We’re a few weeks away from the 98th annual Oscars. Which means we’re going to see who’s winning Oscars for their performances in 2025 films. But the types of performances that have never won an Oscar are voice acting. So today I’m looking at 10 voice acting performances that should’ve been nominated for Oscars.
10. Eddie Murphy as Donkey (Shrek Franchise): I wanted to have a Dreamworks representation on this list. Spoiler alert, this is the only one on the list. I debated putting Mike Myers or Jack Black on the list, but ultimately I put Murphy on the list. I’ve never been the biggest fan of the Shrek franchise. Eddie Murphy as Donkey is just great casting where he’s so much fun and designed to be a scene stealer in every single scene. Because Shrek is so beloved by an entire generation, for so many people their introductions to Eddie Murphy was through this franchise. He’s so much fun in this movie, there’s so many great lines that he has that are quotable and have become soaked in popular culture. I think Eddie Murphy’s Donkey is part of the reason why this franchise has had so much staying power for 25 years now. I feel people forget that Eddie Murphy is a great voice actor between this role and Mushu in Mulan. What’s about his role in Donkey in the original film is that he was nominated for a BAFTA for supporting actor. That’s fun and that means he was probably pretty close to getting that Oscar nomination if he was nominated for a BAFTA.
9. Tom Hanks as Woody (Toy Story Franchise): Tom Hanks is one of my top three favorite actors of all time, and Toy Story is one of the best franchises of all time. With Toy Story 5 hitting theaters this June, I’m going to be rewatching the entire franchise. I just absolutely love Tom Hanks as Woody, I mean who doesn’t? Hanks has always had this higher pitched voice, his voice has never been super deep. His voice fits perfectly with Woody’s personality that it’s a match made in heaven. Him doing Woody in the mid-90s when he was on the top of the world is great. He goes from winning back to back Oscars in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump to starring in Pixar’s first ever film and helped launch this incredible franchise that’s still going 31 years later. We’ll talk more about him later, but both Hanks and Tim Allen are benefited by the other person. Woody and Buzz are one of the best duos in movie history. It would’ve been so cool if he won back to back Oscars for dramatic performances and then turned back around and was nominated for animated film.
8. Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon (Marvel Cinematic Universe): Moving in a very different direction where we get an actor voicing a character in live action. Because Bradley Cooper has focused his career so much on directing and winning Oscars, I constantly forget that he’s in the MCU. Because the MCU and Guardians of the Galaxy is so different from his other films. But it’s also because Rocket Raccoon doesn’t sound like Cooper at all. He does such a great job of disguising his voice that all you see is Rocket, not Cooper. That’s when you have A-list casting done right. Casting Dwayne Johnson as Krypto or Chris Pratt as Mario isn’t interesting because neither of them disguises their voice. Good voice acting is when you’re able to disguise your voice and not make it sound like your normal speaking voice. I bet that there’s people who don’t know that Bradley Cooper voiced Rocket, because he does such a good job of disguising his voice.
7. Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story Franchise): I said we’ll be talking about Buzz here in a minute. I think I prefer Woody as a character, but I think Tim Allen does a better voice acting job. What’s fun about Buzz is that in each movie they do something fun with him that allows Allen to do more. He’s able to have more fun with all of it, whether that’s Buzz going through a mid-life crisis in the 1995 original or doing the Star Wars parody in Toy Story 2, it’s all so much fun to see Allen voice Buzz. Allen has a lot of great family comedic roles whether it’s this or The Santa Clause that put a smile on my face. Like I talked about with Woody, he’s elevated by having Woody, Tom Hanks to bounce off of. With Allen being so great in the role it’s partly why people rejected Chris Evans voicing Buzz Lightyear in Lightyear a few years back. So much of that goes back to Tim Allen as Buzz being fantastic voice acting, and helping create one of the best and most iconic duos in film history with Woody and Buzz. Despite preferring Tom Hanks as an actor overall, I do prefer Tim Allen in terms of voice acting.
6. Mark Hamill as The Joker (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm): I’ve talked about this many times before but I love the Batman lore and so many of the movies. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a pretty solid Batman adventure. What’s fun about Hamill’s portrayal on Joker is that we’ve gotten to see him across multiple mediums. We get him in Mask of the Phantasm as a side character. But we get him in Batman: The Animated Series, and even video games like the Batman Arkham games or LEGO DC Supervillains. I think 100%, Hamill should be rewarded for his voice acting as Joker. So because of that I’m putting him on the list. What’s so much fun about Hamill’s portrayal as Joker is that you forget that it’s him. In a similar way that Bradley Cooper was able to disguise his voice as Rocket, Hamill was able to disguise his voice as Joker. When you’re watching anything with Hamill as the Joker you’re mind isn’t thinking that it’s Luke Skywalker. Your mind is just falling in love with this take on the Joker. Beyond that, he nails the mannerisms, the laugh, and all of the aspects that you want from a great Joker. He’s one of the best Jokers we’ve gotten and one of the best voice performances of all time.
5. Jeremy Irons as Scar (The Lion King): If we’re counting villains created specifically for animated movies, I think Scar from The Lion King is at the top of that list. So much of that goes back to casting the legendary Jeremy Irons in the role. He has a commanding and villainous voice that’s perfect for this type of character. It’s easy to forget just how stacked the cast is for The Lion King (1994), where everybody is doing a fantastic job. In the case of Jeremy Irons, Scar is a character that’s so manipulative and commanding, where you need a powerful voice to bring Scar to life. What’s so impressive about the performance is that he makes his voice sound different when he’s “good” at the beginning and when he’s pure evil, but it all feels like the same actor playing him. I also think that “Be Prepared” is a top tier Disney song. It’s my favorite Disney villain song. He’s able to sing that song very well too. When you’re talking about iconic movie villains of the ‘90s, Jeremy Irons as Scar has to be on the top of that list.
4. Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm): Like Mark Hamill, Kevin Conroy should be (or should’ve been) honored with some sort of award for his voice work as Batman. Kevin Conroy is the definitive voice of Batman. I don’t think he’s the best Batman, but in terms of the voice he nails the character. He’s able to make Batman and Bruce Wayne sound so different while feeling like the same actor is voicing him. It’s so impressive when a voice actor is able to do that, and it’s why he’s the best actor to voice Batman and one of the best Batman in general. Mask of the Phantasm tells the origin story of Bruce Wayne becoming Batman, and takes him on this big arc throughout the film. He’s having to play both Bruce Wayne and Batman at very different points in time. He has to be the hero vigilante that we know Batman to be and the billionaire bachelor that Bruce Wayne is known for. Conroy’s great performance in Mask of the Phantasm is a mix of great voice acting and a great script that allows an actor to do a lot with.
3. James Earl Jones as Darth Vader (Original Star Wars Trilogy): There’s a couple of reasons why Darth Vader is on this list. First up, there’s a very strong argument to be had that Darth Vader is the greatest movie villain of all time. Second, James Earl Jones is one of the great voice actors of all time. If I wasn’t going to include Mufasa, then I had to include Darth Vader. I know he should’ve received a nomination for one of the films in the original trilogy. Which one? I have no idea. He’s great in all of them, Darth Vader has great moments in all of them. I think it’s between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Of course, in Empire Strikes Back he delivers one of the most iconic lines in movie history tied to one of the most iconic plot twists of all time. But in Return of the Jedi, we get Vader’s redemption which gives him more emotional moments. The point is, James Earl Jones as Darth Vader should’ve gotten an Oscar nomination at some point. His voice is so iconic and able to deliver this deep and villainous voice that sticks with you. James Earl Jones, may he rest in peace, that man was a legend and helped craft one of the most iconic movie villains of all time.
2. Robin Williams as The Genie (Aladdin): Of all of the voice acting performances on this list, this is the most fun. It was actually so ground breaking for animation. Prior to this, it was extremely rare to cast an A-list star in animation. Now, it’s very common to cast familiar faces in their films. You look at the cast of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and it’s all familiar faces and A-list stars. Prior to Aladdin, you didn’t have A-list movie stars in animation. But Disney took a chance with it and the rest is history. When you think of iconic voice casting, Robin Williams as the Genie is at the top of the list. It’s a character that’s designed for someone like Williams to let loose and go wild. He’s able to sing when he needs to multiple times in the film, but he can also be so much fun and funny in the individual moments as well. He does so many great impressions from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Jack Nicholson that are fantastic. I debated putting him at #1. If other people had him at #1, I’m not going to argue with them about that.
1. Andy Serkis as Gollum and Caesar (The Lord of the Rings & Planet of the Apes): I’m cheating on this one, because I’m putting him down for two separate roles in two different franchises. Some people could argue that maybe this doesn’t count since it’s motion capture, but I think it does because he also does the voice. The fact that Andy Serkis isn’t an Oscar nominated actor is kind of crazy to me. I believe he was almost nominated for Two Towers but the Academy denied it because it’s voice acting, and that’s stupid. If the Oscars are meant to celebrate everything movies, they should celebrate ALL movies. But with Gollum he created my favorite Middle Earth characters. It’s this character that’s manipulating everyone trying to get his way, and so much of that goes back to Andy Serkis who nails the mannerisms and characteristics of the character so well. Everything from the voice to the facial expressions is all Andy Serkis. He’s why Gollum is a fan favorite character, all of the years later. With Caesar and the recent Planet of the Apes franchise, he’s able to make you care about an ape. He makes you care about an ape in a way that you hadn’t before. He’s able to communicate so much with just his eyes and facial expressions which isn’t easy to do.
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