Beloved Batman actor Kevin Conroy has died at 66, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed on Friday.
Conroy voice-acted Batman in 15 films, plus hundreds of episodes of television and multiple video games, including the Batman: The Animated Series show and the Batman: Arkham games.
He died after “a short battle with cancer,” Warner Bros. announced in a statement.
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“Kevin was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and directing—he was a dear friend for 30+ years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no boundaries,” casting director Andrea Romano said via the Warner Bros. statement. “Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever.”
Diane Pershing, a voice actress who starred alongside Conroy as villain Poison Ivy, marked his passing on Facebook.
“Very sad news: our beloved voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, died yesterday,” Pershing wrote. “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. He will be sorely missed not just by the cast of the series but by his legion of fans all over the world.”
Conroy studied at the Juilliard School, where he was a roommate of actor Robin Williams. He launched his career with heavy-hitting stage dramas, including acclaimed turns in Shakespeare's Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
He received his widest name recognition when he took up the mantle of the Dark Knight in 1992, in Batman: The Animated Series. He would continue to portray the superhero for years, during which time he would become a fan favorite and a frequent guest at conventions.
He also spoke movingly of his experiences as an out gay man navigating a less-than-accepting Hollywood. This year, he published the short story “Finding Batman” as part of the graphic novel anthology DC Pride 2022, which focused on LGBTQ stories within the superhero universe. In the autobiographical story, he describes finding kinship with his character Bruce Wayne, who struggles with his identity after his parents’ death.
“As Bruce, I felt disoriented and lost, not sure of my identity as my parents were cruelly yanked from me. I felt disoriented and lost as an actor whose identity was being yanked from him,” Conroy wrote. “Was I my public face or my private face? Had I made too many compromises?”
Conroy is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams.
