Celebs Who Voiced Cute Characters and Terrifying Villains in their Careers

Voice acting demands a wide emotional range, as performers need to convincingly play both friendly characters and frightening villains. Many well-known actors have created impressive careers by voicing popular animated heroes and scary antagonists. They show off their skill by seamlessly switching between light, cheerful tones and deep, threatening voices. This list showcases twenty celebrities who have excelled at bringing both lovable and terrifying characters to life through their voice work.

Tara Strong

Tara Strong is a versatile voice actress known for a wide range of characters. She brings a sweet, high-pitched quality to Bubbles from ‘The Powerpuff Girls,’ a character celebrated for her kindness and love of animals. In contrast, she delivers a much darker performance as Harley Quinn in various DC projects, including the ‘Batman Arkham’ video games. Strong also voices the energetic main character, Timmy Turner, in ‘The Fairly OddParents.’ Her portrayal of Raven in ‘Teen Titans’ showcases a more subdued and brooding side, offering a stark contrast to her typically cheerful roles.

Jim Cummings

Jim Cummings is a veteran voice actor best known for his decades-long portrayal of the sweet and kind Winnie the Pooh in Disney films. He’s also incredibly versatile, having voiced the villainous Scar’s singing parts in ‘The Lion King’ (specifically the song “Be Prepared”). In ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ he gives a delightful performance as the Cajun-accented firefly, Ray. And proving his range, he convincingly played the intimidating Rasputin in ‘Anastasia,’ showcasing his ability to create truly frightening characters.

Tom Kenny

Tom Kenny is widely known as the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, the cheerful star of a hugely popular cartoon. But he’s also a versatile actor who takes on very different roles. He voices the Ice King in ‘Adventure Time,’ a more complicated and often sad character who frequently opposes the heroes. In ‘The Powerpuff Girls,’ he’s both the energetic Narrator and the quirky villain, the Mayor. He further showcases his vocal range by playing Eduardo, a small and squeaky character, in ‘Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends’.

Grey DeLisle

Grey DeLisle is well-known for her voice work, especially as the stylish and sweet Daphne Blake in the many ‘Scooby Doo’ cartoons. She also gave a chilling performance as the scheming Princess Azula in ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ throughout the series. In ‘The Fairly OddParents,’ she voices Vicky, the harsh and unpleasant babysitter who makes life difficult for the main character. Additionally, she brings a gentle and enchanting touch to the character of Moon Butterfly in ‘Star vs. the Forces of Evil’ whenever she appears.

Frank Welker

As a huge animation fan, I’m always amazed by voice actor Frank Welker. Seriously, the guy’s a legend! He’s been the voice of Fred Jones in ‘Scooby Doo’ since the very beginning – way back in 1969! But it’s not just friendly heroes for him. He also does incredibly menacing villains, like Megatron in ‘Transformers’, using this really cool, gritty mechanical voice. And if that wasn’t enough, he brought Abu and Rajah to life in ‘Aladdin’ with all sorts of expressive animal noises. He even went back to ‘Transformers’ later on to voice Soundwave – talk about range!

Clancy Brown

Clancy Brown is a prolific voice actor, best known for playing the money-loving but good-hearted Mr. Krabs on ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ for many years. He’s also voiced the villain Lex Luthor in various ‘Superman’ and DC Comics projects. In the movie ‘Thor Ragnarok,’ he powerfully portrayed the fiery demon Surtur. Beyond voice work, Brown has appeared in live-action roles, including the stern Captain Hadley in ‘The Shawshank Redemption.’

Alan Tudyk

Alan Tudyk is a versatile actor known for his voice work in popular films and television. He brought the delightfully simple rooster Heihei to life in Disney’s ‘Moana’ with a series of funny squawks. He also played the villainous King Candy in ‘Wreck It Ralph’ and the beloved pilot Wash in ‘Firefly’. Later in his career, Tudyk became well-known for his voice acting, notably as the sarcastic droid K-2SO in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’, a role that received widespread praise.

Keith David

I’m a huge fan of Keith David, and his voice work is just incredible! He brings so much to every role. Like, in ‘Coraline,’ he’s the voice of the mysterious Cat, and he’s so helpful to Coraline. Then, in ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ he’s Dr. Facilier – seriously, that character is both scary and captivating thanks to Keith’s performance. And if you’re into darker heroes, he is Spawn in the animated series, totally nailing that conflicted, justice-seeking vibe. Even in gaming, as the Arbiter in ‘Halo,’ his voice just commands attention and earns so much respect. He’s a true voice acting legend!

J.K. Simmons

JK Simmons is a versatile voice actor known for many roles. He played the gentle and wise airbending master Tenzin in ‘The Legend of Korra,’ then completely changed gears to voice the incredibly strong, yet secretly dangerous, Omni Man in ‘Invincible.’ He also brought the brilliant and determined Ford Pines to life in ‘Gravity Falls,’ after his character returned through a portal. And on the villainous side, he voiced Kai in ‘Kung Fu Panda 3,’ a character determined to steal the energy of all martial arts masters.

John DiMaggio

John DiMaggio is a popular voice actor, most famous for playing Jake the Dog in the long-running series ‘Adventure Time’. He’s also known for his acclaimed performance as the Joker in the animated movie ‘Batman Under the Red Hood’. Many fans recognize his voice as Bender, the sarcastic and mischievous robot from ‘Futurama’. Additionally, he voiced Fu Dog in ‘American Dragon Jake Long’, bringing a tough but good-natured quality to the character.

Dee Bradley Baker

Dee Bradley Baker is a voice actor known for creating unique sounds using only animal noises. He brings Appa, the lovable sky bison from ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ to life this way. He also voices the terrifying Gravemind in the ‘Halo’ video games with a surprisingly deep and artistic tone. In ‘Phineas and Ferb,’ he’s the mostly-silent secret agent Perry the Platypus, communicating mainly through chattering. Remarkably, Baker also provides the voices for all the soldiers in ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars,’ including popular characters like Captain Rex and Commander Cody.

Jason Isaacs

Throughout his career, Jason Isaacs has lent his voice to several memorable characters. He voiced Sid, a lovable but unfortunate dog, in ‘The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.’ He also brought the stern and threatening Admiral Zhao to life in ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ playing a key villain. In ‘Star Wars Rebels,’ he voiced the fearsome Grand Inquisitor, dedicated to tracking down remaining Jedi. And in ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance,’ he voiced the villainous SkekSil the Chamberlain, known for his distinctive, whimpering voice.

Kath Soucie

Kath Soucie is a prolific voice actress best known for playing the adorable twins Phil and Lil DeVille on ‘Rugrats.’ She also voiced the powerful and scheming Mom in ‘Futurama,’ and the mother of the main character in ‘Dexter’s Laboratory.’ Early in her career, she brought Lola Bunny to life in the original ‘Space Jam,’ portraying a strong and capable athlete.

Charles Martinet

Charles Martinet is well-known as the voice of the iconic and upbeat Mario from the popular ‘Super Mario’ games. Many fans were surprised to learn he also voiced Paarthurnax, the wise and ancient dragon, in ‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ as part of the game’s main story. He brings energy as the narrator in ‘Bit Trip Presents Runner2 Future Legend of Rhythm Alien,’ and he’s also provided the voices for characters like Wario and Luigi, giving each one a unique personality and sound.

Jack Black

Jack Black is known for his voice work in popular animated films. He brings a lot of energy and heart to the role of Po in the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ movies. He also powerfully portrays the villain Bowser in ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ even singing in the film. Showing his range, he voiced Lenny, a kind, fish-avoiding shark, in ‘Shark Tale.’ And in ‘Goosebumps,’ he played the quirky author R.L. Stine and provided the voices for many of the monsters.

Benedict Cumberbatch

I’m always amazed by Benedict Cumberbatch’s voice work! He completely transformed into the terrifying Smaug in ‘The Hobbit’ using motion capture and a really deep voice. Then, he was the Grinch in the 2018 movie, and it was fun to hear him as a character who rediscovers the joy of Christmas. He’s so versatile – he even voiced the super-cool wolf, Classified, in ‘The Penguins of Madagascar’! And don’t even get me started on Shere Khan in ‘Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle’ – he brought such a fierce, predatory energy to that role. It’s incredible how he can embody such different characters.

Andy Serkis

Andy Serkis is famous for bringing unforgettable characters to life. He’s particularly well-known for his role as Gollum in ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ where he created a unique and haunting voice. He also used performance capture to play the powerful villain Snoke in the ‘Star Wars’ sequels, and voiced the funny, somewhat silly rat, Spike, in ‘Flushed Away.’ In the 2005 remake of ‘King Kong,’ he physically and vocally brought the heroic ape to life.

Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill is famous for his voice acting, particularly his iconic and unsettling performance as the Joker in ‘Batman: The Animated Series.’ He’s incredibly versatile, also lending his voice to the calm and thoughtful Skips in ‘Regular Show.’ He’s also known for playing villains, like the menacing Fire Lord Ozai in ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ who aims to take over the world. More recently, he voiced the villainous Chucky in the 2019 remake of ‘Child’s Play.’

Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson is a versatile voice actor, showcasing a wide range of characters in animated and live-action films. In ‘The Lego Movie,’ he brilliantly portrays both the Good Cop and Bad Cop, highlighting his ability to play contrasting personalities. He delivers a chilling and impactful performance as the monster in ‘A Monster Calls,’ challenging a young boy to confront the truth. Neeson also lends his voice to the caring and mystical Fujimoto in ‘Ponyo,’ and the majestic lion Aslan in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia,’ where his voice embodies both power and kindness.

Patrick Warburton

As a huge animation and comedy fan, I’ve always loved Patrick Warburton’s voice work. He’s brilliant as Kronk in ‘The Emperor’s New Groove’ – that lovable, slightly clueless henchman who just wants to cook! Then he completely switches gears and becomes the intensely stressed-out Ken in ‘Bee Movie’, a real villainous turn. And let’s not forget ‘The Venture Bros.’ where he’s Brock Samson, the ultimate tough guy bodyguard. But for me, one of his best roles is Joe Swanson in ‘Family Guy’. That booming voice is instantly recognizable and makes Joe such a memorable character – he’s definitely a fan favorite for a reason!

Tell us which of these voice acting transformations surprised you the most in the comments.

2026-01-26 05:17