Mel Blanc, the gifted "man of a thousand voices," struck a deal with Warner Bros. to give him screen credit for his many vocal contributions to their extensive family of cartoons. Prior to this first in animation, film's voice people were pretty much anonymous.
Even after Blanc's revolutionary contract, only a few others were given the same publicity opportunity, an imperative to gain a fan following and thus, greater salaries.
So, these faceless, talented folks toiled for small compensation, while their efforts drew millions of families to the theaters of the world. While not wholly respected by their peers, these actors and their voices breathed life into two-dimensional figures. It was the joy of the work that kept them at it.
Sensibilities have been changing. Using top box-office actors and popular comedians as the voices of key characters has become the trend of the industry. For a time, voice characterizations were provided by over-the-hill actors who had little choice; there was no other work being offered and there were bills to be paid. But more and more younger actors, those who have a love for cartoons, want to be immortalized in a Disney or Warner Bros. or Hanna-Barbera feature animation.
As animation's popularity grows in theaters and in Saturday morning TV cartoons, more established actors will hanker to be a memorable cartoon character. Memorable like Aladdin's Genie or the Grinch or The Little Mermaid'sUrsula the sea witch or Bart Simpson.
Here's a list of 30-plus actors who have lent their voices to pen-and-ink characters - there are scores more.
| Jason Alexander | Duckman in the 1990s TV series of the same title; Abis Mal in the TV series Aladdin and the video Return of Jafar (1994); Hugo the gargoyle in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996); Poseidon in Hercules (1998); Catbert in 1990-2000s TV series Dilbert. |
| Rene Auberjenoius | Mad chef Louis in The Little Mermaid (1989). |
| Anne Bancroft | Queen in Antz (1998). |
| George Clooney | Dr. Gouache in South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999). |
| Scatman Crothers | Scat Cat in The Aristocats (1970). |
| John Cusack | Dimitri in Anastasia (1997). |
| Matt Damon | Cale in Titan A.E. (2000). |
| Mike Douglas | Unbilled singing voice of the Prince in Cinderella (1950). |
| Sandy Duncan | Queen Uberta in The Swan Princess (1994). |
| Farrah Fawcett | Farrah the faucet in The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars (1998). |
| Judy Garland | Mewsette the cat in Gay Purr-ee (1962). |
| John Goodman | Rex in We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993); Santa Claus in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie (1998). |
| Gene Hackman | General Mandible in Antz (1998). |
| Isaac Hayes | Chef in South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999). |
| Amy Irving | Singing voice of Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988). |
| Casey Kasem | "Shaggy" Rogers in various Scooby-Doo TV series, 1970s through 1990s and films including Scooby-Doo Goes Hollywood (1978); Alexander Cabot III in 1970s TV series Josie and the Pussycats and Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space; Dick Grayson and Robin in the 1970s TV series Challenge of the Super Friends; Cliffhanger in The Transformers: The Movie (1986). |
| Val Kilmer | Moses and God in The Prince of Egypt (1998) |
| Jane Leeves | Ladybug in James and the Giant Peach (1996). |
| Tone Loc | Goanna in FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992); Tek in Titan A.E. (2000). |
| John Mahoney | Grebs and drunk scout in Antz (1998); General Rogard in The Iron Giant (1999). |
| Leonard Nimoy | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in The Pagemaster (1994). |
| Gary Owens | Roger Ramjet from the 1960s cartoon of the same title. |
| Paul Reubens | Lock in The Nightmare before Christmas (1993). |
| Miranda Richardson | Mrs. Tweedy in Chicken Run (2000). |
| Don Rickles | Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999); Cornwall the two-headed dragon in Quest for Camelot (1998). |
| Meg Ryan | Anastasia in Anastasia (1996). |
| George C. Scott | McLeach in The Rescuers Down Under (1990). |
| Charlie Sheen | Charlie in All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996). |
| Sharon Stone | Princess Bala in Antz (1998). |
| Tiffany | Judy Jetson in The Jetsons: The Movie (1990). |
| Lily Tomlin | Ms. Frizzle in the 1990-2000s TV series The Magic School Bus. |
| Tracey Ullman | Thunderella and Moonbeam in Happily Ever After (1990). |
| Ben Vereen | Phineas the preacher bird in Once Upon a Forest (1993). |
| Paul Winchell | Chinese cat in The Aristocats (1970); Boomer in The Fox and the Hound (1983); Tigger in Walt Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh series. |
| Alfre Woodard | Plio in Dinosaur (2000). |
