Article by Eric Lee
Batman: The Animated Series voice actor Kevin Conroy has talked about playing Bruce Wayne live for the first time.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Conroy discussed how playing Bruce is different than voicing him. Surprisingly, the longtime Batman voice actor struggled with the physicality of the role.
It threw me at first. I never approached this character from that physicalized aspect. I always just inhabited him with my voice. When you do that in a recording studio, it’s a very intimate experience and you’re sort of living in your own imagination. You do it with your eyes closed and you’re in this other world, and you have [Joker actor] Mark Hamill feeding you all the energy you [need], and the other actors (because we always recorded together in the booths). To actually be on the set, in the physical world, and to be walking as the character and inhabiting the character in three dimensions, it was a real transition for me. It did take a while to get used to, I have to admit. I was surprised because I know the character so well.
Fortunately for Conroy, he had help adjusting to the role, thanks to Batwoman and Supergirl actors, Ruby Rose and Melissa Benoist.
Everybody was so generous to work with. I can’t emphasize enough how welcoming everyone was, especially Ruby. She is so open and giving. I just fell into her eyes at one point and we just connected on camera. It was wonderful. I felt like I was working with old friends I’d known for years. There was just such trust there that I could open up to them on camera.
Batman Beyond Bruce vs. Kingdom Come Bruce
Amongst his many Batman projects, Kevin Conroy voiced old Bruce Wayne in Batman Beyond. Despite the news that Conroy will play Bruce from Kingdom Come, there are differences between the old Bruces.
In this, I explore a lot of [the] dark corners of Bruce Wayne. But they’re different than the ones I explored on Batman Beyond.
For more of Conroy’s interview and what Crisis executive producer Marc Guggenheim’s thoughts, click here.
The CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover begins Sunday, Dec. 8 on Supergirl.
