About This Quiz
Imagine watching a television show or movie, nomming on your favorite snack, and coming across an actor who you swear you have seen before. At first, it starts with, "Where do I know you from?" but then it becomes a nagging thought that takes over your watching experience. If you're at home, you can easily fish out your phone and IMDB the show, but if you're in a theater, forget it! What makes this situation a little more complicated is if you recognize only the voice of the actor.Â
When it comes to challenging acting, a voice actor has their work cut out for them. In several instances, a voice actor will read their script without their costars in the room, which can prove difficult because you can't feed off of their energy for a flow of dialogue. On the plus side, many actors look forward to lending their voices to animated features because it takes a portion of the time that it would take to perform in a film and you can't beat skipping the makeup chair and working without worrying about costuming.
So put up your remote and test your know-how on cartoon characters and the voices behind them.
Even though Jillian Russell is Drew Barrymore's most well-known animated role, it is not the only one. If you watch Christmas specials, she is the voice behind Olive, a dog who wants to be one of Santa's reindeer in "Olive, the Other Reindeer."
Advertisement
Science fiction fans may recognize Patrick Stewart from one of his other roles: Jean-Luc Pickard, the captain of the USS Enterprise on "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
Advertisement
To prepare for her role of Lily in "Black Swan," Mila Kunis had to lose around 30 pounds to get the physical frame of a ballerina as well as taking months of dance lessons to be able to perform onscreen.
Advertisement
Mel Blanc earned the nickname of "The Man of a Thousand Voices," and even though it is an exaggeration, Blanc voiced several of Warner Bros.'s iconic cartoons. In an interview with David Letterman, Blanc indicated that he voiced 400 characters!
Advertisement
When it comes to "Family Guy" and "American Dad," Seth MacFarlane wears several different hats. He voices quite a few characters on both of his creations and has written quite a few episodes as well.
Advertisement
Bart Simpson's popularity has gone beyond The Simpsons Empire. He has appeared in all three of Seth MacFarlane's series ("Family Guy," "American Dad" and "The Cleveland Show"), "Portlandia" and even "Sesame Street."
Advertisement
With such a rich and vibrant voice, it would seem that Tim Curry was a natural to voice acting. In 1992, he got to use his musical talents in "Ferngully: The Last Rainforest," where he portrayed the villainous Hexxus, a toxic sludge creature.
Advertisement
If you ever wondered where Fry from "Futurama" got his first name, it was to honor Phil Hartman. After Hartman's murder, creators of "The Simpsons" retired both Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz as well as giving Fry the full name of Phillip J. Fry.
Advertisement
Even though Robin Williams was given a script, a lot of his performance was improvised. Because of this, Genie appeared larger than life in personality as well as appearance. Luckily, this big body also holds a big heart, which holds Aladdin dear.
Advertisement
If you are unfamiliar with Aziz Ansari's work, we recommend that you check it out. On top of working both sides of the camera in "Master of None" and "Bob's Burgers," Ansari also played the cocky Tom Haverford on "Parks & Recreation."
Advertisement
In addition to playing Chris on "Family Guy," Seth Green is one of the creators of "Robot Chicken." This series uses stop motion animation, which is a little-used animation style.
Advertisement
As one of the many pawns of Walter White in "Breaking Bad," Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman could be one of the most tragic characters created for television. He was abandoned by his family and lost his girlfriend to a drug overdose.
Advertisement
As if! If you ever want to see a classic Brittany Murphy film, check out "Clueless." Made in 1995, this film starred Alicia Silverstone as shallow Cher who takes Murphy's Tai on as a fashion project while dealing with high school problems.
Advertisement
Before Brock Samson came around, Patrick Warburton had found success as an actor onscreen as well as a voice actor. His most notable role onscreen was Elaine's boyfriend Puddy on "Seinfeld," and he voices Joe Swanson on "Family Guy."
Advertisement
Just in case his stunning looks and silky voice don't sell you on how fantastic Idris Elba is, he auctioned a Valentine's Day date with him to raise money for W.E. Can Lead, a non-governmental organization whose goal is to help African girls get educations.
Advertisement
As the leader of a pack of abandoned dogs on the Isle of Dogs during a canine flu outbreak, Chief is exceptionally cautious around Atari, a boy who smuggles himself onto the island to try to rescue his missing pet.
Advertisement
Like "The Simpsons," the hometown of the Griffin family in "Family Guy" actually exists on a map. However, unlike "The Simpsons," "Family Guy" is relatively clear about what state the Griffins live in.
Advertisement
When it came to finding a voice for Hayley Smith, the teenage daughter who is almost always at odds with her father on "American Dad," Seth MacFarlane recruited his sister to play the part.
Advertisement
If you stop to watch "Beavis and Butt-Head," you may recognize a couple of characters from another Mike Judge cartoon: "King of the Hill." One of the main characters, Tom Anderson, has the same voice and mannerisms as Hank Hill.
Advertisement
After the success of "Ghostbusters" hit, Dan Aykroyd didn't return to voice Dr. Raymond Stantz; however, he did keep the popularity of the franchise growing. How? He wrote content for over 10 various "Ghostbusters" features.
Advertisement
When it comes to saving kids from adults with nefarious intent, Numbuh 5 has a pivotal role in the "Kids Next Door," being the second in command for her Sector. Her sister, Cree, became a teen villain after aging out of the program.
Advertisement
Casey Kasem isn't the only celebrity who has voiced the shaggy-haired teen. After making "Scooby-Doo" in 2002, Mattew Lillard, who played Shaggy, continued to provide his voice to additional animated features.
Advertisement
When it came to creating Sterling Archer's mother, Malory, they used a lot of Jessica Walter's appearance and performances as an influence. If you look at Walter's performance on "Arrested Development," you'll see where Malory got her personality.
Advertisement
Even though Gene Belcher has a personality that is larger than life, if his sisters need something, he will cheer them on with a fiery passion, sometimes literally. When Tina tried out for the cheer squad, Gene ended up on the team.
Advertisement
In the world of "Bob's Burgers," Louise is a naughty girl who will go to extremes if upset. In one instance, when a teen stole her signature bunny ears, she recruited a motorcycle gang to help return them.
Advertisement
Even though "BoJack Horseman" features Will Arnett, it isn't the first role that he has taken with voice work. In 2009, he played The Missing Link in "Monsters Vs. Aliens" and in 2014, he portrayed Batman in "The Lego Movie."
Advertisement
If you're not a fan of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," you could probably catch Dana Snyder's voice in other shows on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. In addition to Master Shake, Dana is Granny on "Squidbillies" and Life-Giving Magus on "Adventure Time."
Advertisement
As the bookworm of the group, Twilight Sparkle can come across as a bit of a drip; however, she does serve a purpose. In addition to being the main character, she will provide a narrative to the audience about the goings-on in Equestria.
Advertisement
After being left at an orphanarium, Leela had a desire to get to her roots and help keep her species going. In season 2, episode 13, "A Biclops Built For 2," Leela thinks she found her true love; however, it wasn't meant to be.
Advertisement
On more than one occasion, Jason Bateman has worked with his "Arrested Development" castmates on different projects. In 2007, both he and Michael Cera were in "Juno," which won one Academy Award.
Advertisement
Even though Gidget was one of the good guys in "The Secret Life of Pets," Jenny Slate's other characters aren't so kind. Most notably, Slate plays Tammy on "Bob's Burgers" who is constantly bullying and manipulating Tina into doing bad things.
Advertisement
In 2016, Loren Bouchard and the team behind "Bob's Burgers" teamed up with chef Cole Bowden and created a cookbook featuring the burgers created for the show. Including illustrations on every recipe, this cookbook became a New York Times Bestseller.
Advertisement
When Spinal Tap invaded Springfield in season 3, episode 22, "The Otto Show," Harry Shearer got to perform two featured roles: the stoner bus driver Otto and Derek Smalls, his role in Rob Reiner's mockumentary, "This Is Spinal Tap."
Advertisement
If you're ever watching an episode of "The Simpsons," it would be nearly impossible to miss a performance by Hank Azaria. In addition to the three characters listed above, Azaria has at least 20 other characters he is responsible for.
Advertisement
In season 8, episode 16 of "The Simpsons," Kelsey Grammer had his acting worlds collide; David Hyde Pierce portrayed his brother Cecil, who plotted to destroy a dam that would have flooded Springfield.
Advertisement
Playing strong, fierce and intelligent women is something that Aisha Tyler excels in. Not only is she the female force that is Lana Kane, but she's also been in the crime dramas "24" and "Criminal Minds."
Advertisement
If you are a fan of "The Simpsons" and horror movies, you can have both of these desires met when you watch "Maximum Overdrive." In it, Yeardley Smith teams up with Emilio Estevez to fight off a fleet of trucks with a taste for blood.
Advertisement
Even though Lois Griffin is known for her thick northeastern accent, the actor behind the voice, Alex Borstein is from the midwest. Born in Chicago, Borstein is also known for her work on "Shameless" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
Advertisement
Due to the popularity of the heavy tunes played during "Metalocalypse," three albums were released. "Metalocalypse: Dethalbum III" was released in 2012 and hit the Billboard music charts reaching the top 10 albums in November.
Advertisement
Dr. Girlfriend, who eventually becomes Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, is insanely devoted to her evil husband, The Monarch. She is usually the mind behind The Monarch's plans and will often try to get him to follow the Guild of Calamitous Intent's rules.
Advertisement