dope black voice actors who brought your childhood to life: phil lamarr

It ain’t easy being a Black nerd

With thriving nerd communities churning out fan art, self-published comics, and series like Steven Universe, representation for all types of Black identities are at an all-time high. But you may not know that some of the voice actors behind your favorite characters are people of color, too. Despite, well, anti-Black racism that keeps Black artists out of creative spaces, there are many lesser known/low-key voice actors giving life to animated personalities on the big, small, and video game screens.

Starting off our series is voice actor OG, Phil LaMarr!

Born and raised in Los Angeles, the Yale graduate was an engaged actor from the start. An Improv master who studied with Second City in Chicago, LaMarr’s extensive career has included live-action appearances in film and tv, too, including as an original cast member on MAD TV. A working legend, LaMarr has (probably) voiced characters in most of your favorite animated shows of the past 20+ years. Known best for voicing the titular characters in ‘Samurai Jack’ and ‘Static Shock’, LaMarr has breathed life into Green Lantern John Stewart in the ‘Justice League’/‘Justice League Unlimited’ animated series, Hermes Conrad in ‘Futurama’, Gerald’s older brother, Jamie O’Johanssen from ‘Hey Arnold’, and Gabriel Wallace from Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters— just to name a few, literally.