Kevin Conroy, best known for voicing Batman on Warner Bros.’ long-running TV show “Batman: The Animated Series,” has died after a short battle with cancer. He was 66.
“Batman: The Animated Series” originally aired for 85 episodes on Fox Kids from 1992-1995. Conroy’s deep, gravelly Batman voice was widely acclaimed by critics and comic book fans, with many regarding the actor as the definitive Caped Crusader. The series also featured Mark Hamill’s memorable performance as the Joker.
“Kevin was perfection,” Hamill said in a statement. “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.”
Conroy was so beloved for his Batman voice role that he continued with the character in various other DC projects, including the “Batman: Arkham” and “Injustice” video games franchises. He also appeared in various DC Universe Animated Original Movies, including “Batman: Gotham Knight” (2008), “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies” (2009), “Justice League: Doom” (2012), “Batman: The Killing Joke” (2016) and “Justice League vs. the Fatal Five” (2019), among other films. The 2019 “Justice League” animated film is Conroy’s last credited feature as Batman, and his most recent video game credit as Batman is Warner Bros.’ “MultiVersus” from earlier this year.
“He’s such an iconic character,” Conroy told DC in a 2014 interview. “He’s such a part of the American cultural landscape. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of and to have contributed to.”
In the live-action space, Conroy made his feature film acting debut in 1992 romance drama “Chain of Desire,” written and directed by Temístocles López. He also starred in a recurring role on the NBC soap opera “Another World” and appeared in episodes of classic series such as “Dallas,” “Murphy Brown,” and “Cheers.”
Conroy’s voice acting was not limited to Batman. He also lendt his talents to franchises such as “Scooby-Doo” (he had a voice role on the 2019 series “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?”) and “Masters of the Universe.” In the latter franchise, he appeared on episodes of Netflix’s “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” (playing Mer-Man in 2021) and “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” (playing Hordak earlier this year).
Conroy most recently wrote “Finding Batman,” which was showcased as part of DC Pride 2022 earlier this year. Conroy was openly gay, making him the only openly gay actor to portray Batman. “Finding Batman” recounted the actor’s experience playing the Caped Crusader while also coming to terms with his own sexuality.
Conroy was born in Nov. 1955 in Westbury, N.Y., and studied acting under John Houseman at The Julliard School alongside the likes of Christopher Reeve, Frances Conroy and Robin Williams. He is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy and brother Tom Conroy.
