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Kevin Conroy, Voice of Batman: The Animated Series, Passes Away

November 11, 2022 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
Kevin Conroy Image Credit: Warner Bros.

Kevin Conroy, the beloved voice actor who portrayed Batman in Batman: The Animated Series and other projects, has passed away. Conroy’s representative Gary Miereanu sent a statement to 411 confirming that the actor passed away on Thursday at the age of 66 after a short battle with cancer.

Conroy’s resume as an actor went back over 40 years and included over 100 credits, but he will be most remembered for voicing the Dark Knight across various projects, most famously the Fox Kids animated series that ran from 1992 to 1995. That was Conroy’s first time playing Batman, a role that would continue throughout his life. Born in Westbury, New York, Controy’s career started after attending the famed Juilliard School in New York where he had a full scholarship and was roommates with the late, great Robin Williams.

Conroy began on the stage, touring with a performance of the comedy thriller Deathtrap, before he moved to California in 1980 to try to break into television. His first screen role was in the TV film How to Pick Up Girls!, followed by a recurring role in the daytime soap Another World, followed by a 79 episode stint on the soap Search for Tomorrow and a recurring role on primetime soap Dynasty. He would continue to perform on stage in San Diego and Broadway, where he played the role of AIDS-stricken TV producer Peter in Eastern Standard in 1989.

Batman: TAS was the role that would make him famous, of course. He would follow that up as a regular performer as Batman; his many films and shows as the Dark Knight included the 1993 theatrical animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and several films in the DC Animated Universe like Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, Justice League: Doom, and Batman: The Killing Joke. He also voiced the role in Superman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, the 2001 to 2004 Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. He portrayed Bruce Wayne in live action during an episode of the CW Batwoman series during the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event.

Conroy also played the role in several video games, most notably the Arkham series from 2009 through 2016 as well as DC Universe Online, the Injustice games and Lego DC Super-Villains. He would often be paired with Mark Hamill, who played the Joker opposite his Batman in several projects.

“Kevin was perfection,” recalled Hamill. “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. 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.”

He is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy. On behalf of 411, our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and many fans of Mr. Conroy; he will most certainly be missed.

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Kevin Conroy, Jeremy Thomas