Top 20 Female Characters Voiced by Men
#20: Betsy Krabs
“Spongebob Squarepants” (1999-) The mother of the penny-pinching manager of the Krusty Krab shares quite a few similarities with her son. She’s got a frugal mindset, an occasionally coarse personality, and a distinct deep vocal register. To make sure the familial resemblance was pitch-perfect, Betsy’s initial appearances were performed by writer and future showrunner Paul Tibbitt. While Betsy would later be recast with a female actress, Tibbitt’s tenure as the character covers some of her most iconic moments. He was there for the memorable sailor-speak curse words episode. Tibbitt’s tones made Betsy’s role in that episode and other stories even more hilarious.
#19: Madame Gasket
“Robots” (2005) While Madame Gasket may be made of metal, her intimidating presence is anything but robotic. The greedy owner of the Chop Shop was brought to life by prolific actor Jim Broadbent. He delivers a gravelly tone that completely sells Madame Gasket’s eccentric yet imposing demeanor. Big, loud, and proud, the deeper tones compliment Gasket’s commanding design and help ratchet up the tension of her villainy. Even though most of the film’s drama hinges on Broadbent ironing out a portrayal that’s scary yet charming, he certainly didn’t blow a gasket under the pressure. His vocals are incredibly memorable long after the credits roll.
#18: Tallulah Robinson
“Meet The Robinsons” (2007) Stephen J. Anderson wore a lot of hats in the making of this beloved animated feature. He served as a writer, director and the main bowler hat guy antagonist. That’s why it was surprising to hear that Anderson also voiced a certain spunky redhead from the Robinson clan. The multitlatended creative managed to make Tallulah Robinson as lovably weird as the rest of her huge family. The biggest compliment to give this high-pitched performance is that it’s completely unique from Anderson’s other roles in the film. If you didn’t already know Anderson was behind Tallullah, it’s basically impossible to tell.
#17: Skeeter
“Muppet Babies” (1984-91) In an attempt to add more female representation to the puppet ensemble, this new take on the classic crew introduced Scooter’s twin sister Skeeter. The young muppet wasn’t afraid to take charge while dropping a few sarcastic comments along the way. This great new addition blended well with the colorful cast of characters. Surprisingly, Skeeter was originally voiced by Howie Mandel. He completely disappears into the role with a chameleon vocal performance. Eventually, Megatron voice actor Frank Welker would later take over as the voice of Skeeter. Both performers completely nail the cadence and personality of the endearing muppet.
#16: Consuela De La Morrela
“Family Guy” (1999-) When Consuela was initially presented as a cutaway gag character, it made sense to have someone from the main cast jump in. Fortunately for fans, Cleveland’s original voice actor Mike Henry stepped in. His performance may be why she’s grown far beyond her one-off appearance and become a prominent recurring character. Nearly every time Consuela is on screen, her line delivery is completely flat and dry. Her subdued reactions to the majority of the zany scenarios on “Family Guy” makes for a wonderful bit of humor. We hope Consuela keeps dropping by to make the show feel even more absurd than it already is.
#15: Sonia
“Sonic Underground” (1999) It may not be too surprising that the blue-blur shared a voice actor with his in-universe brother, Manic. But what’s more astonishing to learn is that their sister also came from the same person. Voice actor Jaleel White managed to portray Manic, Sonic and Sonia without skipping a beat. His three-pronged performance showed off his impressive vocal range. Not only does White give her a higher vocal register, but he made her driven and intelligent personality shine. The only part of the role White didn’t handle was Sonia’s singing. Those tones were all taken care of by actress Stevie Vallance. However, the fact that White refrained from singing in the role doesn’t diminish what he accomplished as Sonia.
#14: Diane Choksondik
“South Park” (1997-) While Trey Parker is already pretty busy providing voices on”South Park”, he still volunteered to play this fourth grade teacher. She stood out right away for a few…distinct physical characteristics. But the teacher also stood out for tackling problems head on. Although she’s definitely a bit odd, Parker made her sympathetic at times. She emerged as a fun background character up until her untimely death. Her short life on the show was full of quirky nicknames, lots of adventure, and some very interesting relationships to other characters. The teacher’s journey is anchored by a vocal performance we won’t soon forget.
#13: Cow Steer
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“Cow and Chicken” (1997-99) Iconic voice talent Charlie Adler’s role, or should we say “roles,” in this animated series are bound to leave everyone in “udder” disbelief. He was the performer behind Chicken, the Red Guy and Cow herself. The young bovine speaks with a high register and a sweet sounding voice. When you listen to her talk, there’s no way to hear the tones of the other characters. Adler managed to make Cow sound dopey, loyal, and hot-headed all at the same time. And he most definitely captured her zest for life. Adler’s role as cow might be his most impressive performance on the entire show.
#12: Linda Belcher
“Bob's Burgers” (2011-) If you spend a few minutes with this happy-go-lucky matriarch, it becomes clear where her kids got their kookiness from. John Roberts gives an exceptional performance as Linda Belcher throughout the show. It’s impossible to picture “Bob’s Burgers” without Linda’s toe-tapping jingles, well-meaning advice, and naive optimism. While Roberts’ comedic timing is always spectacular, he can also be serious and heartwarming when the occasion calls for it. His dedication to making Linda always feel three dimensional has made her one of the most lovable matriarchs around. His Linda is truly the bun that holds this burger of a family together.
#11: Granny Goodness
Various DC Projects It takes a lot to go up against a hero as legendary as Superman both on the battlefield and in the sound booth. But Granny Goodness is more than up to the challenge thanks to a standout performance by Ed Asner. The late great talent played a woman who trains extremely powerful warriors to serve the big bad Darkseid. Asner more than held his own by adding a deep and menacing texture to every line delivery. The outstanding depiction proved so popular he would later return to the character to square off against the whole team in “Justice League Unlimited.” On top of that, Asner broke bad with another amazing appearance as Granny Goodness again in the film “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse”.
#10: Lola
“Big Mouth” (2017-) Nick Kroll has always been very good at bit characters. Mostly, this can be seen on his sketch show, Kroll Show, where he gives life to multiple crazy characters, one of them being Liz G. from PubLIZity. And Lola? Well, just imagine Liz as a middle schooler. In fact, in an interview with Time Magazine, Kroll himself said that Lola and a few others on Big Mouth are all throwbacks to Kroll Show. But Liz G. and Lola are practically the same person, with their cruelly funny backhanded comments.
#9: Beverly ‘Bev’ Bighead
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“Rocko’s Modern Life” (1993-96) This frog-like character and her froggy voice could not be more perfectly matched. Charlie Adler, the man behind this overbearing neighbor to the titular character, has given voice to many characters from our childhoods. In fact he spends many of his work hours in the recording studio talking to himself. In this particular case, he voices both Mrs. Bighead and her husband, Ed Bighead. It takes a lot of vocal talent to play both a henpecked husband and the lady doing the henpecking, but Adler performs both with relish.
#8: Roz
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“Monsters, Inc.” franchise (2001-) This gravelly-voiced administrative monster is a character that people in the corporate world know too well. Obsessed with paperwork, this grumbly old slug just wants every t crossed and i dotted. Is that so much to ask, Mike Wazowski? The voice that gives the workers of Monsters Inc a cold chill is provided by Bob Peterson. And if Roz’s voice sounds familiar, there's a good reason for that. Remember this chess game? And of course, everyone knows this singing stingray. But Roz will always hold a special place in all of our hearts.
#7: Dr. Mrs. The Monarch
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“The Venture Bros.” (2003-18) She’s the best partner a supervillain could ask for. The determined, powerful and tough character has been one of the most entertaining recurring characters from the very beginning of the show. And that deep voice of hers? It’s provided by Venture Bros. co-writer Doc Hammer. In universe, her deep tones are due to the fact that she smoked a ton of cigarettes throughout her college years. It has also been said by the creator of the show that Dr. Girlfriend is an homage to former first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, who also had a uniquely lower pitch to her voice.
#6: Grenda Grendinator
“Gravity Falls” (2012-16) At first, Grenda’s gruff voice may catch viewers off guard. But her tones actually play a part in the story. you get to know the character. According to the show’s creator, Alex Hirsch, Grenda is meant to capture the insecurities we’ve all felt growing up. There’s even an episode that addresses her discomfort after someone makes fun of her voice. Thankfully, the sweet Grenda is supported by friends who like her for who she is. Actor Carl Faruolo’s performance makes sure the character is more than just a deep voice. Grenada’s a fully formed character who’s just trying to navigate life with her friends.
#5: Lumpy Space Princess
“Adventure Time” (2010-18) Oh my Glob! This purple cloud of sass and arrogance is one of many princesses in the Land of Ooo. A stereotypical teenage valley girl in many ways, Lumpy Space Princess is spoiled, overly confident, and has the voice of a nasally angel. Pendleton Ward does a wonderful job of portraying this character’s emotional roller coaster, through the highs of thinking she is the best thing out there to the lows of realizing she messed everything up. It's okay, LSP; we’re sure Finn will still help you out on your next adventure.
#4: D.W. Read
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“Arthur” (1996-2022) Were you surprised too? Well, it’s true. Arthur’s bratty little sister is voiced by multiple young male actors (namely, Oliver Grainger, Jason Szwimmer, Michael Caloz, Robert Naylor and more), with many going on to do voices on other children’s shows, like Caillou and Mona the Vampire. D.W. herself isn’t the most well-liked character, and many find her to be a tattletale at best. However, in truth, she’s just a typical preschool child who only wants to grow up just like her brother. And she’s not just a gullible and temper-tantrum-prone kid; she’s also sharp-tongued and quick-witted when everyone least expects it.
#3: Tina Belcher
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“Bob’s Burgers” (2011-) Everyone knows and loves Tina Belcher. But did you know this puberty-riddled, butt-loving girl was originally supposed to be a boy? In the demo stages of Bob’s Burgers, Gene was not the only Belcher son. As seen in the test pilot, Daniel Belcher - not Tina - announces that his crotch is itchy. Daniel was named after the man who gave him voice, Dan Mintz. However, upon viewing the short episode, the staff thought Daniel would be better as a Tina, but Mintz’s low monotone could remain. The decision paid off, and now this “smart, strong, sensual woman” inspires female fans all over the world to access their inner power.
#2: Edna Mode
“The Incredibles” (2004) & “Incredibles 2” (2018) When the people of Metroville need saving, we all know this androgynous stylist will be there to make sure our favorite superheroes are looking good while fighting evil. Just… No Capes! Since Edna’s arrival on the scene, there have been many questions as to her inspiration. While Brad Bird, director of The Incredibles and voice of Edna, has held those cards close to his chest, many have spotted similarities between her and Hollywood costume designer, Edith Head. We can see the resemblance, but all that truly matters is Edna keeps her passion for superhero fashion burning. She is the best of the best, after all.
#1: Miss Piggy
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“Muppets” Franchise (1976-) While she was initially written as a one-off joke character, a committed portrayal from renowned actor Frank Oz soon made this wannabe bovine star into one of the most recognizable muppets. He got her off to a great start in “The Muppet Show”. Oz immediately made it clear that Miss Piggy was a brash and bold diva who would stop at nothing to get everything she wants. After setting the tone for her character, Oz puppeted Piggy through many memorable stories. When he stepped back, actor Eric Jacobson continued to give Miss Piggy her fiery personality. We’re still thankful Oz gave this legendary muppet such a distinct voice everytime she appears on screen.
