There are many instances in which some of our favorite animated characters are actually the same person – in terms of their voice at least.
The cartoon and animated space is a huge industry and one that continues to attract millions of viewers with each release, with some more iconic than others. However, while there some characters who have instantly recognizable voices, there are many others that have been voiced by the same person that aren’t quite as well known.
How do you become a voice-over artist?
Before getting into the depths of who has voiced which characters and which of those are perhaps mind-boggling because of the fame that they have achieved with others, it’s a good idea to look at what makes a successful voice-over artist and what potentially made them perfect for the role in the first place.
For a few, it can be just an instance of pure luck as they’ve had their voice heard by someone who has decided that they would be ideal for this type of work. For most others, a lot of work will have gone into building a career and forging a portfolio to get into this space, with it being incredibly competitive.
While everybody has a voice that they can use, artists will have likely needed to train it to make sure that they can be effective. They may have certain accents or dialects that they can use to their advantage, but they will need to be able to speak properly and annunciate their words.
It’s not uncommon for them to voice a character over a number of sound effectsthat might be being played in the background. They will need to be able to replicate their voice to the scenario perfectly, as if they were actually experiencing it themselves. This is often what can separate them from the rest, and why there are so many who have voiced many different characters across the cartoon and animation industry…
Nancy Cartwright
Perhaps the most famous voice-over artist in the world, Nancy Cartwright is known by many to be the voice of several characters in The Simpsons. However, the aunt to hit singer Sabrina Carpenter, is also the voice of many other characters in other cartoons. She voices Rufus from Kim Possible, as well as Chuckie from The Rugrats among a host of others.
Seth MacFarlane
Famed for almost everything to do with animation and movies aside from voice-over work, Seth MacFarlane hasn’t been shy to lend his voice to numerous projects – many of which have been his own. He is the voice for characters in Family Guy and American Dad, but he has also lent his voice for Ted and others in the past.
Harry Jon Benjamin
Harry Jon Benjamin isn’t perhaps the most famous in terms of voice-over artists, but he has done several different cartoon shows that have gone on to enjoy huge success when broadcast. His noticeable voice can be heard in Bob’s Burgers as he is the main character (Bob Belcher) and others, while he is also the main voice of the lead character in Archer (Sterling Archer).
Tara Strong
If you didn’t know that Timmy Turner (The Fairly OddParents) was voiced by a girl, now you do. Tara Strong is the woman behind his voice. She is also the voice behind one of the Powerpuff Girls (Bubbles), while also being Sparkle in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
Tom Kenny
Speaking of the Powerpuff Girls, Tom Kenny is the narrator of the show and has also voiced the Mayor in the show, as well as being the Ice King on Adventure Time. However, his voice is perhaps more iconic because of one yellow-colored character that is renowned around the world: Spongebob Squarepants!
Final Words
As can be seen, there are many individuals who have lent their voices to some of the biggest and global characters that have been created. At the same time, they have had roles with other names that many wouldn’t have immediately associated with them, either.
This can go a long way in highlighting just how talented voice-over artists are and how diverse they can be with their voices, even if they are usually very recognisable.
