The Devastating Death Of Kevin Conroy
Kevin Conroy died on November 10. The veteran actor was 66. A representative of Conroy's confirmed to TV Line that the iconic actor passed away. "It is with profound sadness that I send this to you today: Kevin Conroy, the quintessential voice of Batman, and a dear friend to so many of us, has passed away," the representative said in a statement to the outlet. Diane Pershing, who worked alongside Conroy on several DC related projects, paid tribute to the actor via Facebook. "He's been ill for a while but he really put in a lot of time at the cons, to the joy of all of his fans," Pershing wrote, sharing several photos of the actor. It is unknown what illness Conroy was suffering from.
Conroy's contributions to pop culture will never be forgotten. The actor was best known for voicing the role of The Caped Crusader in "Batman: The Animated Series," widely considered one of the best animated shows of all time. Conroy received unanimous praise for his brooding voice and went on to voice The Dark Knight in several different DC Animated Universe projects, including "Batman Beyond" and "Justice League."
Conroy, whose voice became synonymous with Gotham's protector, was brought on board to voice the DC hero in Rocksteady's award-winning video game franchise "Batman: Arkham." While he will always be remembered as the voice of Batman, Conroy has a slew of other notable roles under his belt, making his death truly devastating.
A classically trained actor transformed Batman
Born in Long Island, New York, Kevin Conroy went on to attend the prestigious Julliard school for acting in the Big Apple. There, he roomed with the late Robin Williams (via Twitter). After touring the United States with an acting troupe, Conroy would end up on the small screen with roles in soap operas such as "Another World," "Search for Tomorrow," and "Dynasty." After several guest appearances on television and a slew of stage productions under his belt, Conroy would go on to land the role of Batman.
In an interview with Great Big Story, Conroy acknowledged how he was largely unfamiliar with the character beyond Adam West's interpretation. After being told that "Batman: The Animated Series" would be a dark and brooding take on The Caped Crusader, Conroy channeled his work as a stage actor to deliver a performance that exuded the vibe of a "dark, gritty, filthy, New York street." After voicing the character over a dozen times over the course of two decades, Conroy appeared as a live-action Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse's "Crisis On Infinite Earths" crossover, fulfilling a lifelong dream for both himself and fans.