Kevin Conroy, renowned as the voice of Batman, has died aged 66. The news was confirmed by Warner Bros. Discovery, who issued a statement saying Conroy had passed away following a “short battle with cancer.”
Diana Pershing, who voiced the villain Poison Ivy in Batman: The Animated Series, was one of the first to pay tribute to Conroy. On her personal Facebook account, she wrote: “Very sad news: our beloved voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, died yesterday.” She confirmed that he had been “ill for a while,” before sharing pictures of Conroy with her, and other members of the Batman cast.
Mark Hamill, voice of the Joker, said: “Kevin was a brilliant actor. For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it. His rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery – that all also helped inform my performance. He was the ideal partner – it was such a complementary, creative experience. I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.”
Batman: The Animated Series producer, Paul Dini, added: “Kevin brought a light with him everywhere, whether in the recording booth giving it his all, or feeding first responders during 9/11, or making sure every fan who ever waited for him had a moment with their Batman. A hero in every sense of the word. Irreplaceable. Eternal.”
Conroy has served as the voice of the Dark Knight in various projects, ever since his debut on the aforementioned 1990s Warner Bros. television show, Batman: The Animated Series. This led to him voicing the hero in multiple films, and the Batman: Arkham and Injustice video games.
Conroy is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy.
