Kevin Conroy obit

Beloved Batman Actor Kevin Conroy Dies at 66 Following Cancer Battle

He played the Dark Knight in the '90s animated series and the Arkham video games.

 

 He was not on the list.

Batman actor Kevin Conroy has died at 66 after a "short battle with cancer," his representatives confirmed on Friday. He was best known for voicing DC's iconic superhero in Batman: The Animated Series and the Arkham video games.

After starting his career on stage (he played Hamlet in 1984) and showing up in TV shows like Dynasty, Another World and Cheers, Conroy was cast in a career-defining role as Batman, with the animated series kicking off in 1992.

"Kevin's warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever," Andrea Romano, the director who cast Conroy in the role, said in a statement. 

He also played the superhero in DC's follow-up shows Batman Beyond, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, in addition to several animated movies like the incredible Mask of the Phantasm. He portrayed a live-action version of the character in the Arrowverse's 2019 Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event.

Earlier this year, Conroy wrote a deeply personal story for DC Pride 2022 comic anthology about how coming out as gay helped him find his voice as Bruce Wayne's alter-ego.

Fellow actor Mark Hamill, who played the Joker in the '90s animated series and Arkham games, hailed Conroy as 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," he said in a statement. "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."

Conroy was also a regular on the convention circuit, greeting fans warmly. Diane Pershing, who played Poison Ivy in the animated series, noted in Facebook post that he'll "be sorely missed not just by the cast of the series but by his legion of fans all over the world."

Paul Dini, one of the animated series' producers, paid tribute to the late actor with a solemn tweeted image of Batman looking over Gotham City's skyline.

"Kevin brought a light with him everywhere," Dini said in a statement. "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."

Henry Gilbert tweeted In the documentary I Know That Voice, Kevin Conroy tells this unforgettable story about working at a food relief station in Manhattan in the days after 9/11. It’s one of my favorite stories he told about the power of his talents. Rest In Peace Mr. Conroy

Filmography

Film

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1992      Chain of Desire Joe        

1993      Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Bruce Wayne / Batman Voice

1998      Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero Direct-to-video

2000      Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

2003      Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman

2005      The Complete Robin Storyboard Sequence           Direct-to-video   Short film

2008      Batman: Gotham Knight                Bruce Wayne / Batman Direct-to-video Voice

2009      Superman/Batman: Public Enemies          Bruce Wayne / Batman

2010      Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

2012      Justice League: Doom

2013      Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie The Mayor of Red Bank Voice

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox Bruce Wayne / Batman Direct-to-video   Voice

Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics           Himself                 Documentary   I Know That Voice

2014      Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives        Narrator               Documentary  Voice

Alfred    Alfred    Short film

Batman: Assault on Arkham         Bruce Wayne / Batman Voice

2015      Batman vs. Robin             Thomas Wayne Direct-to-video  Voice

2016      Batman: The Killing Joke                Bruce Wayne / Batman Voice

Yoga Hosers        Canadian Bat, Man!        

2017      Batman and Harley Quinn             Bruce Wayne / Batman Direct-to-video

Voice

2019      Justice League vs. the Fatal Five

Television

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1978      How to Pick Up Girls!      Bartender            Television film

1980      Another World Jerry Grove         Recurring role

1982      Born Beautiful   Stan       Television film

A Midsummer Night's Dream      Lysander

1983      A Fine Romance                Phil

Kennedy              Ted Kennedy     Miniseries

1984      George Washington        John Laurens      1 episode

1984–1985          Search for Tomorrow      Chase Kendall    4 episodes

1985      Covenant             Stephen               Television film

1985–86               Dynasty                Bart Fallmont     Recurring role; season 6

1986      Matlock                Clark Harrison    Episode: "The Affair"

Kay O'Brien         David     Episode: "Princess of the City"

Spenser: For Hire              Gallagher             Episode: "Shadowsight"

1987      Ohara    Captain Lloyd Hamilton Main role; season 1

1987–88               Tour of Duty       Captain Rusty Wallace    Recurring role; season 1

1988      Killer Instinct      Dr. Steven Nelson            Television film

1990      So Proudly We Hail          Francis Crosby   Television film

1989–90               Cheers Darryl Mead       2 episodes

1990      The Face of Fear               Frank Dwight Bollinger   Television film

WIOU    Lenny Lubinsky Episode: "Pilot"

1991      Murphy Brown Roger Harris       Episode: "Terror on the 17th Floor"

Hi Honey – I'm Dead       Brad Stadler       Television film

1992      Rachel Gunn, R.N.            Dr. David Dunkle               Main role

The Secret Passion of Robert Clayton       Hunter Roy Evans             Television film

Battle in the Erogenous Zone      Mondo Ray         Television short

1992–95               Batman: The Animated Series     Bruce Wayne / Batman, Additional voices Main role

1994      Island City           Colonel Tom Valdoon     Television film

1994      The New Adventures of Captain Planet   Army Corps of Engineers Official                Episode: "Jail House Flock"  Voice

1995      The Office           Steve Gilman      Main role

1996      The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest       Hardman Episode: "Manhattan Maneater" Voice

1997–99               The New Batman Adventures     Bruce Wayne / Batman, Henchman Main role Voices

Superman: The Animated Series                Bruce Wayne / Batman Recurring role  Voice

1999–2001          Batman Beyond                Bruce Wayne / Batman, Stage Batman    Main role  Voices

2001      The Zeta Project               Bruce Wayne     Episode: "Shadows"  Voice

2001–04               Justice League   Bruce Wayne / Batman, Additional voices              Main role

2002–04               Static Shock        Bruce Wayne / Batman 5 episodes   Voice

2004–06               Justice League Unlimited              Bruce Wayne / Batman, Joe Chill, Lee Travis / Crimson Avenger   Main role  Voices

2006      The Batman        John Grayson     Episode: "A Matter of Family"   Voice

 2008     Ben 10: Alien Force         Bellicus (of Alien X), Warrior #2 Episode: "X = Ben + 2"    Voices

2009, 2013          The Venture Bros.            Captain Sunshine             2 episodes    Voice

2010      Batman: The Brave and the Bold                Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, Phantom Stranger            2 episodes  Voices

2013      DC Nation Shorts: Tales of Metropolis     Bruce Wayne / Batman Episode: "Lois Lane"  Voice

2014      DC Nation Shorts: Batman Beyond            Television short

DC Nation Shorts: Batman: Strange Days                Television short

DC Nation Shorts: Green Arrow Police Scanner   Episode: "Ono-Bot"   Voice

DC Nation Shorts: Shazam!           Zeus       Episode: "Wisdom"   Voice

2015      Turbo Fast           Stinger Episode: "The Sting of Injustice"  Voice

Lair of the Mega Shark   Narrator               1 episode   Voice

2016–18               Justice League Action     Bruce Wayne / Batman Main role  Voice

2018      Teen Titans Go!                 Episode: "Real Orangins"

2019      Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?     Episode: "What a Night, For a Dark Knight!"

Welcome to the Wayne                 Prismal 7 episodes

Voice

Batwoman          Bruce Wayne (Earth-99)                Episode: "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two"[29]

Crisis Aftermath               Himself                 Guest

2021      Masters of the Universe: Revelation        Mer-Man             Episode: "The Most Dangerous Man in Eternia"

Voice

2022      He-Man and the Masters of the Universe              Hordak Episode: "The End of the Beginning (Part 2 of 2)"

Voice

TBA        Relatively Super                Wade Brewster / Eclipse               Televison Film; posthumous release; post-production

Video games

Year       Title       Voice role            Notes

1994      The Adventures of Batman & Robin          Bruce Wayne / Batman Sega CD version

1999      Crusaders of Might and Magic    Drake   

2001      Batman: Vengeance       Bruce Wayne / Batman

2001      Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy          Fisherman          

2003      Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne        Lord Jack, Cleaner, Commando

2003      Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu Bruce Wayne / Batman

Lords of EverQuest          Lord Palasa        

2009      Batman: Arkham Asylum               Bruce Wayne / Batman, Thomas Wayne                

2011      DC Universe Online         Bruce Wayne / Batman

Batman: Arkham City      Bruce Wayne / Batman, Thomas Elliot / Hush     

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown                Bruce Wayne / Batman

2013      Injustice: Gods Among Us            

2015      Infinite Crisis     

Batman: Arkham Knight                 Bruce Wayne / Batman, Thomas Elliot / Hush     

2016      Batman: Arkham Underworld     Bruce Wayne / Batman

View-Master Batman Animated VR          Bruce Wayne / Batman

Batman: Arkham VR        Bruce Wayne / Batman, Thomas Wayne                

2017      Injustice 2            Bruce Wayne / Batman

2018      Lego DC Super-Villains  

2022      MultiVersus       

Theatre

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1981      Lolita     Performer           Broadway

1989      Eastern Standard              Peter Kidde