Life

Hollywood mourns the death of gay Batman actor Kevin Conroy: “He’ll be forever missed”

By Jordan Robledo

13th November 2022

Hollywood and fans have paid tribute to the late openly gay Batman actor Kevin Conroy.

On 11 November, the beloved talent – who famously voiced the caped crusader in numerous animated projects – passed away at age 66.

“The voiceover community lost one of the greats. I am completely devastated as I worked with him for over 25 years.” Conroy’s representative Steven Neibert revealed to the BBC.

According to a report from CBS News, the voice actor’s shocking death stemmed from a “short battle with cancer.”

Back in the 90s, the renowned actor first made waves in the DC fandom when he voiced the famous Justice League member in Batman: The Animated Series.

His landmark role made him the first openly gay actor to take on the iconic character.

Following his critically acclaimed performance in the aforementioned series, Conroy went on to portray the masked detective in 60 different productions – including 15 films, 15 animated series, and two dozen video games.

He also portrayed a future version of Bruce Wayne in Arrowverse’s popular Crisis on Infinite Earths TV crossover event in 2019.

Since the tragic news was announced, Conroy’s industry peers have opened up about the talented actor in various heartfelt tributes.

“Kevin was perfection. He was one of my favourite 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,” said Mark Hamill, who played The Joker alongside Conroy in Batman: The Animated Series.

“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.

“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.”

Batman: The Animated Series producer Paul Dini echoed similar sentiments and described the actor as bringing “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,” he said.

DC Comis added: “DC is deeply saddened at the passing of the legendary actor and the voice of Batman for legions of fans, Kevin Conroy.

“His iconic voice made Batman real not only through his work in Batman: The Animated Series, but a host of animated features, video games and more.”

Towards the end of their statement, the comic book company announced that Conroy’s DC Pride 2022 comic special – which followed his struggles as a gay actor before landing his career-changing role – would be available to read for free.

Conroy is survived by his husband, Vaughn C Williams, his sister Trisha and brother Tom Conroy.

Check out more tributes for the esteemed talent below.