20 celebrities who voiced animated characters

Animation, especially with the arrival of Pixar and the long-standing tradition of Disney animation has always been a unique and excellent form of storytelling.

Many of the best actors and actresses and even musicians have given their voice over to an array of characters ranging from kings, queens, to bugs, to monsters.

Below are 20 celebrities that appeared in various forms of animation be it on television or film.

20. Johnny Carson as himself

The ultra reclusive Johnny Carson voiced himself in the Simpsons episode Krusty Gets Kancelled, the episode aired almost a year after the greatest Late-Night host said goodbye after 30 years on the air.

19. Val Kilmer – Moses

The Prince of Egypt takes on the story of Moses and how he would free the Jewish people from his evil adopted brother Rameses. The film is gritty and was a marvelous visual achievement although due to length the story of the ten commandments seemed rushed.

18. Angelina Jolie – Tigress

The talented Jolie voiced Tigress in ‘Kung Fu Panda’ and did an amazing job showcasing her great talent in voice animation. She would go on and star in the sequel as well.

17. Justin Timberlake is Boo Boo in ‘Yogi Bear’

The dancing, acting, and just cool superstar voiced BooBoo in the Yogi Bear movie. The movie was not the best but at least Justin can add a voice credit to his name.

16. Katt Williams – A Pimp Named Slickback

A misogynistic and physically abusive pimp who insists on being called by his full name was voiced by Katt Williams in the funny yet controversial cartoon The Boondocks. A Pimp Named Slickback would make at least one appearance per season on the show which lasted 4 seasons.

15. Jerry Seinfeld – Barry B. Benson

Jerry Seinfeld voices a bee who tries to sue the human race for their exploitation of bees, after learning that humans sell and consume honey.

14. John Ritter – Clifford

The Three’s Company actor voiced Clifford the Big Red Dog for almost four years. The children’s cartoon was praised and was a steady gig for Ritter.

13. Mila Kunis – Meg Griffin

Mila Kunis is awesome as the nerdy Meg Griffin on Family Guy. The daughter of the Griffin family deals with all the pressures of being a teenage girl that is not exactly popular.

12. Johnny Depp – Rango

Johnny Depp plays the off the cuff chameleon known as Rango, who gets lost in the Nevada desert and has to find a way to survive. Depp is vintage Johnny Depp with his deadpan humor.

11. Will Smith – Oscar

Before Will Smith was slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars he played a fish named Oscar in the panned Shark Tale. The film focuses on how Oscar falsely claims to have killed the son of a Shark mob boss, yes, played by Robert De Niro. It was done during the Sopranos era…

10. Antonio Banderas – Puss In Boots

Who else could play a Latin lover cat in the Shrek series other than the great Antonio Banderas? Banderas steals it as a heroic but at times love struck cat.

9. Tom Hanks – Woody

The Toy Story saga is one of the most successful and touching animation movies ever made. Tom Hanks is fantastic as the cowboy toy Woody, the leader of Andy’s toy collection.

8. Rihanna – Gratuity ‘Tip’ Tucci

Rihanna lent her voice to Tip in the animation movie Home, she also provided the music to two tracks in the film.

7. Orson Welles – Unicron

The legendary Orson Welles played the planet eating godlike Transformer Unicron in the 1986 movie Transformers: The Movie. It was the Hollywood legend’s last film credit before his passing.

6. Arsenio Hall – Winston

Arsenio Hall was the voice of Winston in the cartoon version of Ghostbusters. For three seasons Hall provided the voice to the character who ironically did not go to Ernie Hudson, who played Winston in the live action movie! Ernie Hudson stated that the director told him that he sounded nothing like himself in animation form during auditions! Surreal.

5. Eddie Murphy – Donkey

Without one of the funniest and best animated movies of all time is the original Shrek. Eddie Murphy provided the voice of the loving, loyal, and at times dimwitted Donkey. The movie spawned various sequels and spinoffs but Eddie’s performances in all of them was top notch.

4. Dave Coulier – Animal

The Full House star voiced Animal on the hit 80’s cartoon based on the Muppets, the Muppet Babies. The show showcased the childhood versions of The Muppets as they live together and are cared for by a human nanny.

3. Billy Crystal – Mike

Billy Crystal provided the voice for Mike Wazowski in Monsters Inc. and would later take on the role two more times. Crystal’s sarcastic charm comes off very well in the light green monster.

2. Mark Hamill – The Joker

The definitive voice of the Clown Prince of Crime, Hamill would take the role in Batman: The Animated Series and would command the Joker’s voice for almost 30 years. No one has captured the clown and the killer better than Hamill.

1.Robin Williams – The Genie

Robin Williams has lent his voice to various animated film projects, but his biggest role was playing The Genie in Aladdin. Williams improvised a lot during filming with animation being redone to capture the excellent performance.