousand Voices” provided personality traits for characters appearing on Saturday morning cartoons. Until his death in 1989, Mel Blanc spearheaded countless animated goofballs and troublemakers during the Golden Age of American Animation. Though he’s noted for radio contributions, many Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera pals link their origins to Blanc’s vocal work.

In addition to vocal effects and radio labor, Blanc voiced numerous characters generations know and love. These include August Moon, Bugs Bunny, Barney Rubble, Dino, and Cosmo Spacely.

Paul Frees

Arguably the colloquial opposite of Mel Blanc stands Paul Frees and his countless roles under the Walt Disney umbrella. Many note his figurative status as a resourceful voice actor in the Golden Age of American Animation. The period’s work aligns with Frees’ enchanting deliveries for Rankin/Bass, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Walter Lantz Productions. Frees passed away in 1986.

Another “Man of a Thousand Words,” Frees holds an extensive biography of voices. To name a few, Frees provided lines as Santa Claus, Ludwig Von Drake, John Lennon, Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Elrond.

June Foray

A female inroad in voice work adheres closely with June Foray’s comprehensive history in animation and radio. Foray’s voluminous CV extends from Disney to Warner Bros. Sadly, Foray passed away in 2017 at age 99, yet various accolades honor her expansive presence in entertainment. These involve the Daytime Emmy Awards and the Annie Awards, which bestowed “Outstanding” performing efforts.

If certain folks credit Mel Blanc and Paul Frees as the men of a thousand voices, the same rightfully applies to June Foray on the women’s board. Her best work includes Granny, Mrs. Cauldron, Magica De Spell, Jokey Smurf, and Cindy Lou Who.

Mark Hamill

While Luke Skywalker’s characterization closely resembles Mark Hamill’s contributions, the California-born actor provides vocal talent for a myriad of characters. Hamill started doing voice work in the early 1970s, years before starring in George Lucas’ Star Wars flick in 1977. Though he took a break in the 1980s, Hamill solidified his presence with various on and off-screen jobs. The developments bring up many accolades from award ceremonies such as Annie, Saturn, British Academy Games, and more.

Though Star Wars shot Hamill into stardom, his animated portrayals stretch from one galaxy to another. His characters include the following: The Joker, Jason Phillips/Hobgoblin, Fire Lord Ozai, Arnim Zola, and Chucky.

Dee Bradley Baker

While maintaining consistency in the Star Wars universe, Dee Bradley Baker visits many others. Behind the Voice Actors notes Baker as the performer with the most character roles with 2,505 entries at the time of writing. Jeff Bennett and Tom Kenny follow up, yet Baker’s rundown typically explores various projects simultaneously. In other words, Baker likes to stay busy in the recording booth.

Thanks to an omnipresent expressive talent, Baker’s name instills a promising reputation in everything from video games to TV shows. His most enjoyable works include Captain Rex, Perry the Platypus, Klaus Heissler, Appa, and Ra’s al Ghul.

Tom Kenny

Speaking of Tom Kenny, the fluent actor dove beyond the SpongeBob SquarePants world. The vocal artist became an early player in some of Cartoon Network’s and Nickelodeon’s programs. Johnny Bravo, Dexter’s Laboratory, and CatDog stand as a few, though his tenure as the vibrant talking sponge propelled his career astronomically.

Tom Kenny owns two Daytime Emmy Awards and two Annie Awards. Both recognize his work as SpongeBob and the Ice King from the Adventure Time franchise. His other work includes Squanchy, Scoutmaster Lumpus, the Mayor (and Narrator) of Townsville, Spyro, and various Marvel and DC characters.

Jeff Bennett

Jeff Bennett is listed as the second most prolific vocal interpreter of fictional characters on Behind the Voice Actors. Tom Kenny follows behind by a few roles, yet Bennett’s past work history drips in nostalgia for both groovy and fresh generations. Animated Disney productions, Warner Bros. association, and Cartoon Network ventures contribute to Bennett’s broad ability as a voice actor.

Bennett also owns Annies and Emmys for his voice performances. The gentleman works extensively as an off-screen performer, with roles like Johnny Bravo, Dexter’s Dad, Merlin, Mr. Smee, and Foghorn Leghorn showing up in his filmography.

Tara Strong

Tara Strong, one of the industry’s most ambidextrous voice actors, walks among the familiar male presenters in the sound booth. Her uncanny ability to create personalities for both male and female characters highlights her adaptability. While maintaining an active career since the 1980s, Strong acquired multiple Annie Award nominations.

Strong embodies an impressive spectrum of players, all from different creations under unique banners. Her notable roles include Timmy Turner, Raven, Ben Tennyson, Harley Quinn, and Barbara Gordon/Batgirl.

Jennifer Hale

Though some voice actors dabble in multiple mediums, Jennifer Hale particularly ties her legacy to the video game world. In 2015, Guinness World Records recognized Hale as the “most prolific voice actor (female),” along with her role as Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect games. The Spike Video Game Awards also nominated Hale twice in 2010 and 2012.

Of course, Hale’s filmography extends beyond the Mass Effect universe and video games. Her productive work includes the following characters: Bastila Shan, Rivet, Cinderella, Felicia Hardy/Black Cat, and Jean Grey.

Tress Macneille

Regarding extensive voice acting lengths, Tress MacNeille’s reaches across decades of work. Since 1979, MacNeille’s talents amplified the presentations of many famous cartoon pursuits. Scooby-Doo, The Smurfs, The Simpsons, Animaniacs, and many others encompass MacNeille’s vocal performances — sometimes with multiple players in a show. Though this applies to many other voice actors, MacNeille’s contributions helped popularize the franchises.

MacNeille’s famous voice helps provide specific identities for fans and critics to connect. Some of her characters include Daisy Duck, Dot Warner, Babs Bunny, Agnes Skinner, and Martha Kent.

Megumi Hayashibara

Japanese actress Megumi Hayashibara serves as an all-purpose vocal performer for radio, music, film, television, and gaming. Since 1986, various universes have connected Hayashibara’s name with a significant number of characters. Pokémon, Hello Kitty, Cowboy Bebop, and more involve Hayashibara’s dynamism in vibrant anime galore.

Aside from kicking sounds and tunes as a radio personality and singer, Hayashibara links her range to several popular faces in animation. These animated friends include Faye Valentine, Musashi/Jessie, Rei Ayanami, Sailor Galaxia, and Lina Inverse.

Daws Butler

When not appearing on the silver screen, Daws Butler used his heavy voice to portray a wide range of famous characters in the 20th century. Many come from Hanna-Barbera Productions and Looney Tunes animations, managing a blueprint many voice actors today use. One such influence involves Nancy Cartwright and her association with Butler before his death in 1988.

As noted in Cartwright’s message to Butler, the latter developed many memorable characters in animation. Some of Butler’s voice roles include Yogi Bear, Elroy Jetson, Funky Phantom, Quick Draw McGraw, and Hokey Wolf.

Phil Lamarr

The 20th century remains a home to many voice-acting legends, and Phil LaMarr lands comfortably in the following century. Inarguably one of the best vocal performers today, LaMarr demonstrates his professional impersonations beyond the Mad TV days. Behind the Voice Actors granted LaMarr the “Voice Actor of the Year” award in 2018.

LaMarr remains one of the busiest voice actors today, with roles that see him returning to familiar environments. His noted characters include Samurai Jack, John Stewart/Green Lantern, Hermes Conrad, Virgil Hawkins/Static, and Ratbag.

Rob Paulsen

Another modern lion behind the mic involves Rob Paulsen and his insanely passionate engagement in entertainment. Starring alongside Tress MacNeille and Jess Harnell as the Animaniacs, Paulsen’s voice carries a distinct pitch others can’t match. A disheartening cancer diagnosis helped evoke Paulsen’s reflection on health and his influence. Luckily, the voice actor averted the crisis.

Whether audiences stand as veteran fans of the Animaniacs or new, Paulsen’s voice resonates across many cartoons and films. Voicing Yakko of the Animaniacs, Paulsen credits his roles in other properties. These roles include Donatello, Carl Wheezer, Major Glory, Pinky, and Stanley Ipkiss/The Mask.

Takehito Koyasu

Though Takehito Koyasu’s career commenced in the late 1980s, the voice actor’s presence feels ubiquitous in the anime industry. From Sword Art Online to the dashing Food Wars comedy, Koyasu imprints an accustomed deep voice on many projects. As of this writing, according to Anime News Network’s records, Koyasu remains the most prolific seiyuu in Japan.

If an anime exists, Koyasu potentially owns a role within that particular series. However, to name a few of his roles, his characters include Dio Brando, Roswaal L. Mathers, Gin Dojima, Ran Fujimiya/Aya, and Shinsuke Takasugi.

Jim Cummings

Concealing one’s voice with different pitches takes incredible skill, and Jim Cummings proves he’s equipped with a tool bag of personalities. Cummings bears a household vocal range identifiable for any audience who watches animation. His career spans since the 1980s, and he continues to inspire young voice actors through other creative methods behind the mic.

Over a thousand characters register their linguistic vassals through Jim Cummings. For the sake of brevity, several of his best roles include the following: Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Darkwing Duck, Monterey Jack, and Dr. Robotnik.