Comedians have often historically done voice work for cartoons. It makes sense in that they're good with comedic timing and have quirky or strong voices. I personally think voice acting is a good opportunity to put a more "human" face on such performers and show that underneath the naughty jokes they're just people who have families of their own, etc.You know what really grinds my gears? X-rated comedians in kid's movies....There's no logical reason why studios can't get reputable voice actors or respectable actors and actresses to play these roles
Yeah, I know what you mean. Obviously the studios like to cast big-name celebrities for name recognition, but Justin Timberlake did Boo-boo in the Yogi-bear film and nobody saw it anyway, so that logic often fails. Some actors and comedians are surprisingly good at voice acting; Charles Fleischer, voice of Roger Rabbit as well as several other characters in WFRR, is a great stand-up comic, and Alan Tudyk is an amazing voice-actor as well as a great on-screen presence. And let's not forget Phil Lamar, possibly my all-time favorite voice actor, who is also a great actor/comedian. But none of them are A-listers; it's when they cast A-list actors who have no talent at projecting their voice over professional voice-over actors that bugs me.Comedians have often historically done voice work for cartoons. It makes sense in that they're good with comedic timing and have quirky or strong voices. I personally think voice acting is a good opportunity to put a more "human" face on such performers and show that underneath the naughty jokes they're just people who have families of their own, etc.
However, I will agree that occasionally I resent celebrities (which is different from comedians!) shoving their way into cartoon movies when a trained voice actor could do a better job. And that goes for both the naughty celebrities AND the respectable ones, lol.
Celebrity voice actors are for adult bonus. And it's certainly not new. We only need to look as far back as Louis Prima as King Louie in The Jungle Book. The character was named after him. Not to mention even further back, Ed Wynne as the Mad Hatter. Not to mention how many celebrities revitalized their careers as voice actors. Paul Reubens, Mark Hamil, Deidrich Bader, Gilbert Gotfried... even Weird Al Yankovic has found a nice in between albums gig as a voice actor, playing either himself (as on Batman: Brave and the Bold, among others) or as a character (The Learnerer on Word Girl, Wreck-Gar on Transformers Animated). I do prefer the classically trained voice actors, but I understand the need for celebrity voice acting. And when it works, it's actually pretty good. If not, you get Dreamworks' Sinbad, starring people with not too remarkable voices. I like how Pixar has the guts to have lower celebrities as voice actors in every so many movies. I mean, Up's headliners were Christopher Plumber and Ed Asner. Heck, that's another one. Ed Asner does a lot of cartoon voice acting (we all remember Cosgrove from Freakazoid, right?).However, I will agree that occasionally I resent celebrities (which is different from comedians!) shoving their way into cartoon movies when a trained voice actor could do a better job. And that goes for both the naughty celebrities AND the respectable ones, lol.
If they have the skill to be there then I don't mind (Ed Wynn for instance had a very distinctive character voice. Many comedians did as they had to work in radio). But when it's purely for getting people in the seats it's just typical Hollywood elitist nonsense.Celebrity voice actors are for adult bonus. And it's certainly not new. We only need to look as far back as Louis Prima as King Louie in The Jungle Book. The character was named after him. Not to mention even further back, Ed Wynne as the Mad Hatter. Not to mention how many celebrities revitalized their careers as voice actors.
Asner is an amazing voice actor, and I wouldn't hesitate to say he's been off-screen as a voice actor just as much as he's been on-screen. My favorite Asner voice will always be J. Jonah Jameson, as I'm a HUGE Spider-man fan, and Asner's voice lent itself too perfectly to ol' broom-stache. But again, Asner isn't an A-list actor, and I still understand Heralde's gripe with A-list actors being awkwardly cast in cartoons just to get butts in seats.Celebrity voice actors are for adult bonus. And it's certainly not new. We only need to look as far back as Louis Prima as King Louie in The Jungle Book. The character was named after him. Not to mention even further back, Ed Wynne as the Mad Hatter. Not to mention how many celebrities revitalized their careers as voice actors. Paul Reubens, Mark Hamil, Deidrich Bader, Gilbert Gotfried... even Weird Al Yankovic has found a nice in between albums gig as a voice actor, playing either himself (as on Batman: Brave and the Bold, among others) or as a character (The Learnerer on Word Girl, Wreck-Gar on Transformers Animated). I do prefer the classically trained voice actors, but I understand the need for celebrity voice acting. And when it works, it's actually pretty good. If not, you get Dreamworks' Sinbad, starring people with not too remarkable voices. I like how Pixar has the guts to have lower celebrities as voice actors in every so many movies. I mean, Up's headliners were Christopher Plumber and Ed Asner. Heck, that's another one. Ed Asner does a lot of cartoon voice acting (we all remember Cosgrove from Freakazoid, right?).
Personally, I miss Brad Garret as a voice actor. There are celebrities with voices that are perfectly cartoony. Wayne Knight was a great cartoon voice over as well. I love Dojo the Dragon, Igor, and especially his superior version of Evil Emperor Zurg. And Patrick Warburton. I think I like him better as Buzz Lightyear than Tim Allen.