Kevin Michael Richardson is among the most recognized and prolific voice actors. Born in the Bronx, New York City, Richardson was selected for the National Foundation for the Arts’ “Arts ’82” program, and in 1988, graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. From there, he got into voice acting by voicing in commercials before transitioning to film, television, and video games.
Richardson is distinguished by his deep, powerful voice, which often leads to him playing large, imposing, villainous characters. However, his versatility allows him to play many roles, including wise mentors and lovable heroes. A presence in numerous animated hits, including Invincible and Family Guy, Emmy nominee Kevin Michael Richardson is among animation’s best voices, and these are his best roles.
10 Cleveland Jr.
From ‘Family Guy’ (1999-Present) and ‘The Cleveland Show’ (2009-2013)
Image via Fox
The son of Cleveland Brown (Mike Henry) and Loretta Brown (Alex Borstein), Cleveland Brown Jr. initially grew up in the city of Quohog as a neighbor to the Griffin family. As a young kid, he was hyperactive and quickly jumped from one activity to another, but as he aged, he mellowed out and became more soft-spoken. When his parents divorced, Jr. went with his father south, where Cleveland eventually re-married, and Jr. became the older brother to two step-siblings before eventually moving back to Quohog.
Richardson is the second voice actor for Jr., taking over from Mike Henry after the character was redesigned. His take is by far superior, as the soft voice he goes with helps to make Jr. feel like a three-dimensional character instead of a one-note joke. For the most part, Jr. is one of the best characters in both Family Guy and The Cleveland Show, being a sweet, innocent, and slightly naive youth who isn’t afraid to resort to violence if necessary.
9 Bulkhead
From ‘Transformers Prime’ (2010-2013)
Image via Cartoon Network
During the Cybertronian Great War, Bulkhead leaves behind his job as a laborer to fight for the Autobots against the Decepticons. He served in a specialist team called the Wreckers before joining Optimus Prime (the ever-reliable Peter Cullen) as part of the squad that followed the Decepticon leader, Megatron (Frank Welker), to Earth. There, Bulkhead eventually befriends a girl named Miko (Tania Gunadi), one of three young humans who learned about the Autobots and joined the fight as allies.
Bulkhead is among Richardson’s most underrated voice roles but also a delightful showcase of his greatest strengths as a performer.
Bulkhead is the team’s big guy, preferring to use his muscles to solve problems in the most direct way possible. Despite his size and his perchance for smashing things, he’s a rather empathetic individual who hates bullies and always does what he can to try and protect those in need. Richardson’s voice is perfect for this, especially when he interacts with Miko, where his tough but sincere voice helps sell the big-brother relationship he develops with her. Bulkhead is among Richardson’s most underrated voice roles but also a delightful showcase of his greatest strengths as a performer.
8 Trigon
From ‘Teen Titans’ (2003-2006)
Image via Cartoon Network
A demon whose evil intent was known across the universe, Trigon the Terrible’s war of conquest was stopped by the Order of Azar, who imprisoned him. However, by sacrificing his human daughter, Raven (Tara Strong), Trigon can escape his prison and turn the Earth into a miniature hellscape. Raven tries her best to prevent this, but as the day of reckoning draws near, she is forced to accept her destiny to protect the lives of her friends, the Teen Titans.
Trigon is the most imposing villain the group ever faced and he is linked to several of Teen Titans’ most emotional episodes. When he emerges and conquers the Earth, he treats the Titans as little more than buzzing flies, barely worth the time it would take to acknowledge them. Richardson’s booming voice helps to sell his certainty in his power, making Trigon feel like a larger-than-life force that the Titans will be hard-pressed to overcome.
Teen Titans
Release Date July 19, 2003
Seasons 5
7 Kamek
From ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ (2023)
Image via Universal Pictures
The right-hand koopa to King Bowser (Jack Black), Kamek serves as the court wizard for the Koopa Kingdom and helps talk Bowser through whatever issue is plaguing his mind at any time. At present, he is hyping Bowser up for his wedding to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and convincing him she’ll agree without question. Unfortunately, the arrival of a mustached plumber named Mario (Chris Pratt) throws a wrench in that plan, as Peach teams up with him to battle against Bowser’s tyranny.
Kamek’s role in The Super Mario Bros. movie is limited, but he is one of the film’s most memorable characters. Richardson’s voice goes for a more nasally pitch, which fits well for a toady-type character. His back-and-forth with Black’s Bowser is also solid and leads to several humorous moments and references to the beloved Mario video games.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Release Date April 7, 2023
Director Aaron Horvath , Michael Jelenic
Runtime 105 minutes
Writers Matthew Fogel
6 Captain Gantu
From the Lilo & Stitch Franchise
Image via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
A massive alien who resembles a cross between a whale and an elephant, Captain Gantu is in command of the Galactic Federation’s space fleet and serves as the right hand to the Federation’s Grand Councilwoman (Zoe Caldwell). He was tasked with exiling illegal experiment 626 (Chris Sanders) to a barren asteroid, but the creature escaped and crash-landed on Earth. In trying to recapture it, Gantu was fired for reckless actions, leading him to join forces with Dr. Hämsterviel (Jeff Bennett), the former business partner of 626’s creator, Dr. Jumba Jookiba (David Ogden Stiers).
Gantu is one of the most developed characters in Lilo & Stitch and its subsequent projects. Though he usually serves as an antagonist, he’s not evil: Gantu is a soldier who either follows orders in the most direct way possible or tries to get by and do his job to save up for retirement. Richardson plays Gantu as no-nonsense and driven and can play up his frustration to comedic levels, especially when he plays off his sidekick, Experiment 625, voiced by the iconic Rob Paulsen.
Lilo & Stitch
Release Date June 21, 2002
Director Dean DeBlois , Chris Sanders
Cast Daveigh Chase , Chris Sanders , Tia Carrere , David Ogden Stiers , Kevin McDonald , Ving Rhames
Runtime 85 minutes
Writers Chris Sanders , Dean DeBlois
5 The Mauler Twins
From ‘Invincible’ (2021-Present)
image via Amazon Prime Video
In a world inhabited by all manner of supervillains, two of the most recognizable and active are the Mauler Twins. This pair of superhumanly smart and strong criminals have a fun shtick because one is a clone of the other, but neither knows which it is. This is an intentional design because whenever one Mauler learns he is the original, he tends to go power crazy.
The Mauler Twins are some of the most entertaining and powerful characters in Invincible, thanks in large part to their unique gimmick. Since the Maulers are on equal footing in terms of strength and intellect, they work perfectly in sync in combat, down to constructing weapons out of little more than spare parts. Richardson also sounds like he’s having a ball working off of himself, especially when one twin tries to convince the other that he is the clone.
Invincible
Release Date March 25, 2021
Creator Robert Kirkman
Seasons 2
Watch on Amazon
4 Robert Hawkins
From ‘Static Shock’ (2000-2004)
Image via the Kids’ WB
Before starting a family, Robert Hawkins lived an exciting life, playing college football and joining the Marines until he met his wife, Jean (Alfre Woodard and Michele Morgan). They had two children together, but unfortunately, Jean was killed by a stray bullet during a riot. This tragedy made Robert dedicate his life to helping those in need: he became the manager of the Freeman Community Center, dedicating much of his time to helping troubled youths avoid a life of violence.
Robert is one of the best parental figures in any superhero project, and he has one of the best father-son relationships with Virgil. Though he lacks superpowers, Robert is never afraid to stand up for what is right and takes an active role in advocating for his community and local politicians to do their part in ensuring the city is safe for everyone. Richardson is brilliant in the role, injecting him with warmth but determination and making him inspiring yet worthy of respect and admiration.
3 Tombstone
From ‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’ (2008-2009)
Image via Marvel Entertainment
To the people of New York City, L. Thompson Lincoln appears as a benevolent philanthropist. However, behind closed doors, he is known as Tombstone or the Big Man of Crime, maintaining the largest criminal empire in the city. Following the emergence of Spider-Man (Josh Keaton), Tombstone begins funding projects to create new supervillains to keep Spider-Man distracted from regular criminals.
Richardson took over the role of Tombstone from Keith David, who voiced him in the first episode of the beloved Spectacular Spider-Man. Despite the abrupt change, Richardson’s voice is a perfect fit for a crime boss who has been at the game for so long that virtually nothing phases him anymore. Whether confronting Spider-Man, all sorts of super-criminals, or even his rival crime bosses, Tombstone always speaks in a calm, cool voice, showing that he is always in control of the situation.
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Release Date March 8, 2008
Seasons 2
2 Demongo
From ‘Samurai Jack’ (2001-2017)
Image via Cartoon Network
Despite the efforts of the demon Aku (Mako), Samurai Jack (Phil LaMarr) defeats every enemy sent after him and continues to undermine Aku’s efforts. Frustrated, he turns to one of his most powerful servants, Demongo. Every warrior that Demongo defeats, he collects their essence and can summon them to fight for him over and over again.
Demongo became one of Samurai Jack’s most memorable characters thanks to his fantastic design and Richardson’s voice work. His performance is soft, snakelike, and sounds completely unrecognizable from his usual work. It fits perfectly with Demongo’s personality as a cunning yet cowardly demon eager to defeat and collect as many powerful warriors as possible.
Samurai Jack
Release Date August 10, 2001
Seasons 5
1 The Joker
From ‘The Batman’ (2004-2008)
Image via Kids’ WB
Known as the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker started as a regular man until he fell into a chemical bath that bleached his skin and broke his sanity. Now, he terrorizes Gotham City with various crimes based around twisted humor, using a deadly toxin called Joker Venom to force people into uncontrolled laughter. After he is first thwarted by the vigilante known as Batman (Rino Romano), Joker swears revenge against him, and the two become eternal rivals.
While nobody can match Mark Hamill’s legendary run as the Joker, Richardson’s take in this underrated Batman show is a strong contender for second best. He mixes his usual deep voice and a higher, more manic pitch, which fits the Joker’s unpredictable nature. It is a highlight of Richardson’s illustrious career, and he received two Daytime Emmy Award nominations during the show’s run.
The Batman
Release Date September 11, 2004
Seasons 5
NEXT: 10 Amazing Black Voice Actors From Television and Film