# The Mount Rushmore Of Voice Acting **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981 "2010-09-16T16:40:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/21 "2010-09-16T20:01:26Z")
[Steve Blum](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089710/) He’s everywhere. And he does good work. ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/22 "2010-09-16T20:04:03Z")
[Tress Macneille?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tress_Macneille) ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/23 "2010-09-16T20:05:25Z")
[Clancy Brown](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000317/#actor) ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/24 "2010-09-16T21:58:50Z")
Mark Hamill ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/25 "2010-09-16T22:41:42Z")
[Kevin Michael Richardson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Michael_Richardson). He has a very prolific body of work, including the Joker on the Kids’ WB series _The Batman_ and as Barney Rubble in _The Flintstones: On the Rocks._ He currently appears on _The Cleveland Show_ and might I add, does a pretty mean Isaac Hayes impression. He played Rockefeller Butts on the short-lived ABC series _The Knights of Prosperity_. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/26 "2010-09-16T22:52:23Z")
Geez, this thread is becoming more of a Sgt-Pepper’s-Album-Cover of voice actors than a Mount-Rushmore of voice actors. (And it causes me to wonder: How do you carve people’s **voices** into the side of a mountain, anyway?) I going to interpret the OP to be asking, What four (give-or-take) people are the all-time greatest voice actors, judging by who has created the most iconic and widely-recognized voices. By any standard, Mel Blanc _has_ to be there. June Foray, Frank Welker, and Daws Butler are worthy candidates, though they aren’t as widely known. Among current stars, Dan Castellaneta, Seth MacFarlane, Tress MacNeille, and Billy West are at least worth considering. And while I think of Frank Oz more as a puppeteer than a voice actor (voice acting being a subset of what a puppeteer does), it’s true he has created quite a few very iconic and widely-recognized voices (as have some of the other Muppeteers). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/27 "2010-09-17T02:24:27Z")
I think, like comics, we need to divide into eras. For the Golden Age (roughly 1930-1965, which covers radio, movie cartoons and the first era of TV cartoons) I’d go with Blanc, Foray and Butler. The fourth spot is a tossup with Conried and [Bea Benaderet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bea_Benaderet), among others. The Silver Age starts in 1987 with the first Simpsons shorts. I nominate Welker, West and MacNeille, and about eight others for the final spot. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/28 "2010-09-17T02:37:41Z")
Paul Frees’ best-known character is Ludwig von Drake, but he did a host of others, as well as lots of voice-overs, dubbing, and narration (including many Disney park attractions). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/29 "2010-09-17T03:00:57Z")
Let’s not forget Clarence Nash. He may have essentially only done one character but it was Donald Duck. Nash’s voice was a major part of the character. And Nash did Donald’s voice for fifty years, from 1934 to 1984. Jack Mercer’s another possibility. His main character was Popeye but he also did a bunch of other characters. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/30 "2010-09-17T03:04:12Z")
Orson Welles, mainly for his radio work. And even though he’s not technically an actor (although “A Boy Named Sue” comes pretty damned close), Johnny Cash! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/31 "2010-09-17T04:28:34Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Paul Frees’ best-known character is Ludwig von Drake, but he did a host of others, as well as lots of voice-overs, dubbing, and narration (including many Disney park attractions). I vote for [Paul Frees](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Frees). Being a fan of older films, I hear his voice a lot. (And Spike Jones’s version of _My Old Flame_, which features Frees impersonating Peter Lorre, is one of my favourite Spike Jones numbers.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/32 "2010-09-17T04:46:17Z")
**John Di Maggio** – Bender, Schnitzel, Jake, Dr. Drakken, Marcus Fenix ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/33 "2010-09-17T05:14:29Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Paul Frees’ best-known character is Ludwig von Drake, but he did a host of others, as well as lots of voice-overs, dubbing, and narration (including many Disney park attractions). Vhut? No love for Pottsylvanian moose-and-squirrel chasing spy, Boris Badenov? ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/34 "2010-09-17T05:53:10Z")
June Foray’s birthday is tomorrow (18 Sep). And she was born in (wait for it, wait for it) Springfield! Spooky… She was born in 1917, so she is older than Mt Rushmore. Not just the carvings, the geology 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/35 "2010-09-17T06:03:38Z")
> [@Noel\_Prosequi](#): > > June Foray’s birthday is tomorrow (18 Sep). And she was born in (wait for it, wait for it) Springfield! Spooky… > > She was born in 1917, so she is older than Mt Rushmore. > > Not just the carvings, the geology 🙂 Chuck Jones once said, “June Foray isn’t the female Mel Blanc. Mel Blanc was the male June Foray.” ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/36 "2010-09-17T06:16:59Z")
> [@Kiyoshi](#): > > [Tress Macneille?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tress_Macneille) Excellent choice; that’s who I came in to mention. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I going to interpret the OP to be asking, What four (give-or-take) people are the all-time greatest voice actors, judging by who has created the most iconic and widely-recognized voices. Well, there’s a choice between those who have voiced a few absolutely iconic characters, or those who have been very prolific. (Mel Blanc was both.) I can think of a few characters where June Foray was fantastic, but I don’t think of her as being nearly as prolific as Tress MacNeille. On the other hand, MacNeille’s only really iconic character is Dot from _Animaniacs_. Picking just four would be tough. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/37 "2010-09-17T06:22:49Z")
How about [Thurl Ravenscroft](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurl_Ravenscroft)? In addition to having a fabulous voice (and resume), he wins the award for best name ever… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/38 "2010-09-17T06:25:55Z")
I particularly like Cree Summer and Noelle North, but I probably wouldn’t put them too high on the list. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/39 "2010-09-17T16:36:29Z")
How about **Grey DeLisle**? She has done Asajj Ventress in _Star Wars: Clone Wars_ Mandy in _The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy_ Azula in _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ Frida Suárez in _El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera_ Vicky and her sister Tootie in _The Fairly OddParents_ Sam Manson in _Danny Phantom_ Frances “Frankie” Foster in _Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends_ Yumi in _Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi_ (in Japanese!) She’s also he current voice for Daphne Blake in the _Scooby Doo_ franchise. Here’s a link to her [wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_DeLisle). ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981/40 "2010-09-17T17:00:25Z")
My vote is a tie between [Alexander Scourby](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Scourby%5B/url) (although I grew up listening to him narrate National Geographic specials, not the Bible), and [Peter Thomas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thomas_(television_narrator)%5B/url). Thomas narrated film strips I saw in high school, and I was mesmerized by his voice. It wasn’t until many years later I found out his name. Among the more recent times I’ve heard his voiceover was on PBS, for the program Nature, when he says “Funding for Nature provided by…” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mount-rushmore-of-voice-acting/553981.md?page=3)