# Familiar voices in animated childrens shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 6, 2001, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031 "2001-09-06T14:23:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/41 "2001-09-10T00:58:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DAVEW0071 \* > \*\*Bernadette Peters voices Rita the Singing Cat on Animaniacs. I was also going to mention Mark Hamill doing the robot’s voice on Time Squad, but someone beat me to it. \*\* Damnit, Dave, I opened this thread specifically to mention Bernadette and you beat me to it 😛 Jim Bakkus was the voice of Mr. Magoo… and don’t forget Boris Karloff narrated How the Grinch Stole Christmas. (I think I just dated myself here) ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/42 "2001-09-10T06:49:01Z")
Patrick Stewart did the voice of one of the military guys in ‘The Plague Dogs’. ---
**Author:** ![frock75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@frock75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frock75)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/43 "2001-09-10T12:39:14Z")
I remember hearing Tone-Loc’s voice in a cartoon once. Can’t remember what show, though. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/44 "2001-09-10T17:06:59Z")
You’re probably thinking of “Ferngully”, **frock** , though he also did a voice on “Titan A.E.”. His voice is solid and impressive, but I don’t think it’s very flexible. Whatever he does, he sounds like Tone Loc–at least, so far as I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/45 "2001-09-10T22:00:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number Six \* > \*\*Pamela Segal, though not a familiar face, is a very familiar voice. > > \ > > The most interesting thing is that the voice she uses for Bobby Hill (pudgy white boy), Ashley Spinelli (skinny Asian girl), and Rusty (robot), is exactly the same, and is strangely appropriate for all three. \*\* She uses the same voice for the kid in _Time Squad_. _Buzz Lightyear of Star Command_ has also used a number of celebrity voices: Buzz: Patrick Warburton (_Seinfeld, The Tick_) Nova: Nicole Sullivan (_MAD TV_) Booster: Stephen Furst (_Animal House, Babylon 5, St. Elsewhere_) XR: Larry Miller Emperor Zurg: Wayne Knight (_Seinfeld, Third Rock From the Sun, Jurassic Park_) Warp Darkmatter: Diedrich Bader (_The Drew Carey Show_ French Stewart: Rentwhistle Swack (“Harry” on _third rock_) XL: Bobcat Goldthwait Bill Mumy: Eon (_Lost in Space, Babylon 5_) Jonathan Harris: Era (“Dr. Smith” on _Lost in Space_) (Mumy and Harris appeared in the same episodes together as aliens subjecting Buzz to experimentation. This is the first time they worked together since _Lost_.) Marl: John Kassir (“The Cryptkeeper”) This is not the complete list. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/46 "2001-09-10T22:25:10Z")
If you want the complete list for the guest voices on _Buzz_, click [here.](http://us.imdb.com/Guests?0260602) Another person who was a celebrity before he did cartoon voices is [Paul Winchell](http://www.paulwinchell.com/), known as the voice of Tigger, Gargamel and Dick Dastardly. Previously, he was known as a ventriloquist and had his own TV series in the 50s. (That is a link to his website. Read it. Did you know he was also a doctor who invented an artificial heart and the disposable razor? Unfortunately, he listened to the people who assured him that no one would ever buy a disposable razor.) ---
**Author:** ![SterlingNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@SterlingNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SterlingNorth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/47 "2001-09-15T04:29:44Z")
Here’s an interesting take from our malcontents (I mean that as a compliment) at [Teevee](http://www.teevee.org/archive/2001/08/31/index.html). Most of the obvious ones have already been mentioned, but I could fill in some the blanks. You know that starfish on _Spongebob Squarepants_, Patrick? That’s Bill Fagerbakke, that lovable lug Dauber from _Coach_. He also does a voice on _Lloyd in Space_. He also did voices on _Gargoyles_ (Broadway), _Jamanji_ (as the Robin Williams character), _Hercules_ (Cyclopes), and I’m sure he did some “cameo” and one time roles on other cartoons. If you hear a boring professor-type guy in a cartoon, it’s probably Ben Stein. Before you had a chance to win his money, he was a speech writer for Nixon and Ford. Like most former White House officials, after his stint in politics we went into opinion columns. He still pens an occasional one for the Washington Post’s Outlook sction. But, his Hollywood career pretty much began when he bored the nation as Ferris Bueller’s Economics teacher. Thus having found his niche as the monotone unemotional scholarly beurecratic dorky character, he started showing up everywhere in Hollywood in both live-action and animation. His longest lasting role was probably as Dr. Ben Stein, one of Duckman’s neighbors on _Duckman_. I remember him most as Francis Pumphandle (“But everyone calls me ‘Pip’.”) on _Animaniacs_. He also did voice work on _Bruno the Kid_ (already mentioned), _Hercules_, _The Mask_, and _Earthworm Jim_. Ed Asner, in addition to the work already mentioned on _Gargoyles_, _Freakazoid_, and _Spiderman_, was one of the original voices on _Captain Planet_, was Daggett on _Batman: TAS_, and he probably guest voiced on dozens more. Keith David has a very distinctive voice, which I will always recognise as Spawn (_Spawn_) or Goliath (_Gargoyles_). Now he’s on _The Job_ with Denis Leary, but I’ve heard him it the _Final Fantasy_ movie, and the US dub of _Princess Mononoke_. You can’t make a cartoon without [Jeff Glen Bennett](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Bennett,+Jeff). I’m not even going to try to list his resume. Going back to kiddie shows, Bill Cosby produces one called _Little Bill_. Since it is a Cosby production, by law a part must be cast for Phylicia Rashad. Gregory Hines and Ruby Dee’s in there, too. Anyway in regards to the voice-over business,I can classify the players into three groups. There are the ‘professional’ voice actors for whom the vast majority of their work is simply cartoon voices. Jim Cummings, Jeff Bennett, Tres MacNellie etc Unless they get work on the big series like _The Simpsons_, their pay is about so-so. Thus why they take many jobs. Then there are the big celebs who take roles in cartoons and get paid handsomely. More so if it’s a big blockbuster Disney movie. Then there’s the mid-tier actors who fit inbetween the two ends of the business. They tend to have supporting roles in TV shows or movies. They tend to get paid pretty well, though they don’t headline the Disney summer posters. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/48 "2001-09-15T13:32:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ellen \* > \*\* > My favorite obscure reference is Donnie Osmond, who does the singing voice for the male lead in Mulan. \*\* This is obscure? I went into “Gaaaaaaaaaaah, Donny Osmond!” fight-or-flight mode and almost clawed my way out of my seat as soon as he started singing! My favorite obscure Disney voice reference is Kenneth Mars. His most famous live action role is probably that of Franz Liebkind (the Nazi scriptwriter) in _The Producers_, but he has a very impressive list of voice work credits to his name. Among many others, he was the voice of King Triton in _The Little Mermaid_. He continued the same role in the direct-to-video sequels and television spin-off of that movie. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/49 "2001-09-15T14:20:59Z")
Dan Castellaneta was also Earthworm Jim in the cartoon of the same name. ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/50 "2001-09-15T14:31:58Z")
Someone mentioned Casey Casem as Shaggy on the Scooby-Doo cartoons…he also voiced Robin for the Superfriends. I remember being about 9 when I clued in that Shaggy and Robin sounded the same. Watching them now (lo, these 22 years later), every time I see Shaggy talk I try to picture Robin saying those lines, and vice-versa. It gives Scooby-Doo a whole new dimension. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/51 "2001-09-15T19:04:23Z")
Jerry Doyle (Garibaldi from _Babylon 5_) was Captain Simian in _Captian Simian and the Space Monkeys._ Hey, it’s better than it sounds. I think Michael Dorn is the bad guy, too. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/52 "2001-09-15T19:35:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SterlingNorth \* > **Going back to kiddie shows, Bill Cosby produces one called _Little Bill_.** I can’t believe no one else has mentioned _Fat Albert_. Besides hosting the series (one of the longest-running Saturday-morning cartoon series), Cosby was the voice for five different characters: Fat Albert, Bill, Mushmouth, Mudfoot and the Brown Hornet. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/53 "2001-09-15T19:57:28Z")
Oh yeah, and the voice of Patrick on _Spongebob Squarepants_ is the same guy who played Tom Cullen on “The Stand.” M-o-o-n, that spells Patrick. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031/54 "2001-09-16T03:26:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Podkayne \* > \*\*Jerry Doyle (Garibaldi from _Babylon 5_) was Captain Simian in _Captian Simian and the Space Monkeys._ > > Hey, it’s better than it sounds. > > I think Michael Dorn is the bad guy, too. \*\* Yeah, and Dom Irera was Spider, James Avery was Gorilla… I can’t remember who played Shao Lin, or if she was famous outside voicework or not… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/familiar-voices-in-animated-childrens-shows/80031.md?page=2)