The Simpsons is one of the longest-running TV shows of all time compared to any animated or live series. And the show just wouldn't be the success it is without the smart-mouthed and charmingly insubordinate Simpsons son, Bart. During the early seasons of the show, he became a breakout star that inspired tons of catchphrases and merchandise for the franchise.
Since his debut in 1987, Bart Simpson has been voiced by Nancy Cartwright. She's had quite a few voice acting roles besides Bart, but there's no denying he's easily the most famous character she's ever voiced. And honestly, if she never worked again, she'd still be just fine, as she now brings in millions for every season of The Simpsons that she records.
Hank Hill may frequently comment that "That boy ain't right," but there's no denying that Bobby Hill was one of the most hilarious and beloved characters on the animated series King of the Hill. He's endlessly quotable and a little odd, but that's what made this young, oddball Texan so likable.
Bobby Hill was brought to life by the voice actress Pamela Adlon, who has provided tons of other voices to projects that you probably recognize—including tons of children's shows from the '90s, like Recess, Rugrats, and Bobby's World. In addition to her voice work, she's also had several major real-life roles in TV shows like Californication and Louie.
One of the funniest and darkest aspects of Family Guy is just how much the Griffin family loathes and torments their only daughter, Meg. She's frequently the butt of jokes and cruel pranks, and even her parents seem to hate her. But in the world of animated comedy, that's a recipe for success, and her misfortunes have made her one of the most memorable characters on the show.
For most of the show's run, Meg Griffin has been voiced by Mila Kunis, who rose to fame on That 70s Show and went on to bigger and more critically acclaimed things like Black Swan. However, during season one of Family Guy, Meg was actually voiced by actress Lacey Chabert, who's most well known for her role in Mean Girls and numerous Hallmark movies.
When The Lion King was released in 1994, it was met with instant critical acclaim and went on to be the highest-grossing film of the year. The animated movie follows the journey of Simba, a lion cub who leaves his homeland after the death of his father, only to return later to take his rightful place as king.
The movie was a star-studded affair with plenty of recognizable names in the cast list. As a child, Simba is voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who, for those who don't remember, was probably the biggest teen heartthrob at the time. After becoming an adult, Simba was voiced by actor Matthew Broderick.
In the early '90s, Disney was on a roll with hit animated movies. And in 1992, they continued that streak with their 31st feature film, Aladdin. The movie had an entire cast of interesting characters, but there's no denying that the manic and loveable Genie was the breakout star of this film.
It's clear after hearing the Genie speak for all of five seconds that he was voiced by none other than Robin Williams himself. This was the perfect comic role for Williams, and even though he did not voice the Genie in any of the Aladdin sequels, the role is still associated with this hilarious genius.
There are tons of toys in Disney's Toy Story series, but sheriff Woody keeps them all in check. In the original film, Woody has the honor of being the favorite toy, but that all changes when the newer and flashier Buzz Lightyear steps onto the scene and takes his place.
The star-studded cast for Toy Story was topped off with Tom Hanks voicing Woody. Producers for the movie considered a few other options, including Clint Eastwood and Robin Williams, but Hanks eventually was awarded the role thanks to his "ability to take emotions and make them appealing." They clearly made the right choice with this decision!
Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images; Image 2 via IMDB
Fairy-tale parody Shrek was one of the biggest animated films of the early 2000s and led to a wide range of sequels, spin-offs, and video games. While the ogre Shrek might be the title character, his overenthusiastic and simple sidekick Donkey was the one that really stole the show.
Donkey was voiced by the hilarious Eddie Murphy, and he was the perfect foil to Mike Meyers grumpy portrayal of Shrek. Like some of the other roles on this list, Donkey almost went to another actor. In this case, Steve Martin was first considered for the role, and while he might have been hilarious, it's clear that no one could do Donkey like Eddie Murphy could.
South Park has been on the air for over 20 years at this point, and during that time, no one on television has been quite as despicable, sociopathic, or downright evil as foul-mouthed fourth-grader Eric Cartman. When he's not insulting his mother, friends, or unsuspecting strangers, he's busy secretly feeding his enemies their parents or trying to commit some sort of ethnic cleansing.
Since the beginning, Cartman has been voiced by series co-creator Trey Parker, but he's far from the only character on the show that Parker gives voice to. In addition to Cartman, Parker also voices other main characters like Stan Marsh, Randy Marsh, and Mr. Garrison, as well as a dizzying number of smaller characters like Jimmy, Timmy, Mr. Mackey, Clyde, and Mr. Hankey.
Episodes of The Simpsons have had some pretty ridiculous, implausible storylines over the years, but none are quite as ridiculous as Sideshow Bob—the smooth-talking, refined criminal who has no greater wish than to get rid of Bart Simpson. He's become a beloved recurring character through the seasons and he repeatedly tries and fails to successfully take down Bart.
Sideshow Bob is voiced by the equally charming and smooth-talking Kelsey Grammer who is probably most famous for his portrayal of radio psychologist Dr. Frasier Crane on NBC's Frasier. Despite being an attempted murderer, it's clear that Frasier was an inspiration for the part of Sideshow Bob, as both are depicted as refined lovers of all things high culture.
Futurama hasn't always had the easiest life of a TV show (it's been canceled and revived twice at this point), but this sci-fi comedy from the minds behind The Simpsons remains beloved by fans. There's no shortage of crazy characters, but Bender the beer-drinking foul-mouthed robot has to be one of the best. He might technically be a terrible person, but you can't help but love him.
Since the show's beginning, Bender has been voiced by voice actor John DiMaggio. However, fans were worried when the 2022 Hulu revival of Futurama was announced without DiMaggio on board. Thankfully, Bender will still sound like his old self, as DiMaggio finally agreed to be a part of the series after some intense financial negotiations.
Even if you know nothing else about the Pokemon franchise of TV shows and video games, you probably still recognize Pikachu, the adorable electric mouse that became the official franchise mascot as Pokemon rose to fame. Pikachu first appeared in the original video games back in 1996 and has been beloved ever since.
In the anime series, Pikachu is voiced by Japanese actress Ikue Otani. Despite the fact that Pikachu can't say anything but its own name, Otani has managed to successfully bring the pokemon's cute and sassy personality to life and is one of the main reasons people love the creature so much. In addition to Pokemon, Otani has lent her voice to several other anime series and video games, including One Piece and Persona 5.
We probably wouldn't have Disney as we know it today without Mickey Mouse, and it seems appropriate that the first person to give voice to the iconic character was Walt Disney himself. From Mickey's creation in 1928 until 1946, Disney provided the mouse's ridiculous falsetto voice that has become so beloved over the years.
As Mickey and Disney as a whole began to grow, Walt Disney found that he didn't have the time to record lines, so he eventually passed the torch on to other voice actors. Since that time, only three other people have been designated as the official voice for Mickey Mouse.
Is there any animated character that's more obnoxious than Spongebob Squarepants? This hyperactive, bright yellow menace first was introduced to the world in 1999, and, since then, he's been entertaining kids and annoying parents with his high-energy brand of animated "comedy." But whether you love him or hate him, it's clear Spongebob is going to be around for a long time.
Spongebob is brought to life by the voice of Tom Kenny, who is no stranger to the world of voice acting in children's cartoons. In addition to this Nickelodeon hit, Kenny has provided his voice to other popular projects like Rocko's Modern Life, Adventure Time, and The Powerpuff Girls.
He may be a real downer, but there aren't many animated characters with more popularity than the ever-glum Charlie Brown. Charlie made his first appearance in the Peanuts comic strip in 1950, and since then, he's appeared in movies, TV, and on tons of merchandise. Charlie Brown is the saddest little moneymaker in the world!
Through the years, several actors have helped to provide the voice of Charlie Brown, but he was originally voiced in the 1960s by child actor Peter Robbins, including in the now-iconic Peanuts Christmas special. Robbins had a few other roles in his life, but Charlie Brown is by far the most recognizable role of his career.
Sterling Archer may be the titular star of FX's animated spy series Archer, but, as the long-suffering voice of reason, Lana Kane, is the real star of the show. Her professional and romantic entanglements with Archer are both painful and hilarious, and audiences love seeing her lose her cool over Archer's dangerous and stupid antics.
Lana Kane is portrayed by actress and comedian Aisha Tyler. While the role of Lana might be the highest-profile gig of her career, she's made appearances in other major franchises like CSI, Criminal Minds, and even Friends. She's also had hosting duties on shows like Whose Line is it Anyways? and The Talk.
