Iconic Voice Of Batman Goes Silent: Kevin Conroy Dies At 66

Everyone reading comics imagines the voices of the characters in their own heads. But for the generations that came of age in the wake of Batman: The Animated Series, which began airing in 1992, which first aired aired for 85 episodes on Fox Kids from 1992-1995, the intimidating timbre of the Dark Knight was pegged to one man: voice actor Kevin Conroy. Warner Bros. confirmed that Conroy died Thursday after a battle with cancer at age 66.

Conroy graduated from Julliard and began his acting career in the late 1970s with various roles in front of the camera, but truly found his voice behind the microphone when he took the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman for the groundbreaking WB animation series produced by Bruce Timm, Tim Reuger and Eric Radmoski. The show took its immediate cues from the then-current Batman live action franchise films directed by Tim Burton, but the creators’ vision extended back to the early history of the character and, for many fans, captured the essence of Batman’s appeal.

Conroy’s voice was the glue that held it together as he modulated between easy-going Bruce Wayne and the clenched and intense growl of Batman. Apparently it took him a handful of episodes to hit his stride. Once he did, it was impossible to imagine anyone bringing as much gravitas to “I am vengeance… I am the night… I am Batman!” than Conroy.

“Kevin was perfection,” said Mark Hamill, who leant his voice to the iconic version of the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and beyond. “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 voiced the character in dozens of animated series, feature films, video games and other media over three decades, while becoming a popular figure on the convention circuit. In 2019, he finally got to bring his definitive Dark Knight to a live action portrayal of the aged Bruce Wayne in the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” episode of the CW series Batwoman.

Conroy, who was gay, wrote about his experience with the character in a story called “Finding Batman” in DC Comics’ Pride Anthology. He is survived by his husband, Vaughan Williams.