Kevin Conroy, the iconic voice of Batmandied Thursday shortly after being diagnosed with cancer, according to his representatives.
He was 66.
Conroy’s deep and raspy voice shot him to stardom as the title character in “Batman: The Animated Series,” which ran from 1992 to 1996, according to a statement from his spokesperson.
He became the ultimate voice of the superhero in nearly 60 different productions and video games, including 15 films, culminating in “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.”
Though he pronounced a rugged hero on the small and big screens, outside of work he was known as a gentle and kind soul. Conroy was a fixture on the convention circuit, showing the same amount of respect, enthusiasm and gratitude for his army of fans as they showed him.
Emmy-winning casting and dialogue director Andrea Romano said her friendship with him spanned decades.
“Kevin was much more than an actor that I had the pleasure of casting and directing – he was a dear friend for over 30 years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no bounds,” Romano said in the statement of his passing. “Kevin’s warm heart, wonderfully deep smile and pure love for life will be with me forever.”
Mark Hamill, who has voiced the Joker opposite Conroy’s Batman in multiple projects, called him “perfection.”
“He was one of my favorite people on Earth and I loved him like a brother,” Hamill said. “He really cared about the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke to him, I got excited.”
“Kevin was a brilliant actor,” Hamill added. “He has been the definitive Batman for several generations. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got just the right man for the just right part, and the world got better. His rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery – all of that helped define my performance, too. 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 born on November 30, 1955 in Westbury, New York, and grew up in Westport, Connecticut. He studied at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City alongside famous actors such as Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams.
He has performed theatrically in New York and at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego. Conroy received praise from critics for his performances in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Public Theater, “Eastern Standard” on Broadway and the title role of Hamlet at the 1984 New York Shakespeare Festival.
Conroy also guest-starred on hit TV series such as ‘Cheers’, ‘Murphy Brown’ and ‘Matlock’.
Conroy is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy and brother Tom Conroy. The memorial services are pending.
Donna Mendell contributed.