Some of this year’s best performers leapt tall buildings in a single bound and fought oppressive regimes over the fate of the world—and they did it all without ever appearing on camera. Across film, TV, and video games, here are 10 of the best voice performances of 2024 (so far).
Dee Bradley Baker
“Star Wars: The Bad Batch” (Disney+)
This prolific performer has spent years in a galaxy far, far away, giving voice to a host of characters across “Star Wars” animated projects and video games. But he’s best known for voicing the hundreds of clone troopers that populate the franchise, beginning in 2008 with the long-running series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”
Baker continues to pull off one of the greatest tricks in animation on Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni’s “Star Wars: The Bad Batch,” giving unique personalities to a multitude of characters who are technically (or at least genetically) the same person. The troubled sharpshooter Crosshair oozes grit and guilt, while the noble Hunter is full of heart; meanwhile, the muscular Wrecker sounds exactly as his name implies: bullish, brash, and less careful than he should be. Talk about a team player.
Stephanie Hsu and Keke Palmer
“The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy” (Prime Video)
There are more than a few shades of “Futurama” to Cirocco Dunlap’s star-studded sci-fi comedy, especially when it comes to the leads’ commitment to their performances amid the show’s high-concept wackiness. Oscar nominee Hsu plays the reckless, passionate Dr. Sleech, while Emmy winner Palmer voices her anxious surgical partner, Dr. Klak. How would you treat a patient who’s a sentient fungus counting down the minutes to an explosive space orgasm? In their performances, Hsu opts for sharp comedy, while the stressed-out Klak is a far cry from Palmer’s usually smooth vocal style. These two are just as charming as their alien counterparts.
Sandra Oh and Steven Yeun
“Invincible” (Prime Video)
“Invincible” is a cartoon that’s unafraid to gaze into darkness. Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, and Cory Walker’s hyper-violent Image Comics adaptation stars Yeun as Mark Grayson, a neophyte superhero struggling to gain control of his powers. The second season puts him through the wringer; and with each blood-spattered ordeal, Yeun injects a little more exhaustion and maturity into his performance. He cycles through weariness, anger, and love when Mark reunites with Nolan (J.K. Simmons), the traitorous father who almost killed him.
Mark’s mother, Debbie (Oh), is reckoning with the fallout of that betrayal. She brings earthiness to the series’ fantastical world as the only human member of a superpowered family. If you ignore the multiversal portals and alien children, the 13-time Emmy nominee’s performance would sound right at home on a live-action prestige drama. Whether she’s choking back grief or roaring with maternal rage, Oh packs a lot of depth into a two-dimensional cartoon character.
Amy Poehler
“Inside Out 2” (Pixar Animation Studios)
Almost 10 years after the first “Inside Out” hit theaters, everyone’s favorite anthropomorphic emotions are back in Kelsey Mann’s follow-up with more lessons for kids (and more uncontrollable sobs for adults). The sequel welcomes new performers like Maya Hawke as Anxiety and Tony Hale as Fear, while Poehler reprises her role as the plucky Joy. Most of the emotions in “Inside Out 2” stay comfortably within their assigned mode, but the sunny hero has almost as many dimensions as, well, a human being. Poehler conveys all of them—from defeat to annoyance—in Joy’s pursuit of Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) happiness.
Jack Quaid
“My Adventures With Superman” (Adult Swim and Max)
Quaid is one of dozens of actors who have portrayed DC Comics’ most iconic hero. But on this series from Jake Wyatt, Brendan Clogher, and Josie Campbell, he has no problem standing out among history’s many Men of Steel. This Superman takes his cues from the big-hearted, anime-inspired tone of the show. Since he’s playing a Clark Kent who’s only recently donned the red cape, he eschews Kryptonian gravitas in favor of youthful idealism or bumbling sweetness, depending on the scene. It’s a fun, fresh take on a classic role.
Isabella Rossellini
“Problemista” (A24)
This screen legend is no stranger to voice acting—see her tear-jerking turn in “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” as the title character’s grandmother (who’s also a shell). This year, she lent her iconic Roman tones to another A24 project as the narrator of Julio Torres’ “Problemista.” It’s hard to imagine this whimsical, bittersweet New York fairy tale without Rossellini’s gentle, elegant storytelling guiding the action. Some actors are born sounding omniscient.
Briana White
“Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” (Square Enix)
Few 2024 video games have built up as much hype as the second chapter of Naoki Hamaguchi and Tetsuya Nomura’s reboot of this classic title. White, who first stepped into the role of tragic hero Aerith Gainsborough in 2020’s “Final Fantasy VII Remake,” faced one of the franchise’s biggest acting challenges in “Rebirth.” White told Deadline that she particularly connected with her character’s optimism. That rapport pops off the screen; giddy but wise, the actor pours pure positivity into her performance as the flower seller–turned–freedom fighter. It’s no wonder that the game’s protagonist, Cloud Strife (Cody Christian), and “Final Fantasy” fans alike are so enthralled by Aerith. Even more impressive: This is White’s first voice-acting role.
Lenore Zann
“X-Men ’97” (Disney+)
When Fox’s “X-Men: The Animated Series” ended in 1997, most of its fans were in grade school. So when Marvel Studios decided to continue the story with this year’s “X-Men ’97,” viewers were pleasantly surprised that creator Beau DeMayo allowed the mutant adventurers to grow up, too. Though Disney+ recast some characters, “Animated Series” veteran Zann reprised her role as Rogue, the X-Men’s resident Southern belle with the power of a flying bulldozer.
Zann created an indelible voice for the character; the way she drawls “sugah” is burned into every millennial’s brain. On the first season of DeMayo’s nuanced reimagining, Rogue’s arc was marked by both ecstatic love and unexpected grief, bending Zann’s talents into new shapes. The way her voice trembled when she spoke an unforgettable line on Episode 5—“Ah can’t feel you”—haunted viewers who were just expecting to relive the Saturday morning adventures of their youth.
This story originally appeared in the July 11 issue of Backstage Magazine.