10 Voice Acting Performances That Should Make You Appreciate The Work Of Voice Actors

In the early days of animation, voice actors were woefully underappreciated, being paid very little, and sometimes not even credited for their work. For example, Adriana Caselotti, the voice of Snow White in Disney's very first full-length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, was paid just $20 dollars a day for her work on the film, and did not even know she was working on a full-length feature until she was invited to the premiere. After Snow White, Caselotti struggled to secure other work, as Walt Disney did not want the 'illusion' of Snow White ruined.

As time went on, some voice actors, such as Looney Tunes legend Mel Blanc, fought, and won, to get the recognition that they rightfully deserved. After all, while animation makes a character move, a voice is often what gives them a personality, and truly brings that character to life. A voice gives a character a soul, a history, a voice can let you know what kind of journey a character has been on.

Let's take a look at ten memorable performances that will make you appreciate voice acting.

1. Jim Cummings as Tigger in 'The Tigger Movie'

In 1988, Jim Cummings became the voice of Winnie the Pooh, the third actor to take on the role, and quickly becoming the most loved. The following year, Cummings also began sharing the role of Tigger with the character's original voice actor, Paul Winchell. The aging Winchell could no longer handle the strain of singing in Tigger's voice, so while he continued to perform Tigger's speaking voice, Cummings provided the character's singing. During the later seasons of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Cummings also began providing Tigger's speaking voice on a semi-regular basis, stepping in when Winchell was tired.

In the late 90s, during early production on The Tigger Movie, it was planned for Winchell to still perform Tigger's voice. However, Winchell did not believe he was up to recording for a full length film, and retired from voice acting entirely in 1999, leaving Cummings as Tigger's new official voice actor. Becoming a character's official voice for the first time in a film starring that character would be a big ask for any actor, and despite Cummings' extensive experience in voice work by then, some Disney executives were quietly concerned about how it would go.

They needn't have worried. In The Tigger Movie, which chronicles Tigger's search for a family, and subsequent realisation that he always had one, Jim Cummings delivers an emotional, powerhouse performance in his first official outing as the character. In a single film, Cummings made Tigger his own, and his work as Tigger is now equally as beloved and iconic as his work as Pooh, to the point that he voices both characters in the live-action film Christopher Robin, while the rest of the regular voice cast was replaced.

2. Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano, 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' and 'Star Wars: Rebels'

The 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a prequel to the animated series of the same name, introduced a young Togruta Ahsoka Tano as a Jedi Padawan assigned to Anakin Skywalker. Ahsoka's purpose, according to Yoda, is to hopefully temper Anakin's tendency towards rash thinking, as he now has someone he is responsible for. At first considered annoying by fans, Ahsoka grows in experience and maturity over the course of the series, going from an over-eager Apprentice to a leader many were proud to follow, and eventually becoming one of the most beloved characters in the franchise. Though the early episodes focus on Anakin, many fans consider Ahsoka the true protagonist of The Clone Wars.

Ahsoka returns in Star Wars: Rebels, as a leader in the fledgling rebellion working under the alias Fulcrum. Despite never officially becoming a Jedi Knight, Ahsoka takes interest in young Padawan Ezra Bridger, aiding in his training. Her time with Ezra and his rebel cell eventually leads her to a confrontation with her former Master, Darth Vader.

In both series, Ahsoka Tano is voiced by Ashley Eckstein. Eckstein has been praised for the subtle changes in her voice work from the beginning to end of Clone Wars, and again from Clone Wars to Rebels, helping portray the journey she has been on. For some fans, when Rosario Dawson stepped into the shoes of a live-action Ahsoka in The Mandalorian, it was difficult to hear a different voice come out of the character's mouth.

3. Chris Sanders as Stitch in 'Lilo & Stitch'

Chris Sanders, a screenwriter who had done various writing and storyboard work for Disney, first created the character of Stitch, an alien 'dog', for a children's book pitch in 1985. While the book never came to be, Sanders recycled Stitch as the lead character of a Disney animated film, Lilo & Stitch, released in 2002. The film followed Experiment 626, an alien engineered to wreak havoc and destruction, as it crash lands in Hawaii. Posing as a dog, 626 is adopted by Lilo, a lonely little girl, who renames him Stitch.

As well as co-writing and directing the film, Chris Sanders also ended up providing the voice of Stitch. Originally intended as a stand-in until an official voice actor could be found, no one matched the voice Sanders wanted for Stitch, so he chose to voice him himself. Sanders has been praised for the way he portrays Stitch's vulnerable side as the film goes on. He remained Stitch's voice actor for all four films in the franchise, as well as the animated series.

4. Tara Strong as Dil Pickles in 'The Rugrats Movie'

When Nickelodeon began production on The Rugrats Movie, a big screen adaptation of the much-loved animated series Rugrats, all the series voice actors were asked to re-audition for their roles, which they all, thankfully, held onto. On top of the existing cast, auditions were held for a new character, Tommy's newborn baby brother, Dil. The role of Dil went to Tara Strong, then credited under her maiden name as Tara Charendoff. She was no stranger to the series, having voiced recurring character Timmy McNulty.

As a newborn, Dil spends quite a lot of the film crying. One of Tara Strong's voice recording sessions for The Rugrats Movie had to be paused to allow one crew member, a new Mum, to go clean up, as the sound of Strong's crying as Dil had made her leak breastmilk. Let that sink in for a moment: Strong voice acted a cry so realistic that it fooled a human body into thinking there was a baby nearby. Strong continued to voice Dil throughout the rest of the Rugrats series, as well as an older Dil in the spin-off, All Grown Up! , and remains a beloved figure in the voice acting industry. Recently, she even entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe, providing the voice of Miss Minutes, the TVA mascot, in Loki.

5. Jay Baruchel as Hiccup in the 'How To Train Your Dragon' series

In 2010, the first How To Train Your Dragon film hit theatres. Loosely based on the novel of the same name, the film tells the story of Hiccup, a social outcast among a tribe of dragon-hunting Vikings, who forms an unlikely friendship with Toothless, a rare Night Fury dragon. The film was a smash hit, spawning two sequels, as well as an animated series that filled in the gaps between the films, and even two Christmas specials.

Actor Jay Baruchel voices Hiccup in both the films and TV series, which cover a six year period in Hiccup's life, during which he grows from an awkward teenager into the proud Chief of his tribe. Baruchel was praised for adding to this journey through his voice work, adding depth and experience to his performance as Hiccup grows older.

6. Dante Basco as Prince Zuko in 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'/Jake Long in 'American Dragon: Jake Long'

When Avatar: The Last Airbender debuted on Nickelodeon in 2005, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation was the series main villain. Banished from home by his Father, Fire Lord Ozai, Zuko is hot-tempered and single minded in his goal of capturing Aang, the Avatar, believing that this was the only way to regain his honor. However, Zuko goes on quite the journey over the show's three seasons, spending some time as a refugee, and a short period back in his Father's palace. Ultimately, he turns against his Father in favour of helping Aang end the Hundred-Year War.

Around the same time as Avatar, Disney was airing a series of their own, American Dragon: Jake Long. This series focused on Jake Long, a boy who can transform into a dragon, and must balance his teen life of School, friends, and crushes with his new responsibilities as the American Dragon, guardian of a secret community of magical creatures.

Both characters share a voice actor, Dante Basco. Performing two characters with such different personalities at the same time is an impressive feat.

7. Robin Williams as The Genie in 'Aladdin'

In the early days of animated films, it was not common for big name actors or actresses to voice characters. In fact, as in the earlier mentioned case of Snow White, it was often considered better for the voice to remain anonymous, preserving the illusion of the character. This all changed during the production of the 1992 Disney classic, Aladdin.

The character of The Genie was created and designed with Robin Williams in mind, even before the actor officially accepted the role. After some hesitation, he did, and the rest is history. Many of Genie's scenes were animated later in production to take advantage of Williams' adlibbing, and somewhere in the Disney Vault, hours worth of unused Genie recordings exist. The Genie became an instant icon, forever changing the ideas behind how animated films are cast.

8. Tom Hanks as Woody in 'Toy Story'

Early in the production of Toy Story, the first ever full-length computer animated film, multiple actors, including Paul Newman, Robin Williams, and Clint Eastwood, were considered for the role of the film's lead, Woody the Cowboy doll. However, the film's Director, John Lasseter, only ever truly wanted one man for the part: Tom Hanks. According to Lasseter:

"He has the ability to take emotions and make them appealing. Even if the character, like the one in A League of Their Own, is down-and-out and despicable."

This was deemed an important quality in early drafts of the film, in which Woody, then a ventriloquist dummy, was actually the film's villain. Heavy executive meddling early in Toy Story's development had a bad effect on the film, sapping the charm from the characters. During one recording session, Hanks declared Woody a jerk. Lasseter agreed, and allowed Hanks some input into who Woody became once the film was rewritten. While the Woody of the final film is not without flaws, he is also sweet and lovable, in no small part due to Tom Hanks giving him a voice. Hanks took a character that wasn't working, changed him for the better, and made him an icon.

9. Robby Benson as The Beast in 'Beauty & The Beast'

For the 1991 animated classic Beauty & The Beast, the filmmakers approached the casting of the film as though they were casting a stage musical. For this reason, there were quite a few Broadway actors among the movie's cast. By far the most difficult characters to cast was The Beast. The filmmakers hoped to cast a single actor for both The Beast and his uncursed form, the Prince. Unfortunately, too many hopeful actors took an angry 'Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum' approach to their auditions for The Beast, ignoring the fact that the character still needed to have a softer side for Belle to eventually fall for.

After a long search, Broadway and Television star Robby Benson was cast as the Beast/The Prince. Unlike the previous auditionees, Benson was able to tap into both sides of the character. The filmmakers praised Benson for his big voice as the Beast, while still showing his 'Warm, accessible side, so you could hear the Prince beneath the fur'.

Benson's vocal work has ofen been credited as one of the big successes of the film.

10. David Tennant as Scrooge McDuck in 'Ducktales (2017)'

Beginning with the animated short Mickey's Christmas Carol in 1983, Alan Young, previously best known for his role as Wilbur in Mr. Ed, became the official voice of Scrooge McDuck, voicing the character through all four seasons of the original Ducktales series. Young continued to voice Scrooge until his death in 2016. Unfortunately, this sad news came at a time when a Ducktales reboot was well underway. Who would be able to take on the iconic role of Scrooge McDuck?

Enter former Doctor Who star David Tennant as the new Scrooge. As a genuine Scotsman, Tennant was a popular choice, and according to the reboot's executive producer, Matt Youngberg, it was also a natural one.

We really wanted to find somebody who was legitimately Scottish. We thought that was really important in this iteration, someone who had the character to bring this icon alive. And David is an amazing actor. He’s morphed into this role in an incredible way.

Some claim that Tennant's Scrooge voice is just himself on steroids, and that may be true. But whatever his method of doing so, he still made a beloved and iconic character his own.

That is another wonderful part of the beauty of voice acting. Because fans don't always see when an actor has changed, it is easier to accept a new one. The break between new iterations of a character need not be as long, and the character's legacy can grow for generations to come.