Kevin Michael Richardson is amongst the most recognized and prolific voice actors. Born in the Bronx, New York City, Richardson was chosen for the National Foundation for the Arts’ “Arts ’82” plan, and in 1988, graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. From there, he got into voice acting by voicing in commercials ahead of transitioning to film, tv, and video games.

Richardson is distinguished by his deep, effective voice, which normally leads to him playing significant, imposing, villainous characters. However, his versatility enables him to play numerous roles, such as sensible mentors and lovable heroes. A presence in several animated hits, such as Invincible and Family Guy, Emmy nominee Kevin Michael Richardson is amongst animation’s greatest voices, and these are his greatest roles.

10 Cleveland Jr.

From ‘Family Guy’ (1999-Present) and ‘The Cleveland Show’ (2009-2013)

The son of Cleveland Brown (Mike Henry) and Loretta Brown (Alex Borstein), Cleveland Brown Jr. initially grew up in the city of Quohog as a neighbor to the Griffin loved ones. As a young kid, he was hyperactive and swiftly jumped from 1 activity to a further, but as he aged, he mellowed out and became additional soft-spoken. When his parents divorced, Jr. went with his father south, exactly where Cleveland ultimately re-married, and Jr. became the older brother to two step-siblings ahead of ultimately moving back to Quohog.

Richardson is the second voice actor for Jr., taking more than from Mike Henry right after the character was redesigned. His take is by far superior, as the soft voice he goes with assists to make Jr. really feel like a 3-dimensional character alternatively of a 1-note joke. For the most component, Jr. is 1 of the greatest characters in each Family Guy and The Cleveland Show, getting a sweet, innocent, and slightly naive youth who is not afraid to resort to violence if vital.

9 Bulkhead

From ‘Transformers Prime’ (2010-2013)

During the Cybertronian Great War, Bulkhead leaves behind his job as a laborer to fight for the Autobots against the Decepticons. He served in a specialist group known as the Wreckers ahead of joining Optimus Prime (the ever-reputable Peter Cullen) as component of the squad that followed the Decepticon leader, Megatron (Frank Welker), to Earth. There, Bulkhead ultimately befriends a girl named Miko (Tania Gunadi), 1 of 3 young humans who discovered about the Autobots and joined the fight as allies.

Bulkhead is the team’s significant guy, preferring to use his muscle tissues to resolve issues in the most direct way probable. Despite his size and his perchance for smashing points, he’s a rather empathetic person who hates bullies and generally does what he can to attempt and defend these in have to have. Richardson’s voice is great for this, specifically when he interacts with Miko, exactly where his hard but sincere voice assists sell the significant-brother partnership he develops with her. Bulkhead is amongst Richardson’s most underrated voice roles but also a delightful showcase of his greatest strengths as a performer.

8 Trigon

From ‘Teen Titans’ (2003-2006)

A demon whose evil intent was recognized across the universe, Trigon the Terrible’s war of conquest was stopped by the Order of Azar, who imprisoned him. However, by sacrificing his human daughter, Raven (Tara Strong), Trigon can escape his prison and turn the Earth into a miniature hellscape. Raven tries her greatest to avert this, but as the day of reckoning draws close to, she is forced to accept her destiny to defend the lives of her pals, the Teen Titans.

Trigon is the most imposing villain the group ever faced and he is linked to a number of of Teen Titans‘ most emotional episodes. When he emerges and conquers the Earth, he treats the Titans as small additional than buzzing flies, barely worth the time it would take to acknowledge them. Richardson’s booming voice assists to sell his certainty in his energy, creating Trigon really feel like a bigger-than-life force that the Titans will be challenging-pressed to overcome.

7 Kamek

From ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ (2023)

The correct-hand koopa to King Bowser (Jack Black), Kamek serves as the court wizard for the Koopa Kingdom and assists speak Bowser via what ever challenge is plaguing his thoughts at any time. At present, he is hyping Bowser up for his wedding to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and convincing him she’ll agree with no query. Unfortunately, the arrival of a mustached plumber named Mario (Chris Pratt) throws a wrench in that strategy, as Peach teams up with him to battle against Bowser’s tyranny.

Kamek’s function in The Super Mario Bros. film is restricted, but he is 1 of the film’s most memorable characters. Richardson’s voice goes for a additional nasally pitch, which fits properly for a toady-variety character. His back-and-forth with Black’s Bowser is also strong and leads to a number of humorous moments and references to the beloved Mario video games.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Release Date

April 7, 2023

Director

Aaron Horvath , Michael Jelenic

Runtime

105 minutes

Writers

Matthew Fogel

6 Captain Gantu

From the Lilo &amp Stitch Franchise

A huge alien who resembles a cross amongst a whale and an elephant, Captain Gantu is in command of the Galactic Federation’s space fleet and serves as the correct hand to the Federation’s Grand Councilwoman (Zoe Caldwell). He was tasked with exiling illegal experiment 626 (Chris Sanders) to a barren asteroid, but the creature escaped and crash-landed on Earth. In attempting to recapture it, Gantu was fired for reckless actions, major him to join forces with Dr. Hämsterviel (Jeff Bennett), the former company companion of 626’s creator, Dr. Jumba Jookiba (David Ogden Stiers).

Gantu is 1 of the most created characters in Lilo &amp Stitch and its subsequent projects. Though he normally serves as an antagonist, he’s not evil: Gantu is a soldier who either follows orders in the most direct way probable or tries to get by and do his job to save up for retirement. Richardson plays Gantu as no-nonsense and driven and can play up his aggravation to comedic levels, specifically when he plays off his sidekick, Experiment 625, voiced by the iconic Rob Paulsen.

Lilo &amp Stitch

Release Date

June 21, 2002

Director

Dean DeBlois , Chris Sanders

Cast

Daveigh Chase , Chris Sanders , Tia Carrere , David Ogden Stiers , Kevin McDonald , Ving Rhames

Runtime

85 minutes

Writers

Chris Sanders , Dean DeBlois

See also  45 'The Simpsons' Predictions That Came True

5 The Mauler Twins

From ‘Invincible’ (2021-Present)

In a globe inhabited by all manner of supervillains, two of the most recognizable and active are the Mauler Twins. This pair of superhumanly intelligent and robust criminals have a entertaining shtick due to the fact 1 is a clone of the other, but neither knows which it is. This is an intentional style due to the fact anytime 1 Mauler learns he is the original, he tends to go energy crazy.

The Mauler Twins are some of the most entertaining and effective characters in Invincible, thanks in significant component to their exclusive gimmick. Since the Maulers are on equal footing in terms of strength and intellect, they perform completely in sync in combat, down to constructing weapons out of small additional than spare components. Richardson also sounds like he’s getting a ball operating off of himself, specifically when 1 twin tries to convince the other that he is the clone.

Invincible

Release Date

March 25, 2021

Creator

Robert Kirkman

Seasons

2

Watch on Amazon

4 Robert Hawkins

From ‘Static Shock’ (2000-2004)

Before beginning a loved ones, Robert Hawkins lived an thrilling life, playing college football and joining the Marines till he met his wife, Jean (Alfre Woodard and Michele Morgan). They had two kids with each other, but regrettably, Jean was killed by a stray bullet in the course of a riot. This tragedy produced Robert dedicate his life to assisting these in have to have: he became the manager of the Freeman Community Center, dedicating a great deal of his time to assisting troubled youths steer clear of a life of violence.

Robert is 1 of the greatest parental figures in any superhero project, and he has 1 of the greatest father-son relationships with Virgil. Though he lacks superpowers, Robert is in no way afraid to stand up for what is correct and requires an active function in advocating for his neighborhood and nearby politicians to do their component in making certain the city is secure for every person. Richardson is brilliant in the function, injecting him with warmth but determination and creating him inspiring however worthy of respect and admiration.

3 Tombstone

From ‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’ (2008-2009)

To the individuals of New York City, L. Thompson Lincoln seems as a benevolent philanthropist. However, behind closed doors, he is recognized as Tombstone or the Big Man of Crime, keeping the biggest criminal empire in the city. Following the emergence of Spider-Man (Josh Keaton), Tombstone starts funding projects to build new supervillains to maintain Spider-Man distracted from normal criminals.

Richardson took more than the function of Tombstone from Keith David, who voiced him in the initial episode of the beloved Spectacular Spider-Man. Despite the abrupt alter, Richardson’s voice is a great match for a crime boss who has been at the game for so lengthy that practically practically nothing phases him any longer. Whether confronting Spider-Man, all sorts of super-criminals, or even his rival crime bosses, Tombstone generally speaks in a calm, cool voice, displaying that he is generally in manage of the predicament.

The Spectacular Spider-Man

Release Date

March 8, 2008

Seasons

2

2 Demongo

From ‘Samurai Jack’ (2001-2017)

Despite the efforts of the demon Aku (Mako), Samurai Jack (Phil LaMarr) defeats each enemy sent right after him and continues to undermine Aku’s efforts. Frustrated, he turns to 1 of his most effective servants, Demongo. Every warrior that Demongo defeats, he collects their essence and can summon them to fight for him more than and more than once again.

Demongo became 1 of Samurai Jack‘s most memorable characters thanks to his excellent style and Richardson’s voice perform. His overall performance is soft, snakelike, and sounds fully unrecognizable from his usual perform. It fits completely with Demongo’s character as a cunning however cowardly demon eager to defeat and gather as numerous effective warriors as probable.

Samurai Jack

Release Date

August 10, 2001

Seasons

5

1 The Joker

From ‘The Batman’ (2004-2008)

Known as the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker began as a normal man till he fell into a chemical bath that bleached his skin and broke his sanity. Now, he terrorizes Gotham City with different crimes primarily based about twisted humor, applying a deadly toxin known as Joker Venom to force individuals into uncontrolled laughter. After he is initial thwarted by the vigilante recognized as Batman (Rino Romano), Joker swears revenge against him, and the two come to be eternal rivals.

While no one can match Mark Hamill‘s legendary run as the Joker, Richardson’s take in this underrated Batman show is a robust contender for second greatest. He mixes his usual deep voice and a larger, additional manic pitch, which fits the Joker’s unpredictable nature. It is a highlight of Richardson’s illustrious profession, and he received two Daytime Emmy Award nominations in the course of the show’s run.

The Batman

Release Date

September 11, 2004

Seasons

5

Subsequent: 10 Amazing Black Voice Actors From Television and Film