In Memoriam: Kevin Conroy

Actor Kevin Conroy, famous for lending his voice to the character of Batman in dozens of movies, animated series, and videogames, has died at the age of 66. He is survived by his husband, Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy and brother Tom Conroy.

In honor of his passing, DC has made the 2022 Pride Anthology free-to-read on DC’s website. This anthology includes Kevin Conroy’s autobiographical comic story Finding Batman, which details his challenges growing up as a gay man, his experience with the Stonewall Riots and the AIDS epidemic, and how he came to audition for Batman.

Finding Batman from DC’s Pride Anthology 2022

Conroy had no experience with voice acting, having studied theater at Julliard and with a background in film and TV, but he strongly resonated with Batman’s struggles. From coping with a broken family to manifesting his trauma in the form of a public and private identity, Conroy drew many connections from himself to Batman. He channeled thirty years of frustration, confusion, denial, love, and yearning into his performance.

Now, 30 years after his first premiere as Batman, he is fondly remembered by fans for bringing to life what many consider to be the definitive version of Batman to-date. His performance made Batman feel like a genuine character, rather than a mere crime-fighting persona of Bruce Wayne, and he brought all that heart and soul to each of the dozens of incarnations of Batman he played afterwards.

Kevin Conroy will forever be remembered by his adoring fans for his incredible talent and his great contributions to the comic book and LGBTQ+ communities. We will miss him dearly.

Kevin Conroy