# Inspired Voice Casting in the old "Batman: The Animated Series"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 20, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740 "2003-01-20T04:36:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/1 "2003-01-20T04:36:04Z")
I’ve always been impressed with the voice casting on _Batman: The Animated Series_. Many of the casting choices are highly appropriate, bordering on out-and-out fanboy service, especially in some of the guest characters:
Willam Sanderson as the voice of Dr. Karl Rossum in the episodes Heart of Steel, His Silicon Soul, and Deep Freeze: Dr. Rossum is an acomplished Roboticist, whose android creations end up trying to take on a life of their own. This actor is also known for playing J.F. Sebestian in _Blade Runner_, one of the scientists who had a hand in creating the ‘repicants’, artificial people who end up trying to take on a life of their own.
Diana Muldaur as the voice of Dr. Leslie Thompkins, one of Batman’s longtime friends and confidants: This character was a much more compasionate and convincing doctor than the one the same actress played on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Ron Perlman as the voice of Clayface: Arguably, some of this actor’s best roles have been the ones where his face was hidden under layers of latex makeup. His ability to portray an actor who has to deal with loosing his identity because his appearance becomes so mutable was probably drawn from real life experience.
Adam West as the voice of Simon Trent/The Gray Ghost in the episode Beware the Gray Ghost: Adam West playing an actor who starred as a costumed vigilante decades earlier, only to be forever associated with that role. Even without the obvious “passing the torch” from the old Batman TV show to the animated series, this one seems pretty obvious.
Mark Hamill as the voice of The Joker: To anyone who saw Mr. Hamill’s short stint as the villian The Trickster on the live action series _The Flash_, this one is a no-brainer. He was The Joker in all but name in that series. And because this was merely a voice role, the audience is much less likely to think “Isn’t that the whiny farm boy from Star Wars?”
So, were the casting directors for the show deliberately choosing such talent for these seemingly tailor-made roles, in order to appeal to the hard-core geeks who would care about such things, or were these just lucky breaks?
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### Author:  [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2003, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/2 "2003-01-20T04:42:02Z")
I give the credit to the casting directors. For me, anyway, Kevin Conroy is Batman. I was about 7 or 8 when B:TAS debuted, and so when I read Batman comics now, I hear all the characters speak in the cartoon’s voices.
That said, it’s kind of disappointing now to watch “Justice League” and hear just how bored Kevin sounds when he reads Batman’s lines.
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### Author:  [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/3 "2003-01-20T04:58:38Z")
I can’t deal with JL’s Superman. His voice will never sound right.
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### Author:  [@WolfDaddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfDaddy)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/4 "2003-01-20T05:49:11Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by SC\_Wolf \*
> Mark Hamill as the voice of The Joker.
You know, hearing him do The Joker finally outed Hamill to me.
Seeing Jay&Silent Bob Strike Back confirmed it.
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### Author:  [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/5 "2003-01-20T06:19:28Z")
I’m convinced that Hamill got the role of the Cock-Knocker in _Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back_ because of the one-two punch of Kevin Smith’s dual fascination with Star Wars and Comic Books.
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### Author:  [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/6 "2003-01-20T06:47:16Z")
**WolfDaddy** :
> [@](#):
>
> You know, hearing him do The Joker finally outed Hamill to me.
Mark Hamill is gay?
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### Author:  [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/7 "2003-01-20T07:12:34Z")
If he’s not, he has an abnormally high level of “Fabulous” for a straight man. 😃
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### Author:  [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/8 "2003-01-20T07:55:49Z")
Hamill was a great Joker voice, his dubious sexuality fit right in with that of the Joker.
Conroy was perfect as Bruce Wayne, but I thought the Batman voice should have been more sinister. I have always seen the Batman persona as vicious creature which Wayne can barely control.
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### Author:  [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2003, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/9 "2003-01-25T07:02:03Z")
He’s been married to a woman since 1978, and they have three children. If he’s gay, he’s doing a terrible job of it.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/10 "2003-01-25T07:44:57Z")
Even if he wasn’t married, I wouldn’t take his performance as Joker as proof of his gay-ness. Hamill is not a particularly _good_ actor, so he may as well “ham” (pun intended) it up as much as possible.
Another interesting though not as subtle bit of cartoon casting was done for Disney’s _Gargoyles_. At least nine _Star Trek_ actors were hired at various times, some with recurring roles.
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2003, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/11 "2003-01-25T08:18:18Z")
I like Paul Williams as the Penguin. That was an excellent idea, as he would’ve made a great on-screen Penguin too.
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### Author:  [@Vorae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vorae)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/12 "2003-01-25T08:22:49Z")
For me, Hamill’s _is_ the voice of the Joker. (That laugh!) The same can be said of Kevin Conroy’s voice work. But the voice casting was just one of many things the producers of that show got very right.
I could use a general _B:TAS_ appreciation thread. With it’s re-runs and spin-offs, it’s hard to appreciate it, but that show’s pretty old. I remember coming home from school to that and _TMNT_.
I wish they’d offer a much better DVD release than the one that’s out. (And as with all DVD releases, even ones that don’t _need_ to be redone and re-released, it’s only a matter of time.)
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### Author:  [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/13 "2003-01-25T08:23:45Z")
I loved the original animated series.
It was Batman (I’m not a comic book reader, but I love the good cartoon versions).
Then, the WB decided to come out with the new adventures.
Those I don’t care for, though the voices are done by the same people, IIRC.
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### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inspired-voice-casting-in-the-old-batman-the-animated-series/149740/14 "2003-01-25T18:12:26Z")
_Return of the Joker_ is pretty good.
I can’t think of the name, but the guy they got for Mr. Freeze is beyond perfect. Damn, but they should have dubbed his voice over Ah-nuld’s in that train wreck of a movie.
William Forsythe(?) as the voice of Alfred for one season? Wonderful.
Harley Quinn’s voice. Just so…_Harley_
I second Williams as the voice of the Penguin, aka Oswald T. Cobblepot. Good choice!
I was never a fan of Batman until I started watching the Animated Series. Posting here is making the theme song run through my head, over and over, which is not a bad thing at the moment.
(with Kevin Conroy’s voice in my head)
**I AM BATMAN!**