One of the most iconic actors to ever play Batman wobbled on the decision to accept the role. The late Kevin Conroy defined The Dark Knight for a generation with his performance on the ’90s essential “Batman: The Animated Series,” but Vulture’s oral history of the show reveals that, at one point, Conroy wondered if he might be a better fit for Commissioner Jim Gordon or Detective Harvey Bullock.
Remembering Conroy’s audition — one among the literally hundreds of actors who read for the lead role — voice director Andrea Romano said, “Kevin opened his mouth, and [series co-creator] Bruce [Timm] and I had such a eureka moment, where we looked at each other and went, ‘Oh, my lord. Not only is the voice there, but he so understands this character and the distinction between Batman and Bruce Wayne!”
However, their prospective star had to be convinced. He told Vulture, “When I just read the script that they sent me [after the audition], it looked to me like Harvey Bullock was a much more interesting character, and Commissioner Gordon, too. So, I went in, and I said, ‘Can I audition for the character roles?’ And Andrea said, ‘Do you understand that, if you get Batman, you’ll be in every episode? Stop trying to talk us out of hiring you!’
Kevin Conroy brought Shakespearean gravitas to Batman
Kevin Conroy had been working steadily in theater and live-action television throughout the ’80s and early ’90s, but his career took an unexpected turn when his agent told him that Warner Bros. was considering dramatic actors — not just voiceover veterans – for an in-the-works cartoon.
“Amazingly, ‘Batman’ was the first animated audition I ever had,” Conroy told Vulture.
“I had no preconceptions about the character, either,” he continued. “Bruce Timm said, ‘What do you know about Batman?’ And I said, ‘Well, I know the Adam West show from the ’60s.’ He said, “Oh, no, no,’ … He had to explain to me … how dark this character was: ‘He’s avenging his parents’ deaths and he’s got these dual identities.’ I said, ‘You’re describing an archetypal hero, almost like a Hamlet character.’
“I let my imagination go and I just went to … the darkest, most painful place in my voice … and it just came out.”
Conroy went on to voice Batman in “Batman: The Animated Series” (Fox Kids, 1992 to 1995) “The New Batman Adventures” (Kids’ WB, 1997 to 1999), a few episodes of “Superman: The Animated Series” on Kids’ WB, “Justice League” on the Cartoon Network, numerous video games, and many other projects. Conroy made his final cameo as Batman in “Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths — Part Three,” released in 2024, two years after his death.