18 Actors Whose Careers Took A Turn to Cartoons

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Many popular animated movies feature voice work from top actors, such as James Earl Jones as Mufasa in The Lion King. However, there are numerous occasions when a notable actor finds a second life or extended career in regular voiceover work. Here are 15 examples of this, with a bonus of three masters of the voice talent world.

1. Clancy Brown

You love to hate him as Kurgen in Highlander and have seen him in numerous other character roles since. However, Clancy Brown has made quite a name for himself in animation. Starting with Studio Ghibli’s 1994 release Pom Poko, he’s had dozens of regular roles, including Mr. Krabs in SpongeBob SquarePants and Lex Luthor in DC animated shows.

2. Tim Curry

Tim Curry has numerous iconic starring roles: Frank-n-Furter (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Darkness (Legend), Wadsworth (Clue), Rooster (Annie), and many more. But he started doing voice acting in 1985, and now it is most of his work. Whether as Captain Hook in Peter Pan and the Pirates, Pretorius in The Mask, or the more recent role as Palpatine in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, his distinctive voice rings out in dozens of animated shows.

3. Keith David

Another prolific character actor known for The Thing and Platoon, animation fans know Keith David as Goliath in Gargoyles. He’s maintained his career in both realms. He can be heard in Princess Mononoke as the title character in the animated Spawn movies and TV show, the Mass Effect video games, and Dr. Facilier, the main villain in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. 

4. Eddie Deezen

While he may not be a household name, you probably know Eddie Deezen as Eugene in Grease and similar characters in other films. Primarily bit parts, Deezen came into his own when he started doing voiceovers. His big break hit in 1994 when he voiced The Pink Panther in his new series. Since then, he’s been Mandark in Dexter’s Laboratory and has dozens of other vocal credits for animated television.

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5. Seth Green

Seth Green has a following for his roles as Scott Evil in the Austin Powers movies and as OZ in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. However, his work on these allowed him to collaborate with Matthew Senreich to create Robot Chicken. He’s also the longtime voice of Chris Griffin in Family Guy and the voice of Howard the Duck in the Marvel Universe.

6. Mark Hamill

Everyone knows that Mark Hamill is Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films. Unfortunately, this typecast him until he started doing voice work. Hamill is famous as The Joker in the DC Universe, The Scientist in Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Mr. Salacia in Metalocalypse. Hamill’s dozens of voice roles started the same year as Star Wars when he had a bit part in Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards as Sean.

7. Phil Hartman

Primarily recognized as a reliable character actor from NewsRadio, Saturday Night Live, and Pee Wee’s Playhouse, Phil Hartman’s credit list had nearly as much voice work as anything else before his untimely death in 1998. Among them are numerous appearances on The Simpsons and a regular role as Dennis’ father, Henry, and next-door neighbor George Wilson in Dennis the Menace.

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8. Phil LaMarr

Starting on Mad TV and with bit parts in television and film (notably, Pulp Fiction), Phil LaMarr found his true calling in animation. The longtime voice of Hermes Conrad in Futurama, he’s voiced Jarvis for the Marvel Universe and Green Lantern for the DC Universe. He is highly recognizable as the voice of Samurai Jack. These are just a few of his 500+ credits.

9. Suzanne Pleshette

Virtually everyone knows Suzanne Pleshette from her years of work as Bob’s wife on The Bob Newhart Show. But most people can’t name much else she worked on. That is until the 1990s rolled around. Now, she’s famous for Zira in Lion King 2 and Yubaba/Zeniba in Spirited Away. She also voiced an episode of Trigun.

10. Stephen Root

Famous for NewsRadio, Office Space, and dozens of other television shows and films, Stephen Root’s first voice credit is in the Blade Runner video game from 1997. Later that same year, he landed his iconic roles as Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland in King of the Hill. He’s also known for Tripping the Rift and now as Cringer/Battle Cat in Masters of the Universe: Revolution.

11. Harry Shearer

Perhaps it was his first role in Abbott and Costello Go To Mars (1953), but Harry Shearer seemed destined to become a comedian. He had bit parts in mostly kid roles, but in 1984, he starred in This is Spinal Tap. From there, he started appearing more regularly on television until his genuine break, doing the voices of Kent Brockman, Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Otto Mann, Principal Skinner, and Waylon Smithers. He has several dozen voice credits outside the Simpsons.

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12. Cree Summer 

You may know her best as Freddie Brooks on A Different World. Still, Cree Summer started her career in animation as the voice of Penny in Inspector Gadget and continues it today in shows like the SpongeBob spinoff, The Patrick Star Show. Other notable voice work includes Young Jedi Adventures, Rugrats, Voltron, The Tom and Jerry Show, and many more.

13. Jennifer Tilly

Jennifer Tilly was a regularly recognized character actress for fifteen years before her iconic role as Tiffany, the love interest of the serial killer doll in Bride of Chucky. This would bring her to the attention of Seth MacFarlane, who cast her as Bonnie Swanson in Family Guy. But proving you can’t keep a good serial killer down, she’s also continued to voice Tiffany in another movie and television series.

14. Lauren Tom

Starting with minor characters in television sitcoms and dramas, Lauren Tom quickly graduated to more prominent roles in films like Anything But Love and The Joy Luck Club. Then, her career took a turn in the future, specifically, Futurama as Amy Wong. Additionally, she’s Minh Souphanousinphone in King of the Hill and had around 100 animation roles outside these series.

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15. Patrick Warburton

Sure, you know him as Elaine’s boyfriend on Seinfeld, and his imposing size makes him unforgettable in other roles. But his voice is instantly recognizable in the nearly 100 animated shows in which he’s participated. His most famous credits are Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove and Joe Swanson in Family Guy, but he’s also well-known for Kim Possible, the Venture Bros., and Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated.

16. Mel Blanc

No name is more synonymous with cartoons than Mel Blanc. His work spanned over fifty years and 400 distinct voices from at least 1937. Under contract to Warner Brothers, he was the voice of virtually the entire Looney Tunes cast. After his exclusivity contract ended, he voiced Barney Rubble in The Flintstones, Mr. Spacely on The Jetsons, Secret Squirrel, Speed Buggy, Captain Caveman, Twiki on Buck Rogers, and hundreds more. 

17. Jim Cummings

Starting in 1985, Jim Cummings joined Disney and voiced in every one of their 1990s television series. He also worked in many of their films, including Aladdin, Winnie the Pooh, The Lion King, Pocahontas, Hercules, and The Princess and the Frog. He isn’t exclusive, lending his voice to virtually every major animated film and television series in his career. You can hear him in Balto, Anastasia, and Antz, three of the Transformers series, 2 Stupid Dogs, The Mask, Animaniacs, and almost everything else!

18. Frank Welker

Closing in on 1,000 credits on IMDB, Frank Welker’s first significant role was as Fred Jones on Scooby Doo, Where Are You? Since then, he’s been nothing short of prolific. Primarily known for his sound effects and work on various Transformers series, such as Megatron, Soundwave, and more. He also voiced familiar characters like Nibbler in Futurama, Garfield the Cat, Curious George, Pegasus in Disney’s Hercules, and even Monkey in Dexter’s Laboratory.

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