KEVIN CONROY
Date of Birth: November 30, 1955
Born in Westbury, New York and raised in Westport, Connecticut, Kevin Conroy grew up in a strict traditional Irish-Catholic family.
When Kevin was 17 he earned a full scholarship to Julliard, where he studied drama under acclaimed actor John Houseman. While there he roomed with Robin Williams and was part of a group of friends that included Robin, Christopher Reeve and Kelsey Grammer. After graduating, he acted in plays, including a national tour of Deathtrap (his buddy Christopher Reeve would later star in the movie version in 1982).
Kevin made his screen debut in 1978, playing a bartender in the TV movie How to Pick Up Girls. In 1982 he landed a recurring role on the soap opera Another World, and from 1984 to 1985 played Chase Kendall on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow. His career got a big boost however, when he played Ted Kennedy on the NBC mini-series Kennedy (1983).
He is also well respected for his Shakespearean acting. From 1980 to 1985 Kevin acted in various theatrical productions, including the Broadway adaptations of Lolita and Eastern Standard. In 1984 Kevin wowed critics and audiences alike for his depiction of Hamlet in the New York Shakespeare Festival.
In 1987, Kevin was propelled even further when he was cast in the television series O'Hara. Later that year he was cast in Tour of Duty, a television series with a militaristic theme. At 6'2", Kevin Conroy has a commanding presence. But it isn't just his height that was getting attention, his crystal clear baritone voice was beginning to get him noticed, and would soon become his best known asset.
Lately, Kevin is best known for voicing Batman: The Animated Series from 1992-1995. Kevin got the part by trying something that had never been done before in Batman cartoons.
"I asked if I could try a different voice for Batman to make him really disappear in the mask. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me that he’s the most powerful, wealthiest, most eligible bachelor in Gotham City, yet he puts on a cape and cowl and no one knows it’s him. So I suggested an alternate voice to really play up the mystery behind it which brought a little character into it for me, and made it a lot more fun." he said in an interview with DC Comics.
Kevin Conroy enjoys real-life heroism too. In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, he volunteered his services and cooked for the emergency workers and firefighters. His "Batman voice" provided some much needed levity to the brave men and women at work.
In his spare time, he enjoys reading historical novels, especially biographies.
Filmography:
Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)