Actors like James Earl Jones and Robin Williams are constantly cited as the finest voice actors when it comes to the film industry. Others like Tim Allen are known around the world for specific performances, with that actor of course providing the voice for Buzz Lightyear in theToy Storyfranchise. But throughout the years, several performers have flown a bit under the radar in this regard.
You’re bound to know most of the names on the list, while a few could in all likelihood appear more unfamiliar. But either way, they all deserve more credit for their voice work. Whether animated or live action, the films in which they’ve appeared all hold notable name value. All that said, these are twelve actors who deserve more credit for their voice work.
12Charlize Theron
A bona fide action heroine with critically acclaimed works to boot,Charlize Theronis among the most popular actresses of her generation. But for some reason, she doesn’t get the credit she deserves with regard to voice performances. Her first animated outing came withAstro Boy(2009), in which she provided brief narration at the film’s beginning. She then landed a bigger role inKubo and the Two Strings(2016).
Why She Deserves More Credit
Considering Theron has also voiced Morticia Addams on two occasions since her other animated movies, Theron should be held in high regardwhen it comes to voice performances. And whileThe Addams Family(2019) andThe Addams Family 2(2021) aren’t the greatest films you’ll read about today, they add great name value to Theron’s voice work that was already well-balanced in the qualitative department.
Among the most popular actors to ever walk the earth isBrad Pitt, who’s made a massive name for himself thanks to both leading and supporting roles in live-action pictures. His animated ventures have flown a bit under the radar, especially from a modern perspective. And while he only has three voice roles to his name, he performs to perfection every step of the way.
Why He Deserves More Credit
After portraying the titular character inSinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas(2003), this actor provided one of his signature supporting efforts as Metro Man inMegamind(2010). The former film is underrated in many respects, whileMegamindhas always been held in high regard by critics and audiences alike. Considering Pitt also portrayed Will the Krill inHappy Feet Two(2011), further showcasing his comedic prowess, he should more commonly be considered a high-quality voice actor.
10Channing Tatum
What’s most impressive aboutChanning Tatumand his voice roles would be the volume he’s amassed in such a short span of time. After showing up as Superman inThe Lego Movie(2014), he providedthe leading effortas a yeti inSmallfoot(2018). And while it’s a far lesser-known project,America: The Motion Picture(2021) is nonetheless worth noting. Tatum played George Washington, after all.
Each of his roles are unique, and he never recycles intonations. Tatum is primarily a comedic actor, which translates seamlessly to the realm of animation. Especially his chosen titles. TheLegofranchise of films holds great name value, too, and Tatum’s role as Superman has been ongoing in the franchise withThe Lego Batman MovieandThe Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. With the perfect balance of quality and quantity, Tatum is on his way to becoming an all-time great.
9Jonah Hill
Fairly early in his career,Jonah Hillshowed up inHorton Hears a Who!(2008) as Tommy. Soon thereafter, he played Hal Stewart (also known as Tighten) inMegamind. And in the same decade as the latter outing, Hill playedan anthropomorphic sausagenamed Carl. Of course, the connected film was calledSausage Party(2016), for which Hill also holds a story writing credit.
There are two roles that truly bolster Hill’s case as an underrated voice actor: Snoutlet Jorgensen inHow to Train Your Dragon(2010), and Green Lantern inThe Lego Movie(2014). He reprised both of those roles on two occasions within their respective franchises, and he received great acclaim along the way. Considering the movies themselves are also of the utmost caliber, there’s no denying his placement on the list.
8Amy Sedaris
Never reprising a role,Amy Sedarishas six characters under her belt for whom she provided the voice. The first was Foxy Loxy inChicken Little(2005), followed soon by Cinderella inShrek the Third(2007). She then showed up again in the latter franchise, this time as a different character: Jill inPuss in Boots(2011).
In recent years, Sedaris has added three more animated titles to her filmography:The Lion King(2019),Save Yourselves!(2020), andThe Boss Baby: Family Business(2021). Sure, the projects for which she’s provided voice work can run the gamut of quality. But if anything, the actress at handdeserves more creditbased on volume alone. What helps her cause is that she performs brilliantly every time, and that will always be the case.
7Julie Andrews
AlthoughJulie Andrewshas only voiced two characters in cinema history, she nonetheless has six animated films under her belt in total. Obviously, the roles were in franchises — two of the biggest in all of animation, no less. She isn’t just part of theShrekcast, but alsoDespicable Me. And while some fans may already give her credit for such, it’s perhaps not enough just yet.
She performs brilliantly as Queen Lillian inShrek 2(2004),Shrek the Third(2007), andShrek: Forever After(2010). Notable comedic value, a great rapport with each of her vocal co-stars — From Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz to Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas, she should be ranked among the most talented of the entire cast. The same can be said for her work as Marlena in threeDespicable Mefilms.
6Hugo Weaving
Among the most acclaimed films you’ll read about today isBabe(1995), in whichHugo Weavingplays Rex the Male Sheepdog. That particular project also made tremendous money atthe worldwide box office, and frankly, Weaving deserves more credit for the dulcet tones he provided inBabeby itself. On the opposite end of the spectrum areThe Magic Pudding(2000) andLegend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole(2010), which are fairly unknown.
In terms of critical success,Happy Feet(2006) rivals the acclaim ofBabe. He plays a character named Noah in the former, and he reprises the role inHappy Feet Two. And get this: Weaving also voiced Megatron in threeTransformersmovies. That’s one of the biggest film franchises ever created, and it greatly bolsters Hugo’s case on the list on top of his previous successes.
5Kevin Kline
Off the bat, it’s worth noting thatKevin Klineplayed prominent parts in two of themost underrated animated moviesever made. The first wasThe Road to El Dorado(2000), in which he co-starred alongside Kenneth Branagh. After that wasThe Tale of Despereux(2008), in which Kline played the character Andre. For those performances alone, he deserves far more credit.
Those are arguably the greatest voice roles of Kline’s career, and both movies hold up wonderfully today. They bolster this placement on the list by themselves. But in the 90s, Kline also voiced the Narrator inThe Nutcracker(1993), along with Captain Phoebus inThe Hunchback of Notre Dame(1996). When accounting for his role as Calvin Fischoeder inBob’s Burgersand its movie adaptation from 2022, there’s no doubt that Kevin deserves a spot among the greats.
4Idris Elba
Perhaps most noteworthy off the bat re:Idris Elbawould be the short span of time in which he’s amassed roles of the vocal variety. Before 2016, he hadn’t appeared in a single animated movie throughout his entire career. But in that year alone, he added three voice roles tohis acclaimed collection of film performances: Chief Bogo inZootopia(2016), Shere Khan inThe Jungle Book(2016), and Fluke inFinding Dory(2016).
Best Idris Elba Movies, Ranked
From The Suicide Squad to Beasts of No Nation, these are the best Idris Elba movies, ranked.
There may not be another performer in Hollywood history who’s provided three high-quality voice roles films in a twelve-month period. Not even John Ratzenberger. And what’s more is that Elba has showed no sign of slowing down. He provided idiosyncratic intonations as Knuckles the Echidna inSonic the Hedgehog(2022), a role he’s set to reprise in the sequel. When accounting for another upcoming animated film calledFixed, he’s well on his way to making voice actor history.
3Diego Luna
In his very first animated movie,Diego Lunaprovided the leading vocal efforts as Manolo Sanchez inThe Book of Life(2014). That particular film featuresa star-studded cast, with other performers including Ice Cube, Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldaña, and Ron Perlman. The fact that Diego led such an impressive roster of performers means that he off the bat deserves more credit as a voice actor, considering he’s rarely discussed in this regard.
Diego Luna’s Greatest Spanish-Language Films
Step aside, Star Wars — these are the greatest Spanish-language films of Diego Luna’s underrated career.
And to add quantity to quality, Diego recently portrayed Krel Tarron inTrollhunters: Rise of the Titans(2021) and Chip inDC League of Super-Pets(2022). Two prominent characters in two critically acclaimed titles. And frankly, Luna deserves more love for his live-action performances, too. These animated films don’t hold quite the same name value, but they’re high-quality nonetheless.
