10 Most Famous Voice Actors You Would Probably Not Recognize

Quick Facts

We have fallen in love with some very popular animation and game characters through the years and have gotten so used to them that once we hear their voices, we would identify them in seconds. The truth, however, is that these voices are actually thanks to the creativity of some very talented and famous voice actors that you will never guess in a million of years. It’s time to meet some of these voice actors you love from your favorite animation movies, games and others.

Most Famous Voice Actors

1. Walt Disney

Since Mickey Mouse is now over 100, let’s start from him. Walt Disney was pretty much one of the biggest things to have happened to the American animation industry. Not only was he an entrepreneur in the industry, but he was also an animator and a voice actor.

Through the Disney Brothers Studio that he set up with Roy Disney, his brother, Walt created interesting animation characters such as Mickey Mouse which he also gave its first voice. Although it was Ub Iwerks that came up with the physical appearance of Micky, Disney remained its voice from 1928 until 1947.

Walt Disney did not do so many voice acting, but his reputation with Micky will definitely have him on any list of famous voice actors.

2. Rob Paulsen

Rob Paulsen is probably the biggest name in the voice acting business. Although it was in the 1980s that he began his career, Rob has done everything from cartoon voicing to commercials, characters in games, and even things that you will not find on the menu.

Under his voice, you will find multiple characters in single productions. The legendary voice actor has voiced for characters such as Stanley Ipkiss in the animated series of The Mask, PJ in Goof Troop (1992), Carl Wheezer in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2002), and also Raphael (1987) and Donatello (2012) in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

In total, since he began in 1983 when he voiced for Snow Job in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, he has gone on to voice for over a thousand characters in cartoons, animations, games, and even commercials.

3. Don LaFontaine

In the world of famous voice actors, you will find Don LaFontaine who by the way, invented the popular phrase which has now become a cliché in trailers; “in a world…” Also referred to as “Thunder Throat” or “The Voice of God”, LaFontaine is one of those voices that most people have heard without knowing they have heard it.

In a career that spanned from 1962 to 2008 when he died, the voice actor has had his voice feature on more than five thousand film trailers and commercials, game trailers & TV promos that have numbered into the hundreds of thousands. There was a time in his career when he controlled the trailer voiceover market to a point of almost monopoly.

Even though he has not had his name on many movies, he done many trailers for great productions such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), George of the Jungle (1997), Bride of Chucky (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), and Rush Hour 3 (2007).

4. Frank Welker

If the quiz was about the voice behind Fred Jones of Scooby-Doo, your winning answer is Frank Welker. While remaining as the voice of Fred since 1969 when the franchise began, he became the voice of Scooby-Doo in 2002. By 2014, he remained as the last original voice of the popular franchise.

Born Franklin Wendell Welker in 1946, he will find himself on the front pew of the greatest voice actors of always. Having started his career in the second half of the 1960s, Welker had given out his voice on a number of commercials even before he started animations.

In a career that has spanned over five decades, Frank is the voice of many interesting characters including Wonder Dog in Super Friends, both Dr. Ray Stantz and Slimer in The Real Ghostbusters, as well as Monkey and Krunk in Dexter’s Laboratory.

In films, Frank Welker also provided vocal effects for various creatures such as Abu (Monkey) in Aladdin (1992) and in Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011), he was the Penguins.

5. Tress MacNeille

As far as voice acting is concerned, Tress MacNeille has seen and done it all from commercials to radio talkovers, movies to cartoons, and video games to industrial narrations. Born in 1951, she began her career in 1971 and decades down the line, she has found her way as one of the famous voice actors many don’t know.

Before finding her way to the major scene, she had done some minor voiceover gigs. In the coming years, she took on many roles including in Tiny Toon Adventures which ran from 1990 to 1995 as Babs Bunny. For her role in the animated comedy television series, she got an Annie Award nomination. She provided voices for many characters in The Simpsons including Poor Violet, Cookie Kwan, Dolph, and many others. Also, she has had many Disney and Nickelodeon roles.

In video games, she has provided voices of Karyn Sommers in Rise of the Dragon (1993), Kanga in Winnie the Pooh’s Rumbly Tumbly Adventure (2005), and Daisy Duck in the Kingdom Hearts franchise.

6. James Earl Jones

One of the best American actors, is one of the famous voice actors that have endured through the years. With a career that began since the late 1940s, he has what has been described as one of the best voices in Hollywood.

Among his rather large voice portfolio, he voiced Darth Vader in Star Wars (1977) and Mufasa in Lion King (1994). The interesting thing about him is that when he was a child, he was a stutterer but he got to rise above the affliction through poetry, acting, and public speaking.

He also provided voice for Emperor of the Night in Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night (1987). The voice actor has also given his voice in commercials and a number of video games.

7. Tara Strong

Canadian-American actress, is not only one of the most famous voice actors, she is also one of the most versatile. Born in 1973, she began her acting career in 1986. Since then, she has appeared in many productions, even though it is arguably as a voice actress that she has gained her real fame.

In 1987, she got her first major voice role as Hello Kitty in Hello Kitty’s Furry Tale Theater. From then on, she has played many other voice roles in different. She voiced Kylie Griffin in Extreme Ghostbusters (1997), Dil Pickles and Timmy McNulty in Rugrats (1997 to 2004), and from 2001 to 2007, she took many roles including Timmy Turner, Poof, and Britney Britney in The Fairly OddParents.

Lending her voice in others including Ben 10, Boondocks, and Guardians of the Galaxy, she is also a big voice in the video gaming world where she has voiced characters like Rikku in the Final Fantacy X series and Paz Ortega Andrade in the Metal Gear franchise.

8. Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill is a great actor who may as well be a greater voice actor. Born Mark Richard Hamill in 1951, the actor began his career in 1970, and soon afterward, his voice acting career took off fully. Through the years, he has provided the voicing for animations, games, and even films.

In 1977, he did the voice for Sean in Wizards and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. In 1993, he provided the voice for one of the most interesting characters in animated films- Joker. The role earned him an Annie Awards nomination while also establishing him as a strong voice that must be reckoned with.

While he went on to appear in other Batman animations playing the roles of Joker and Jordan Pryce, he has taken many more voice roles in other productions such as Threshold in Gen¹³ (1999), Dr. Willard in Ultimate Avengers 2 (2006), and he continued playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise.

Like other famous voice actors, he has done voice roles for many games including the Batman: Arkham franchise where unsurprisingly, he was in The Joker and Wing Commander series as Colonel Christopher Blair.

9. Cree Summer

What makes Cree Summer an interesting story apart from the fact that she has a very good resume to show for herself is that her father used to be a musician and a famous voice actor which is exactly what she is.

She began her career in 1983 and has since then given her voice for many animated films including Strawberry Shortcake and the Baby Without a Name (1984) as Orange Blossom, Hellboy: Blood and Iron (2007) as Hecate, and Medusa’s Revenge (2012) as Medusa. Also, she has had roles in many animated series including The Incredible Hulk (1997) as She-Hulk, Robot Chicken (2006) as Penny, Evil Little Girl, and Mother, and Guardians of the Galaxy (2015) as Nebula and Victoria.

Of course, she has had her voice on many video games including X-Men Legends as Magma and Young Justice: Legacy as Aquagirl and Rocket.

10. E. G. Daily

Somewhere on the list of the famous voice actors people don’t know, you will definitely find E. G. Daily. Born Elizabeth Ann Guttman, Daily has been active as an actress and singer since the late 1970s. She is the voice behind some interesting characters such as Tommy Pickles in Rugrats and its spin-off All Grown Up!

Also to her credit is the voice of Buttercup in The Powerpuff Girls (1995), Dottie in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), and most recently, if you are wondering who is Julius Jr. in the self-titled animated television series, Julius Jr. “he” is E. G. Daily.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.