Which Tom And Jerry Characters Have Famous Voice Actors?

I still grin thinking about how Tom’s voice work is sort of a secret weapon of classic animation—so here’s the rundown I always tell friends at watch parties. In the original MGM shorts from the 1940s through the 1950s, almost all of Tom’s cries, yelps, laughs and pained screams were supplied by William Hanna himself. He wasn’t doing big speeches—Tom was mostly physical comedy and expressive noise—but those little HANNAs are the spine of the character’s sound. They’re the iconic yelps that make a falling piano gag land perfectly. Beyond Hanna, a few contemporaries sometimes added bits: Mel Blanc popped in on occasion early on for incidental sounds and crowd noises in certain shorts, and several uncredited studio sound artists patched together other effects. Fast-forward to modern times and you see specialists stepping in. Frank Welker has provided animal vocal effects for several later projects and series revivals because he’s the go-to guy for expressive creature sounds. Spike Brandt and some of the modern WB animation crew have also supplied Tom’s vocal bits and additional mouth noises in direct-to-video releases and recent series. Other voice pros and foley artists have rotated through depending on the production, so credits vary by short, series or movie. If you want to trace a particular squeal or scream, check the credits for each era: classic shorts will almost always list William Hanna for Tom’s sounds; contemporary shows and films list specific sound artists or names like Frank Welker and crew. For me, nothing beats spotting a Hanna yelp during a marathon of 'Tom and Jerry'—it’s like hearing the original wiring of the joke, and it still makes me laugh.

Oh, absolutely! The talented voice actor you’re thinking of for Oikawa from 'Haikyuu!!' is Toshiyuki Morikawa. He’s been in the industry for quite some time, and his range is seriously impressive. Aside from Oikawa, he has voiced iconic characters like Sephiroth from 'Final Fantasy VII', which is such a beloved title among gamers! It’s fascinating how he can switch from that cool, composed villain to the energetic and charming Oikawa on the volleyball court. If you think about it, Morikawa brings this unique flair to each role that adds depth to the characters. For example, his portrayal of Zoro in 'One Piece' is another fan favorite, showcasing his ability to convey both intensity and humor. It’s intriguing how he can get into the mindset of such varied characters and make them feel so real, don't you think? His performances are a perfect example of how versatile voice actors can be in the anime world.

On quiet Saturday mornings I’d sit cross-legged and let the chaos of 'Tom and Jerry' roll across the screen—there’s something about that wild, wordless energy that hooked me instantly. Tom’s a whole mood: proud, dramatic, endlessly inventive when it comes to catching Jerry, but he’s also a big softie who can be humbled in a heartbeat. He’s got classic cartoon pride—elaborate plans, quick costume changes, and these moments where his expressions are so exaggerated you forget this is a cat and not a slapstick comedian. The way he switches from smug hunter to pitiful victim in two frames is pure animation magic. Jerry, on the other paw, is the perfect foil: small but fiercely clever. I love how he’s mischievous without being mean; a lot of his tricks speak to survival and cleverness, and sometimes he even shows compassion—like sharing food with Tom or helping when some outsider shows up. Then there’s Spike, the thunderous bulldog who’s more about boundaries than malice. He protects his son Tyke with comic gruffness, and his growl-off scenes with Tom are gold. Butch adds a different flavor as the streetwise rival, and Toodles Galore introduces that theatrical romantic target which always sends Tom over the edge. Beyond personalities, what makes the cast iconic is the way the show uses physical comedy, music, and timing. The show borrows from silent-era comedians: visual gags, pratfalls, elaborate Rube Goldberg setups, and a musical score that reacts like another character. Even minor players—Nibbles/Tuffy, the occasional human homeowner, and props that become weapons—leave a lasting mark. Watching those episodes now, I still grin at the inventiveness; it’s a reminder that great character work can be done with almost no dialogue, just heart and impeccable timing.

I've always been a sucker for the classic Saturday morning line-ups, so I can rattle off a bunch of voices that made those cats unforgettable. For starters, 'Garfield' on TV was basically Lorenzo Music — his dry, deadpan tone is the voice everyone who grew up with 'Garfield and Friends' hears in their head. Decades later Bill Murray took the character to the live-action/CGI movies, giving him a slightly different swagger. In the more modern English dub of 'The Garfield Show', Frank Welker handled Garfield's voice duties, which shows how one character can wear very different vocal hats across eras. Tom from 'Tom and Jerry' is weirdly iconic because he barely talks, but William Hanna provided most of the original laughs, yelps and screams that made Tom expressive. Sylvester the Cat from the 'Looney Tunes' crew was Mel Blanc — his lisp and timing are perfect cartoon-cat material. And for a hero-cat vibe, Larry Kenney owned Lion-O in the original 'ThunderCats', with Will Friedle later picking up the mantle in the 2011 reboot. Those voices stuck with me in different phases of my life, and I still get a grin hearing any of them.

Grabbing a cold drink and geeking out for a second — there are a bunch of big-name voice actors tied to 'Berserk' across its different adaptations, and they’re the kind of people fandom recognizes instantly. In the Japanese casts you’ll often see heavy hitters: Toshiyuki Morikawa has voiced Griffith in some adaptations and brings that cool, aristocratic tone he’s famous for. Yūko Miyamura, who many will recognize from other iconic roles, has given life to Casca in key versions. Nobutoshi Canna is another familiar voice associated with Guts in certain adaptations and related projects; his gravelly intensity matches Guts’ wounded stoicism. On the English side, veteran dub actors like Marc Diraison have been associated with Guts in older English releases, while others such as Steve Blum have taken on large, monstrous roles (you can easily imagine his voice in characters like Zodd). Beyond those headline pairings, the franchise’s long history means multiple actors have stepped into the same role across TV series, movies, and games — so you’ll spot a rotating lineup of famous seiyuu and English VAs depending on which version you watch. I love tracing which actor played whom; it adds a whole extra layer when you rewatch scenes knowing the performer behind the voice.

My favorite cartoon origin has to be the creation of 'Tom and Jerry'. It all started in 1940 at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation department when two young animators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, teamed up to make a one-off short called 'Puss Gets the Boot'. In that first film the cat was named Jasper and the mouse was called Jinx, but the slapstick chemistry between the two was so strong that the studio turned them into a recurring duo and soon renamed them 'Tom and Jerry'. Hanna typically directed and shaped the timing and gags, while Barbera focused on story and character beats, and together they built that perfect rhythm of chase and comic escalation that defines the series. Watching those early MGM shorts, you can see how much craft went into every silent reaction, exaggerated expression, and perfectly timed pratfall. The pair kept making the theatrical shorts through the 1940s and 1950s, and the series earned multiple Academy Awards, cementing its influence. When MGM shut their cartoon studio, Hanna and Barbera eventually went on to create their own company, but the original team’s work remains the classic template. Later eras include Gene Deitch’s takes in the early 1960s and Chuck Jones’s versions in the mid-60s, each adding different flavors, but the core idea — a clever little mouse versus a perpetually frustrated cat — always stayed. I still laugh at how expressive the animators made two mostly non-verbal characters. Knowing that William Hanna and Joseph Barbera practically invented this dynamic in 1940 makes every chase scene feel like a piece of animation history, and I’ll never tire of revisiting those golden shorts.

I dove into 'Tom & Jerry' (2021) grinning like a kid — it’s one of those movies built around pure slapstick energy, and at the center are the two legends themselves: Tom (the house cat) and Jerry (the crafty mouse). The film keeps them front and center, with their classic chase-and-wreck antics driving the plot at a fancy New York hotel. Beyond those two, the movie brings in several familiar faces from the franchise: Spike the bulldog shows up to keep order (and usually makes things rowdier), Toodles Galore appears as Tom’s glamorous object of affection, and a few alley cats and extra mice circle the chaos as supporting players. On the live-action side the movie threads human characters into the cartoon chaos — the young woman who’s trying to save her job and a big hotel event works around Tom and Jerry, and there’s a corporate foil who wants the hotel polished and perfect. Those humans set up the job, the wedding/event stakes, and the hotel-versus-chaos situation that lets Tom and Jerry run wild. I liked how the film balanced classic cartoon moments with a modern, human story; it felt like a love letter to the old shorts while still being accessible to folks who mainly watch live-action comedies. The result: Tom and Jerry are unmistakably the stars, with Spike and Toodles adding the classic flavor that longtime fans will appreciate — I walked away smiling at how timeless their dynamic still is.

I get a kick out of chatting about the cast of 'Black Butler' because the series brings together a lot of big-name talent from both the Japanese seiyuu world and the English dubbing scene. If you’re looking for the most instantly recognizable names attached to the show, start with Sebastian Michaelis — he’s one of the poster characters and has been voiced by some very famous actors. In the original Japanese, Sebastian is voiced by Daisuke Ono, who’s a heavyweight seiyuu famous for a string of leading roles across anime. In English dubs, Sebastian’s voice was handled by J. Michael Tatum, a stalwart of English voice acting who’s well-known across many fandoms. Those two names alone are enough to draw attention from fans who follow either JP or EN voice talent. Beyond Sebastian, 'Black Butler' features a roster of other characters voiced by high-profile performers. The young Earl Ciel Phantomhive has been portrayed by prominent voice actresses in different adaptations — in Japanese releases you’ll hear notable seiyuu who specialize in youthful or androgynous boy roles, while in English dubs you’ll find familiar names from the anime voice acting community handling the part. Grell Sutcliff, the flamboyant grim reaper that everyone remembers, is another character often played by famous seiyuu and English actors; Grell’s theatrical personality makes the role a showcase piece, and that attracts talent who are already well-known for dynamic performances. The Undertaker, with his eerie charm and world-weary tone, is also a magnet for recognizably famous voices in both versions: the grave humor and mysterious vibe of the character usually means the role is filled by voice actors with strong fan followings. I love pointing out how seeing a familiar voice can change your experience of a character in 'Black Butler' — hearing a favorite seiyuu or English actor suddenly gives the scene a new texture. Whether you prefer watching the Japanese audio to catch the signature performances of big-name seiyuu or you like the English dub because it features several household names from the dubbing community, the show is stacked with voices that fans recognize and follow from other series. Honestly, one of the joys of rewatching is listening for those moments where a famous actor’s delivery makes a familiar line land differently, and it’s a big part of why the series has such a lively fanbase — the cast brings a lot of personality to every character, and that keeps me coming back for replays and fan discussions.

Snowy evenings somehow trigger a cascade of holiday cartoons in my brain, and I love tracing who brought those characters to life. For 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' the warm, storybook narrator is Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman, and the bright, little Rudolph was voiced by Billie Mae Richards. Paul Soles gave Hermey his goofy, earnest charm, and Larry Mann bellowed the rugged Yukon Cornelius. Those voices helped embed the special in family rotation for decades. Then there's 'Frosty the Snowman' — Frosty himself was voiced with a gentle, jokey tone by Jackie Vernon, while the tale’s friendly gravelly narrator was Jimmy Durante. And of course 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas!' has Boris Karloff providing both the Grinch's voice and the narration, with the unforgettable baritone on the theme song actually delivered by Thurl Ravenscroft (he was famously uncredited for that line). These are the voices that make chilly nights feel cozy — they’re part of my holiday soundtrack.

The golden age of animation gifted us with legendary voice actors whose performances still echo today. Mel Blanc, the 'Man of a Thousand Voices,' was the backbone of Looney Tunes—Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig all sprang from his vocal cords. His ability to switch between characters mid-conversation was pure magic. Then there’s June Foray, the genius behind Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Granny from 'Sylvester and Tweety.' Her crisp, expressive tones defined childhoods. Don’t forget Daws Butler, who breathed life into Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound with that smooth Southern charm. These actors didn’t just read lines; they infused quirks and soul into every syllable. Modern voice work stands on their shoulders—without Blanc’s manic energy or Foray’s wit, today’s cartoons might’ve lacked that timeless spark. I still get chills hearing Blanc’s 'What’s up, Doc?'—it’s like hearing history.