Famous Cartoon Voice Actors
The show: "American Dad!"
The voice: Her extensive TV credits range from bit parts on "Little House on the Prairie" to "Friends". On film, the actress appeared with Tom Hanks in "The 'Burbs"
The show: "The Boondocks"
The voice: After her big break on this Marla Gibbs sitcom, she scored with a small, star-making role in "Jerry Maguire". In addition to 10-year-old Huey, named for this '60s activist, this actor plays a detective on the live-action drama "Southland."
The show: "The Boondocks"
The voice: You might not know the name, but you know the face from shows like "The Wayans Brothers" and such hip-hop videos as Jay-Z's "I Just Wanna Love You." The actor is also pals with David Letterman, who is godfather to the actor's son.
The show: "Bugs Bunny"
The voice: "The man of 1,000 voices" spoke for 90 percent of Warner Bros. cartoons, from Road Runner's iconic "beep beep" to Sylvester's lisp. The actor began improvising voices as a '30s radio actor for economic reasons. He also coined Bugs Bunny's catchphrase.
The shows: "Family Guy" and "American Dad!"
The voice: He began cartooning as a tot and published a comic in the local newspaper when he was just 8. After working at a famous animation studio, the producer-actor created "Family Guy" and "American Dad!" Most recently, he directed, wrote, produced and voiced the main character in this film.
The show: "Family Guy"
The voice: As a young comedian, she wrote for "Pinky and the Brain" and a ghostly cartoon show. She found more fame acting on "MADtv," where she played manicurist Ms. Swan. In addition to voicing Lois, she's also a producer and writer on "Family Guy."
The show: "Family Guy"
The voice: You know him as the son of a Mike Myers character, plus other roles, including this "Weird Al" Yankovic video. In the animation world, he is co-creator and a voice actor on a stop-motion show.
The show: "Family Guy"
The voice: The deep-voiced actor currently stars on the sitcom "Rules of Engagement" and appeared on "Seinfeld" as Elaine's mechanic beau, Puddy. He played a car guy again in this Brad Paisley video.
The show: "The Flintstones"
The voice: Thirty-five years after his death, his sound bites survive: "Wilmaaaaa!" and "Yabba-dabba doo!" The actor, who resembled Flintstone, worked in radio shows, including this influential classic.
The show: "The Flintstones"
The voice: "All she'd have to do was go, 'Fr-ed,'" to light up a room, the actress's son recalled after her death in 1999. In addition to playing Wilma, she also voiced Pebbles and Rosie the Robot on "The Jetsons."
The show: "Futurama"
The voice: Dubbed "the new Mel Blanc" for his skills mimicking the late voice actor's iconic characters, notably Bugs Bunny, this actor has also created his own distinctive characters. A voice actor's voice actor, he opposes this cartoon trend. In addition to the voice of Philip Fry, he also plays Dr. Zoidberg on "Futurama" and Stimpy on "The Ren & Stimpy Show"
The voice: Many have produced this raspy voice over the decades: The first Scooby-Doo was known for his work at this famous animation studio and worked closely with this voice actor legend. Today, Scooby is played by the same actor who voiced Fred Jones in the original series.
The show: "The Simpsons"
The voice: Alumnus of a famed comedy troupe, this actor landed a role in 1987 on "The Tracey Ullman Show" and helped voice the program's cartoon shorts, which grew into "The Simpsons." For Homer, he drew inspiration from this late great actor.
The show: "The Simpsons"
The voice: As a college student, this actress joined a classic girl-in-the-city sitcom as the star's schlubby kid sister. The role led to several Woody Allen films and eventually the voice of Marge, often described by a word for small stones.
The show: "The Simpsons"
The voice: A disciple of cartoon-voice legend Daws Butler, the actress intended to audition for this female Simpson. So why did she want to play Bart?
The show: "The Simpsons"
The voice: Unlike other "Simpsons" actors, Smith voices only one character. The actress has also published a children's novel and produced an indie film.
The show: "The Simpsons"
The voice: Known pre-"Simpsons" for his work on "Saturday Night Live" and "This Is Spinal Tap," the actor also hosts public radio's "Le Show" and has appeared in such films as "For Your Consideration." What legendary politician and actor inspired Mr. Burns' voice?
The show: "SpongeBob SquarePants"
The voice: "I play a lot of sweet, kind of stupid yellow characters," says the actor, also a comedian. He appears as a newlywed in a 1996 "Smashing Pumpkins" video alongside real-life wife, Jill Talley.
The show: "SpongeBob SquarePants"
The voice: Many voice actors are stand-up comics, but this actor's credits began with dramatic roles. Before SpongeBob, he played Dauber Dybinski on the '90s sitcom "Coach" he also had a small role in 2007 on "Heroes"
The show: "The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show"
The voice: Often called "the female Mel Blanc," this actress began as a radio actress before moving to 'toons in the '40s. She played this character to Blanc's Tweety and still works, even though she's in her '90s.
The show: "The Yogi Bear Show"
The voice: Famous for dozens of quirky, often drawled voices, this actor may have had a greater legacy: his teaching. At his studio, his students included a "Simpsons" voice actor and an NPR contributor.
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