Who's your favorite cartoon vocal performer?

[Boopuff]

I have so many favorite Disney movies, but many times, it's the characters voice that completes the package. I was wondering if you guys have a fave character/voice: Mine are: Timon: Nathan Lane, Maui: Dwayne Johnson, Olaf: Josh Gad, Francis (the lady bug): Dennis Leary, Anger: Lewis Black.

 

[amcnj]

Jeremy Irons as Scar and Pat Caroll as Ursula come to mind.

I also really enjoyed Robin Williams as genie, but I guess that may have been more due to his performance rather than the voice.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Agreed with all of the ones listed so far (especially Jeremy Irons - what an iconic voice) but one that doesn't get mentioned often is Vincent Price as Ratigan in the Great Mouse Detective. He is completely into the role and you can tell just by listening to his performance that he is having a blast in the recording booth. Vincent Price even said that one of his favorite roles was playing Ratigan.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Ed Asner/Carl Fredricksen in Up

 

[BrianL]

I mean, there are so, so many! If we're keeping it Disney, it's going to be Alan Young as Scrooge McDuck, Phil Harris as Baloo, and Bill Farmer as Goofy (though he's not the original). June Foray as Grammy Gummi/Magica De Spell is also a stand-out.

Now, I was an 80's kid though, so without a doubt when I think of the greatest cartoon voice, it's Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime. His, deep, powerful voice made that character the hero of my generation. When they were making hte newer Transformers movie, the producer wanted "big names." Peter went in to read for it anyway, and, yeah, he got the job! Some producer was probably like, "Wow, you do a really good Optimus Prime." "Buddy, I AM Optimus Prime!"

Other huge notables are Frank Welker as, well, too many to count, but notably Fred Jones on Scooby Doo and Megatron. Michael Bell as Duke from G.I. Joe, Cam Clarke as Leonardo or Max Sterling, Chris Latta as Cobra Commander, Lorenzo Music as Garfield & Peter Venkman. There are like a million others from that great era of cartoons!

Also, I would be remiss without mentioning the entire regular cast of The Simpsons. Dan Castllanetta as Homer is perhaps what created THE greatest television character of all time. It's Iconic! Nancy Cartright's Bart is also legendary at this point. The entire cast still brings it after 30+ seasons.

Oh, and Mel Blanc. Duh.

 

[bcla]

Rob Paulsen and Tress MacNeille. Both have worked on Disney projects. Rob's natural voice is similar to his cartoon voice, but Tress MacNeille uses an affectation.

 

[barkley]

mel blanc and mae questel

 

[Moliphino]

Jim Cummings is pretty legendary. He even did the narration at the beginning of Illuminations.

 

[firefly_ris]

Jim Cummings is pretty legendary. He even did the narration at the beginning of Illuminations.

Jim is great; you always know it's him but he still differentiates just enough amongst characters. I think a lot of people wouldn't know it's him singing the latter-portion of Be Prepared until you point it out and then you can't un-hear it. You can still tell exactly where he starts but does a great job.

I think my favorite Cummings role is Ray in The Princess and the Frog.

Pat Caroll as Ursula and Jeremy Irons as Scar, I will echo those sentiments. Patrick Warburton did great with Kronk. Eartha Kitt as Yzma. Robert Guillame as Rafiki. There are so many.

 

[Mysterian]

I mean, there are so, so many! If we're keeping it Disney, it's going to be Alan Young as Scrooge McDuck, Phil Harris as Baloo, and Bill Farmer as Goofy (though he's not the original). June Foray as Grammy Gummi/Magica De Spell is also a stand-out.

Now, I was an 80's kid though, so without a doubt when I think of the greatest cartoon voice, it's Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime. His, deep, powerful voice made that character the hero of my generation. When they were making hte newer Transformers movie, the producer wanted "big names." Peter went in to read for it anyway, and, yeah, he got the job! Some producer was probably like, "Wow, you do a really good Optimus Prime." "Buddy, I AM Optimus Prime!"

Not a huge fan of the Bayformers movies, and while I like Hugo Weaving, it's great to have Welker return.

 

[Mysterian]

Jim Cummings is pretty legendary. He even did the narration at the beginning of Illuminations.

Yes!
Cummings also filled in for Jeremy Irons for part of the song "Be Prepared", after Irons threw his voice out singing. Cummings was originally working as one of the hyenas in the film.

He also does an amazing job as the singing vocal performer on "In the Dark of the Night" on Anastasia, and even manages to sound like Christopher Lloyd (playing Rasputin).

He's also Darkwing Duck, Winnie the Pooh, that lightning bug from The Princess and The Frog, etc.

 

[BrianL]

Not a huge fan of the Bayformers movies, and while I like Hugo Weaving, it's great to have Welker return.

Oh, yeah, those are lousy movies, but can you even imagine that producers didn't want Peter Cullen? He'd be my first call if I'm making a Transformers movie! It's ridiculous that they didn't use Welker for Megatron either, and yet he did do some other voices for it.

Peter Cullen did do some Disney voices too - He does Eeyore a lot since the mid-80's, but also did a lot of minor voices in the Disney Afternoon era, notably Admiral Grimitz, Donald Ducks CO in the Navy.

 

[firefly_ris]

Also, I would be remiss without mentioning the entire regular cast of The Simpsons. Dan Castllanetta as Homer is perhaps what created THE greatest television character of all time. It's Iconic! Nancy Cartright's Bart is also legendary at this point. The entire cast still brings it after 30+ seasons.

Simpsons cast is amazing. I'm partial to Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer.

 

[BrianL]

Yes!
Cummings also filled in for Jeremy Irons for part of the song "Be Prepared", after Irons threw his voice out singing. Cummings was originally working as one of the hyenas in the film.

He also does an amazing job as the singing vocal performer on "In the Dark of the Night" on Anastasia, and even manages to sound like Christopher Lloyd (playing Rasputin).

He's also Darkwing Duck, Winnie the Pooh, that lightning bug from The Princess and The Frog, etc.

Woah, I didn't realize that he sang In the Dark of the Night - I thought that was Lloyd all the way. Jim is great! That's also I think my favorite "villain song" of all time.

 

[Mysterian]

Woah, I didn't realize that he sang In the Dark of the Night - I thought hta was Lloyd all the way. Jim is great! That's also I think my favorite "villain song" of all time.

Same!

 

[WEDcryoHEAD]

So many iconic voices have lent their talent to bring Disney characters to life. Robin Williams, Ed Asner, James Woods, Nathan Lane, Ming-Na-Wen, Kristen Bell, Idena Menzel.

Non-Disney I love Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy from the Batman animated series and movies.

 

[BrianL]

So many iconic voices have lent their talent to bring Disney characters to life. Robin Williams, Ed Asner, James Woods, Nathan Lane, Ming-Na-Wen, Kristen Bell, Idena Menzel.

Non-Disney I love Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy from the Batman animated series and movies.

Oh man, I did leave out Mark and Kevin - Batman: TAS is sublime. Absolute perfection in the voice casting!

 

[Karin1984]

David Ogden Stiers, anyone?
Narrator of Beauty and the Beast & Cogsworth, governor Radcliffe & Wiggins, Flippers (Hoodwinked), the Archdeacon... and so many more.

Donna Murphy as Mother Gothel is also very high on my list.

Gonna throw in a Dutch actor, as I am Dutch and grew up with Dutch dubbings. Edmond Classen. His voice work as Frollo made that movie (the entire Dutch dubbing of Hunchback is amazing), but also Duke Igthorn in the Gummi Bears. He had a great posh voice, that worked very well with villains.

Also we have one actor, Arnold Gelderman, whose talent is to do many different kind of characters. He has done Lumière, but also Scar, Jac in Cinderella and Robin Hood. Great range of characters. Nowadays he is doing a lot of directing.

 

[Karin1984]

I cannot stand Josh Gad anymore because his voice for Olaf has been used so much. I was really looking forward to one of the documentaries about Disney World on Disney +, narrated by Josh... and most of the time I don't hear him narrating, it is either Olaf or Lefou I hear.

And that doesnt work in a documentary for me.

 

[Kennywood]