Transitioning from acting in live-action projects to being the voice behind a character that you have to deeply channel emotions in order to enliven the role, is a true skill. Most voice-over actors have had a history in movies where they play a human role, and though any role takes practice, it seems as though not being able to both physically and verbally act together might be a different type of difficulty. It is a slightly different ability that maybe not all can succeed at.
There are plenty of animated movies and the list of voice-over actors could go on forever, as animation in film began in 1906 with Stuart Blackton’s three-minute and 20-frame film, Humorous Phases of Funny Faces. The animation was made with the stop-motion and cut-out technique, and featured photos drawn on a chalkboard transitioning from one face to the next with winks, blown smoke, and added designed apparel. Though this short film would feature no voice-over actors, it was the first animation, nonetheless. The first animated television series was in the 1960s which is when both animation and voices were included to form multiple show series like Crusader Rabbit, The Flintstones, and The Jetsons.
Being that many animations have a target audience below the age of twelve, there is a plethora of television series and movies with voice-over actors. There’s Nickelodeon’s Rugrats and SpongeBob SquarePants, which have been on air since the '90s. PBS’s Elmo and Curious George have also had a long-run time. And when it comes to Disney, the list could go on forever with popular animated films and series like The Lion King, Monsters Inc.,and Phineas and Ferb.
10 Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres may have only acted in one franchise as a voice-over actress, but she has earned her spot for the success that the Finding Nemosaga has found. Ellen’s character is Dory, a blue tang fish with no memory. Dory is befriended by Nemo and other aquatic animals as she wanders through the deep blue sea with no family.
Ellen’s fitting vocal pitch for the lonesome, yet curious fish Dory in Finding Doryled the franchise to earn over $1 billion at the box office. Ellen may be somewhat of a one-time act, but a profitable and good one, nonetheless.
9 Nancy Cartwright
For over 35 years and 1,800 episodes, Nancy Cartwright has voiced the iconic character Bart in The Simpsons. Not only has she shown versatile talent as a male voice, but she has also won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance as well as an Annie Award, which celebrates distinction in animation. Though Cartwright showed up to her audition for the role of Bart’s sister Lisa, she found Bart to be more interesting and did so well that she landed the role on the spot.
Cartwright has also worked in various films and series such as Rufus in Disney’s Kim Possible, Daffney Gillfin in Snorks, Todd Daring in The Replacements, and many more. She’ll continue her work as Bart through 2025, as the Fox series has been renewed for two more seasons as of late.
8 Robin Williams
Most notably known for his work as the Genie in the 1992 animated film Aladdin, Robin Williams continued with his success as a voice actor. He would then voice Fender Pinwheeler in the 2005 film Robots. Fender was a mischievous blender with a very expressive nature, fitting Williams’s demeanor perfectly.
Being the talented comedian he was, Williams brought that energy to the set. Whether he was improvising or reading the script, his personality was able to shine through all the voice characters he played. He could make you laugh, cry, and watch in awe. While he may no longer be here to continue showcasing his comical talents, his legacy lives on in a plethora of films.
7 Seth MacFarlane
Sometimes you hear a voice actor, and you wonder who it is. Seth MacFarlane is a perfect example of this. As the voice actor for Peter Griffin on the extremely popular show Family Guy, MacFarlane exudes a tone only a true comedian could project.
He not only fills the series with some of the funniest one-liners, but he has also kept his character relevant for over a decade. The show began in 1999 and has recently been renewed for Seasons 22 and 23 — a feat not many can say they have accomplished.
6 Mika Kunis
There’s no family in Family Guywithout Peter and Lois’ daughter Meg and there’s no Meg without Mila Kunis. Voicing the family’s black sheep since Season 2, Kunis has provided fans of comedic animation with some of the funniest female vocals to date. Meg has a dry humor and happiness that not many understand, but Kunis captures her character impeccably, making her $150,000 pay per episode well deserved.
Kunis has also starred as Greta in the 2019 movie Wonder Park, Dema in the 2015 film Hell and Back, as well as multiple characters in the 2005 television series Robot Chicken. Though Kunis keeps herself busy with voicing Meg Griffin, there’s no telling where her animation skill will take her next.
5 Tress MacNeille
With having voiced over 1,000 animations, Tress MacNeille serves as one of the most decorated female voice actresses. Most notably she’s starred as Daisy Duck and Chip in many films and television shows as well as Wilma Flintstone in The Flintstones.
She has also voiced multiple characters in the popular series VeggieTales. Some of her other works include voices in the 2020 TV show Animaniacs and the 2018 show Disenchantment. MacNeille also starred in Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold as Grandma Gertie as well as many other series where she voiced both male and female characters.
4 Trey Parker
Starring in the hilarious and explicit series South Parkas Stan Marsh, Trey Parker shows how well-developed his skill was right away. The show has aired for over 25 years, with Parker voicing him the entire time.
Parker also created short films that Stan appeared in such as Jesus vs. Frosty and The Spirit of Christmas. Aside from his most popular voice in South Park, Parker voiced Balthazar Bratt in Despicable Me 3 where he embodied a supervillain with extreme confidence, which he just may have manifested from the success in his most notable voice as Stan.
3 Tara Strong
Though Tara Strong identifies as a female, she exquisitely captured the portrayal of Dil Pickles, a male character in The Rugrats. She starred as Bubbles in The Powerpuff Girls for six seasons and proceeded to thrive as a voice actor. Taking on the role of a majestic unicorn in My Little Pony, Strong was able to continue proving her talent as both male and female voices.
She took on multiple roles over the course of her career, racking up a total of over 1,300 voices. To name a few, there was Ben Tennyson in the various films and series he starred in, the many roles in the series Gabby’s Dollhouse, as well as Mary Jane in LEGO Marvel Spider-Man: Vexed by Venom, and many, many more voices. Though the list could go on, Strong most recently voiced in the 2023 show Agent Elvis where she again portrayed multiple characters in one series
2 Mike Myers
Making his voice-over debut in Shrek, the movie was so popular it continued for six films, with Mike Myers starring as the big green ogre himself. What’s incredible about voice-over actors, is that they can essentially use any tone of voice for their character. Being that Shrek is a Disney film, the room for trial and error is abundant, as the distribution company essentially looks for humor over anything.
Myers is another actor with a voice you wouldn’t expect fits the role, but his comedic side allows for space to completely nail his ogress voice. His next voice-over characterization would be in The Cat in the Hat where he voices multiple variations of The Cat in the Hat’s personalities throughout the film, making for his voice-acting talent one to remember.
1 Mel Blanc
Having worked on one of television’s first animated series The Jetsons, Mel Blanc was quick to make a way for himself as a voice actor. Known as "The Man of a Thousand Voices," Blanc has truly earned the title. He’s starred as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Tasmanian Devil, and many other voices in Looney Tunes. He also voiced Pepe Le Pew from 1945 to 1989 in multiple series and films.
Blanc not only took on many voices in Looney Tunes, but he also voiced Dino in The Flintstones and created the iconic laugh of the cartoon Woody Woodpecker who appeared in various animations. He worked for over 60 years as a voice actor and left a legacy of tremendous talent that inspired animated voice actors to follow.
As animation quickly becomes increasingly more popular, the door opens for actors to transition from live-action to animated characters. Not only acclaimed actors, but singers as well, as Rihanna is set to star in the upcoming Smurfsfilm as the voice of Smurfette. With productions like Disney, PBS, and Nickelodeon continuing to be a place of many animated talents, there’s no telling who is next to step behind the mic, but one thing we do know is that they have some pretty big shoes to fill.
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