5 underrated voices from the cartoon world

June 22, 2018 at 8:42PM
H. Jon Benjamin of "Jon Benjamn Has a Van" photo credit: Jason Nocito, Comedy Central
H. Jon Benjamin of “Jon Benjamn Has a Van” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The casts of "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy" get the most accolades (and fattest paychecks), but here are five other voice-over artists who deserve a shoutout:

H. Jon Benjamin (voice of "Bob's Burgers" on Fox and "Archer" on FX): Deadpan delivery has never sounded so alive as it does coming from the lips of high-strung Bob Belcher and low-key Sterling Archer.

Olan Rogers ("Final Space" on TBS): The smartest move the creator of this sci-fi parody made was casting himself as the lead character, an accidental space explorer convinced that the Force is with him.

Mo Collins ("F Is for Family" on Netflix): The former Brave New Workshop sketch comic boldly takes on any part thrown her way in this contemporary take on "All in the Family," earning an Emmy nomination last year for an episode in which she played five parts.

Alison Brie ("BoJack Horseman" on Netflix): She's terrific as an ambitious wrestler in Netflix's "GLOW," but the "Community" veteran is also delivering a knockout performance as feminist Diane Nguyen amid a cast, including Will Arnett and Amy Sedaris, that is the best in the biz.

Nick Kroll ("Big Mouth" on Netflix): The comedian expertly taps into the naughty seventh-grader in all of us in this coming-of-age tale you never saw on ABC's after-school specials.

FOR USE WITH FYI_TV CONTENT ONLY. ARCHER -- Pictured: Sterling Archer (voice of H. Jon Benjamin). CR: FX
FOR USE WITH FYI_TV CONTENT ONLY. ARCHER -- Pictured: Sterling Archer (voice of H. Jon Benjamin). CR: FX (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
In this TV publicity image released by Fox, Linda Belcher, left, voiced by John Roberts, and Bob Belcher, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin are shown in a scene from the animated series, "Bob's Burgers." (AP Photo/Fox) NO SALES
In this TV publicity image released by Fox, Linda Belcher, left, voiced by John Roberts, and Bob Belcher, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin are shown in a scene from the animated series, “Bob’s Burgers.” (AP Photo/Fox) NO SALES (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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