Showbiz

The actors behind your favorite cartoon characters

Updated 1:45 PM ET, Tue July 16, 2013
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Between kicking off this past season of "Saturday Night Live" and hosting this year's Oscars, "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane is everywhere. (His recent hit movie "Ted" didn't hurt either). fox/getty images
Tom Kenny, another veteran voice actor, hit the big time in 1999 with the role of "SpongeBob Squarepants," which remains one of the most popular cable series of all time. The Nickelodeon cartoon is still going strong. Getty Images
H. Jon Benjamin has one of the most distinctive voices, going back to the low-budget series, "Home Movies." He has gone on to bigger things as the title characters in two critically-acclaimed shows, "Bob's Burgers" and "Archer." fox/getty images
Rob Paulsen has been not one, but two "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." In the 1980s, he was Raphael, and he's now playing Donatello on the Nickelodeon series. He was also two of the main characters on that 1990s favorite, "Animaniacs." He played Pinky, also on the show "Pinky and the Brain," and Wakko Warner -- just ask him to sing the "Geography Song." Getty Images
These guys are responsible for some of the most enduring animated characters on television today. From Fox to Comedy Central, "Futurama" - now in its final season - has kept audiences rolling. Meet, from left to right, Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker), Billy West (Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg), and John DiMaggio (Bender). comedy central/getty images
Yuri Lowenthal, a veteran on English dubbing work for Japanese anime, is perhaps best known as "Ben 10." He also bears a striking resemblance to the popular Cartoon Network character. (Cartoon Network is a Time Warner company, as is CNN.) Getty Images
Larry Kenney is the booming voice who got kids' imaginations going by exclaiming, "Thundercats, ho!" Yes, he was Lion-O on the original 1980s "Thundercats." warner bros. home entertainment/getty images
Nancy Cartwright has spent well over two decades as a 10-year-old boy. She is the voice that launched oodles of merchandise as Bart Simpson of the long-running "Simpsons." Getty Images
Jim Cummings has been a denizen of the Hundred Acre Woods for almost a quarter century. He is the third actor to portray Winnie the Pooh in the various Disney films and cartoon series, following Sterling Holloway and Hal Smith. He is also the current voice of Tigger. On the Warner Bros. side of things, he has played the Tasmanian Devil for many years 1990s cartoon fans will remember him as Darkwing Duck. Getty Images
Cree Summer may be recognizable for her role as Freddie on "A Different World," but her voice was already famous. She played Penny, the niece of "Inspector Gadget" as a teenager. Her unique voice could also be heard as Elmyra on "Tiny Toon Adventures." Getty Images
Optimus Prime and Megatron, the yin and yang of the "Transformers" franchise, have sold millions of toys for nearly 30 years, not to mention those blockbuster movies. Peter Cullen, left, has been the instantly recognizable voice of Optimus for almost all of those years. Frank Welker -- a veteran of hundreds of voice roles -- recently returned to the part of Megatron on the animated series, "Transformers Prime," co-starring with his old friend Cullen. Getty Images
Paige O'Hara and Robbie Benson led the cast of the first animated film ever nominated for Best Picture, "Beauty and the Beast." They have returned to their roles as Belle and the Beast in various Disney productions many times since. Getty Images