Kevin Conroy death: how old was Batman voice actor, is his cause of death known, Mark Hamill tribute

Kevin Conroy, the long-time voice of Batman, has died at the age of 66, it has been announced.

The voice actor died on Thursday (11 November), Warner Bros. has said. His co-stars have paid tribute to Conroy following the announcement.

He voiced the caped crusader in the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series between 1992 and 1995. Conroy continued to provide the voice for Batman in animated adaptions and video games in the following decades.

Paying tribute to Conroy, Mark Hamil described him as “one of my favorite people on the planet”. Conroy voiced Batman in 60 different productions including 15 films.

DC Comics said that memorial services “are pending”. Here is all we know so far:

Is Kevin Conroy’s cause of death know?

Announcing his death, DC Comics said in a statement that Conroy had died after a short battle with cancer. He is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy.

Who was Kevin Conroy?

In a blogpost following the death of Conroy, DC Comics wrote: “A noted stage, film and television performer, Conroy rose to unparalleled voice acting fame as the title character of the landmark Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1996). He would establish never-to-be-broken records as the quintessential voice of Batman, bringing the Super Hero to animated life in nearly 60 different productions, including 15 films – highlighted by the acclaimed Batman: Mask of the Phantasm; 15 animated series, spanning nearly 400 episodes and more than 100 hours of television; as well as two dozen video games. Conroy was also featured as a live-action Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse’s 2019-2020 “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event.”

Born on 30 November 1955 in Westbury, New York, and raised in Westport, CT, Conroy began establishing himself in the acting community while under the tutelage of John Houseman at The Julliard School – where he studied alongside the likes of Christopher Reeve, Frances Conroy, and his roommate Robin Williams. Conroy began his career following his love of the theatre, keeping him on stage in both New York and at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego.

The actor received rave reviews for his starring performances in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Public Theater, Eastern Standard on Broadway, Arthur Miller’s The Last Yankee, and in the title role of Hamlet at the 1984 New York Shakespeare Festival. But it was his incomparable, nuanced performance as the voice of Batman that put Conroy on the map – and the fans’ radar – when Batman: The Animated Series debuted on 5 September 1992.

Tributes flood in for Kevin Conroy

“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,” said Emmy Award winning casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano. “Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever.”

Mark Hamill, who played the Joker alongside Conroy’s Batman in Batman: The Animated Series, paid tribute to his former co-star. He said: “Kevin was perfection. He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated.”

“Kevin was a brilliant actor. For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it.

“His rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery – that all also helped inform my performance. He was the ideal partner – it was such a complementary, creative experience. I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.”

Paul Dini, producer of Batman: The Animated Series added: “Kevin brought a light with him everywhere whether in the recording booth giving it his all, or feeding first responders during 9/11, or making sure every fan who ever waited for him had a moment with their Batman. A hero in every sense of the word. Irreplaceable. Eternal.”