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Backstage - Kevin Conroy Interview
KEVIN CONROY RETURNS TO SEMINAL ROLE AS THE DARK KNIGHT IN SUPERMAN/BATMAN:
APOCALYPSE "DESTINATION APOCALYPSE" ONLINE PROMOTION LIVE
TODAY
That loud sound you hear in the distance is the echo of
fanboys cheering the return of Kevin Conroy to his benchmark role as the voice
of the Dark Knight for the highly-anticipated Superman/Batman: Apocalypse,
the ninth entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original
PG-13 Movies coming September 28, 2010 from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment,
Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video.
Conroy, the voice behind
the title character of the landmark Batman: The Animated Series, set a
standard that has yet to be contested over the past 20 years. Conroy had already
been seen on soap operas and television series like Dynasty and Tour
of Duty when he aced his first audition for an animated voiceover role in
1991 – earning the title character role for Batman: The Animated Series.
It was a casting decision that sounds as good today as it did back then.
Conroy will share that voice in person as the featured guest when Warner Home
Video, UGO.com and The Paley Center for Media proudly present the East Coast
premiere of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse in New York on September 23. The
West Coast premiere will be hosted in Los Angeles on September 21.
The
bi-coastal premieres are just part of the ongoing festivities in conjunction
with the release of the film. Included in the activities is "Destination
Apocalypse," an interactive online promotion that allows fans to get even deeper
into the mythology of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Fans can access
"Destination Apocalypse" at http://DestinationApocalypse.com and explore the
many sections including games, quizzes and information about film. Fans can even
send Kryptonian messages to their Facebook friends. In each section,
participants virtually "check in" and earn badges to unlock an exclusive video
clip from the movie. In addition, earning badges for participating in the
various activities in each section help to unlock exclusive movie poster
downloads.
Conway helps lead a Superman/Batman: Apocalypse cast
that includes fan favorite Tim Daly (Private Practice) as Superman, as
well as Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age) as the daunting Darkseid,
sci-fi heroine Summer Glau (Serenity/Firefly; Terminator: The
Sarah Connor Chronicles), and multi-Emmy Award winner Ed Asner (Up)
as Granny Goodness.
Based on the DC Comics series/graphic novel
Superman/Batman: Supergirl by Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner & Peter
Steigerwald, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is produced by animation legend
Bruce Timm and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Justice League: Crisis on Two
Earths) from a script by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Tab Murphy
(Gorillas in the Mist).
Conroy will speak quite a bit during
pre-premiere interviews and a post-premiere panel discussion on September 23.
But for those fans who can’t attend the sold-out event, here’s some thoughts the
actor offered after a recent recording session.
QUESTION:
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse features a foe powerful enough to require
more than just one super hero to step to the plate. Can you speak to the
importance of a great villain?
KEVIN CONROY: Well, the major villain
is Darkseid, and he is very apocalyptic. You know, it’s in the title (he
laughs). The bigger the villain, the greater the conflict – so as Darkseid is
this epic-sized villain, it gives a lot of dynamic for Batman and Superman to
work off, and creates that much more drama. Which means lots of action. And, of
course, Batman saves the world … as usual. What would you expect? (he laughs)
QUESTION: Do you have a preference for the type of story that goes with
Batman?
KEVIN CONROY: What makes Batman interesting to audiences
isn't just the fact of the personal drama, or the darkness of his having a
secret identity, or his avenging his parents' death. All of that personal drama
makes him appealing to people. But I think of all the super heroes, what sets
him apart is that he's the only one that doesn't have any superpowers. He is the
great detective. So in every story, it always comes down to his using his wits.
I think everyone relates to that and loves that about him. I really admire that
aspect of his character – I wish I was wittier. That's why I think audiences get
into him so much, and that character trait is very important to this story.
QUESTION: Batman is a
basically a loner. What are your thoughts about his lone wolf approach, and how
that works in a “buddy” adventure like the Superman/Batman films?
KEVIN CONROY: Batman’s isolation and his singularity, his inability to
really let other people into his personal world, is really essential to the
character. It's part of what audiences expect. Even in a series like Justice
League, where he was one of seven super heroes, Batman was always the odd man
out. The others would go off as a group to do something – you know, they might
go have pizza – and Batman was always the guy left back in the cave.
So
in these Superman stories, I think it's the closest Batman gets to having a
brother, a kindred spirit. Superman understands Batman. He understands his need
to be alone and his isolation. He’s probably the only one of all the super
heroes who can balance Batman in terms of wit and power, so they're a very good
balance for each other.
QUESTION: How does Batman see Superman?
KEVIN CONROY: I think Batman thinks of Superman as the Dudley Do-Right
of super heroes. He admires his strength and his character, but he also he
thinks he's incredibly naïve and very unsophisticated about the world. Remember,
Batman is also Bruce Wayne, so he's very urbane. He's very versed in the way of
the world. And Superman is Clark Kent, and he's such a goof (he laughs). So it's
almost all about the alter-ego – the darkness of Batman’s Bruce Wayne is
balanced out by the sunny demeanor of Superman’s Clark Kent. That's where I
think the distinction is. Batman just thinks that Superman is kind of a very,
very naïve guy who always sees the goodness in everybody. And Batman tends to
see the darkness.
QUESTION: You attended Comic-Con International in
San Diego last year for the first time in six years. How did that experience
impact you?
KEVIN CONROY: The experience with the fans always
re-energizes me for Batman. I've always been really into meeting and interacting
with the fans. I understand why a lot of actors don't like to do that because it
can be very invasive of your private life. But I'm just so appreciative because
I figure I wouldn't have a job if it wasn't for them. Also, my background is the
theatre, and the fun of doing theatre is the interaction with the audience, the
feedback you get every night. You just don't get that in Hollywood. You don't
get that with television or film, and you certainly don't get it working in
animation. So the only place you get it is to go to places like the Cons.
Plus, you get funny perks. I went to a Starbucks in downtown San Diego, and
they said, “Oh, Mr. Conroy, you don't pay for coffee today.” (he laughs) I
thought, well, that hasn't happened in a long time.
QUESTION: Away
from the Cons, how often are you recognized?
KEVIN CONROY: It happens
in some unusual places. A number of years ago, I was in the Hollywood Post
Office parking lot. I left everything in the car, because I was just going
straight to the mail drop with the envelope. This guy, who was sitting on the
curb, obviously homeless, says to me “Hey, buddy, have you got a quarter?” And I
said, “I'm so sorry. I literally don't. I have nothing.” He said, “You're Kevin
Conroy!” I got really nervous – you just assume that your job is anonymous
working on animation, so I asked him how he knew that and he said, “Oh,
everybody knows who's Batman.” I said, “No, believe me, everyone doesn't know
who's Batman.” He said, “Oh, please--please--please--please do the voice.” He
said, “Just say it … I am vengeance.” He knew the lines. I said, “I am
vengeance.” He said, “Oh, my God. Batman's here! Batman's here!” He said, “Say
it: I am the night.” I said, “I am the night.” He said, “Go! Go! Finish!
Finish!” And I said “I am Batman!” So the two of us are there screaming “I am
Batman!” in the parking lot, and he started clapping and clapping, yelling “I
can't believe I have Batman in the parking lot.”
He went on to explain
to me that all television monitors at the Circuit City on Hollywood Blvd. showed
Batman every day, and he would stand outside and watch the show. So I said,
“Wait, just a second,” and I went running back to the car for some cash. He
said, “Oh, I can't take Batman's money.” I told him he was going to take
Batman's money so he wouldn’t tell anyone that Batman is cheap (he laughs). That
whole scene was wild, though – the last place you'd expect for someone to
recognize a voice actor is in the parking lot of the post office.
QUESTION: You’re a classically trained actor and a graduate of Juilliard. Did
you receive any instruction at Julliard that prepared you for voiceover work?
KEVIN CONROY: At that time, Juilliard was the new hot place to go if you
wanted to be an actor, My classmates were people like Robin Williams, Kelsey
Grammer, Frannie Conroy. We were all kids. Robin and I were roommates for two
years, stealing food from each other when the other wasn’t looking. We were
starving students.
Robin was brilliant at the one thing that is perhaps
what best prepared me for what I do now, voicework. There was a famous teacher
named Pierre LeFevre who ran the mask program at Juilliard. French masks conceal
just the upper part of the face. This is classical French theatre, and it's all
part of a very classical education. You put on these masks and they completely
neutralize who you are. You become a different person. You can't use the
expressions on your face – you can only use your body and your voice. Robin
lived in those mask classes – he would put on these masks and just become these
unbelievable characters. Pierre practically adopted Robin. There was some really
inspired stuff going on. The point is that in that class, all you could use was
your voice. It really made you focus on that – especially on characterization in
your voice.
QUESTION: Did you have any clue that would lead you
somewhere?
KEVIN CONROY: It’s like that old expression – life is what
happens to you when you're busy making other plans. I made all these plans to be
a classical actor, and you can't make a living in the theatre anymore. There are
no more classical actors. Everyone who survives in the theatre does it by doing
TV and film … or voice work.
I had no idea that this is what I would end
up doing, but it certainly prepared me for it. I get that question a lot from
people. How do you get into this business? How do I get into voice work? And I
always say, “Well, you go to Juilliard for four years …” (he laughs) That’s the
thing – everyone's route is unique.
QUESTION: Did you have much
voiceover success before Batman?
KEVIN CONROY: Actually, I started
doing voice work in the early '80s, and the very first voice job I did was the
first commercial I auditioned for. Remember Paco Rabanne cologne? The hook line
was “What is remembered is up to you.” That was me. And over the next couple
years, it paid me $25,000 for those few words. It paid for a lot of theatre
acting.
Caption suggestions:
Kevin Conroy.jpg
Kevin Conroy reprises his Batman: The Animated Series role as the Dark
Knight in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, the ninth entry in the popular
series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies coming September 28, 2010
from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home
Video. (Photo courtesy of Gary Miereanu)
Bat_Dog.jpg Batman is
forced to deal with Darkseid's enormous robotic watchdogs in Superman/Batman:
Apocalypse. The DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie will be
distributed by Warner Home Video on September 28, 2010. Kevin Conroy provides
the voice of Batman.
SBA_Promo_Tout.jpg "Destination
Apocalypse," an interactive promotion that allows fans to get even deeper into
the mythology of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Fans can access
"Destination Apocalypse" at http://DestinationApocalypse.com and explore the
many sections including games, quizzes and information about film. Fans can even
send Kryptonian message to their Facebook friends.
For more information
please go to SupermanBatmanApocalypse.com
Click here to view the official trailer for the upcoming Superman/Batman:
Apocalypse direct-to-video animated feature.
A co-production of
Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, DC Comics and Warner
Bros. Animation, the direct-to-video Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated
feature debuts September 28th, 2010 on DVD and Blu-ray disc from Warner Home
Video. Stay tuned for further updates here soon at The World’s Finest.
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