When You Hear That Voice, You Know It’s About To Go Down
From the the cruellest villains to the most hilarious of comic-reliefs, the star of the Hellboy franchise has managed to carve a place for himself in the world of voice-acting, in many cases cementing himself as the definitive figure for many an iconic character. While the actor will always be associated with grizzled badass Clay Morrow, we feel it’s important to highlight just how many awesome voice-over roles Mr Perlman has managed to portray over the years.
While there’s an extensive list of animated characters he’s breathed life into, we feel that these particular three not only highlight the actor’s range, but by themselves serve as integral parts to their respective narratives.
#3: Clayface
“Batman: The Animated Series/The New Batman Adventures” (1992-99)
One of the Dark Knight’s most tragic foes, all Matt Hagen wanted to do was continue his illustrious career as an actor, only to find himself being turned into a shapeshifting monster due to overexposure to an experimental compound. The shame, sorrow and anger at his new form caused Hagen to go on a rampage, whatever humanity he had left slowly diminishing. While he certainly has his bestial moments, what really sold us on the character was the fleeting moments of regret and despair as he begged Batman to save him form his cursed fate.
#2: Mr Lancer
“Danny Phantom” (2004-07)
Who would have thought that in a series that featured such memorable gag characters like The Box Ghost, the funniest character of them all would be a teacher who screams out classic literature titles when aggravated. Despite well-meaning intentions, Mr Lancer always found a way to clash with our hero Danny, mainly due to him always skipping class when a spectral being showed up to cause trouble. Not only does he provide some much needed levity to the show’s darker episodes, but hearing Ron Perlman let out “Chicken Soup for the Soul” as an outburst never gets old.
#1: Slade
“Teen Titans” (2003-06)
The world’s most powerful teenage team have taken on intergalactic threats and entities from the depths of hell, yet they come across as mere poultry when compare to the menace and dread brought about by this masked tyrant. A criminal mastermind whose managed to escape death numerous times, Slade is as much a puppeteer as he is a force of nature. His authority is unquestionable, with Ron Perlman’s magnificent voice-work managing give him as a sickly charm that entrances you just as much as it makes your skin crawl. You really don’t want to get on his bad side…
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Best Cartoon Villains of the 2000s.