Our Favorite Voice Actors!

[ech0tan]

They've had a few of these in General, but we've yet to unleash it on the Voice Acting Forum!

Who is/are your favorite voice actor(s)? Does he/she/they have a character that is a favorite of yours? Does anything about them specifically inspire you?

Name as many or as little as you'd like, you can always come back in and talk about someone else when you get the chance. Have at it, everyone. Let's start naming names!

Feel free to post pictures and links to examples of their work!

[ech0tan]

At 12/20/14 04:50 AM, Voltage wrote: @Piper is one of my up and coming faves :3

aww! thank you!! very honored.

I always start off by bringing up Billy West. For those unfamiliar, he's done voices like Philip J. Fry from Futurama and Doug from Doug. I find him to be very talented and an overall very well rounded individual. He has that passion for, and understanding of voice acting that I seek out in every voice actor. I've learned a lot from him.

[BrokenDeck]

Nolan North and Steve Blum appear to be in almost every game franchise :P

[Zerodecoole]

Tom Kenny: I like his cartoon voices, though it was a bit weird but hilarious when I heard him swear using his SpongeBob voice.

Dieter Jansen: He is a Dutch voice actor who does voices in the Dutch versions of cartoons.
His English character demo

[Cuddlymuffintop]

Here's just a very brief list of some of my favorite voice actors/actresses in just alphabetical order:

Voice actors:

Charlie Adler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg2uhwTeitg
Hank Azaria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuqqmPUAtME
Dee Bradley Baker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK54Raf8lrs
Troy Baker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXieEBWDHvM
Mel Blanc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeAM1vwEcFg
Steve Blum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv_yGAfvt0A
Clancy Brown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHNNxrVZUks
Tim Curry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ap_gDTNLEk
John DiMaggio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2FRiTdumJU
Crispin Freeman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEjEmpOhU2Q
Jess Harnell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHphVUjO8iY
Tony Jay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COtVW2SG-_M&spfreload=1
Maurice LaMarche https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpEAckPCJRQ
Nolan North https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLVYbAa_I-M
Rob Paulsen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brt38m-auJc
Kevin Michael Richardson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGS4P99OVx4
Billy West https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rckKbQeVeAI
Frank Welker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vz1Ni35QlY

and many more....

Voice Actresses

Tara Strong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjnks8jn7FU
Grey Griffin (formerly DeLisle) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrPaL1FiOwA
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-qBR0a-rx4
Colleen Clickenbeard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPRZ9H6Rqs8
Jennifer Hale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBnBw8ZglUk
Tress MacNeille https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTtZNaIslo0
Monica Rial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg2US9ztQUs
Cree Summer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G04xSlqpuFI
Kari Wahlgreen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXTUFNvCWp4

and many more

[Syrupmasterz]

Chris Sabat is a pretty cool voice actor. He single-handedly voices half of Dragon Ball Z. :P
RicePirate here on the site also has spectacular range as you can tell from all of the projects he helps provide voices for.
As well Curtis Arnott/Takahata101 is able to voice simultaneously funny and badass characters with ease.

As well AcetheWindRider and SailorSilverStar are my go to voice actors, if it weren't for them I probably wouldn't have any cartoons (soon to be) on the site yet. :P

This is just naming a few though, but it's inspiring to see how many voices one person can make.

[Br0kenEnglish]

Who cannot appreciate the god among voice over artists, Mel Blanc?!

[Gianni]

Truthfully despite only being in VA myself, I get more inspiration from live actors OVERALL than voice actors, but specific characters really turn me on, especially animated ones. Names? Characters voiced by Steve Blum (of course Spike, but others too like Tank Dempsey, Tom and Grayson Hunt, similar voices on a couple but different personalities), Clint Eastwood, Marcus Fenix (John DiMaggio), Death (Michael Wincott) or War (Liam O'Brien) from Darksiders, Joaquin Phoenix, Peter Falk, Eric Fleming, and a lot of the local talent I've had the pleasure of witnessing on stage either alongside me or just spectating the beauty. James McCaffrey (Max Payne, but I've watched his live action stuff and loved it), and to be honest the first VA who turned me onto the idea of VA was the narrator for the Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare DLC who did the trailer and multiplayer narration, and I still don't even know his name. Inspiration can come from any nook at any time. Even just one line can inspire a whole personality.

[ech0tan]

Okay, I'm gonna be making up for lost time here! :D Thank you for everyone's replies so far. Feel free to come back in with some more!

At 12/20/14 12:06 PM, Voltage wrote: Richard Horvitz

Saw him at Katsucon a couple years back. He's come the last two years. Has a very infectious smile. I love his work as Zim.

At 12/20/14 02:38 PM, Zerodecoole wrote: Tom Kenny: I like his cartoon voices, though it was a bit weird but hilarious when I heard him swear using his SpongeBob voice.

Oh. You know what? That felt really good to hear. haha. Something satisfying about that! Haha. SB gets so frustrated, "Tartar sauce!" and "Oh, fish paste!" don't seem to cover it. Finally a words to fully express Spongebob's angst!

At 12/20/14 11:43 PM, moonvamp wrote: Crispin Freeman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEjEmpOhU2Q

Love his podcasts.

At 12/22/14 06:12 PM, Syrupmasterz wrote: RicePirate

Oh, yes. Mick is very talented.

At 12/23/14 08:38 PM, Br0kenEnglish wrote: Who cannot appreciate the god among voice over artists, Mel Blanc?!

Oh, setting the stage for everyone who comes after. Voice over legend.

At 12/26/14 02:56 AM, SirUndead wrote: Characters voiced by Steve Blum (of course Spike, but others too like Tank Dempsey, Tom and Grayson Hunt, similar voices on a couple but different personalities)

Actually. What I first thought when I did PINE with you and @Dylan was, OMG my dad is Spike! I saw people saying you sound like him and didn't wanna add to the hype, but here I am. Okay? I'm sayin it!

At 12/29/14 10:41 PM, Diaos wrote: Jim Henson!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3lHOKA-1C20

Haha. Awesome skit. I liked that.