Voice actors have long been given less attention, support, and respect than their on-screen counterparts and that trend doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Unless Hollywood, which loves a great story, steps in and gives them the spotlight they deserve with a full seat at the table during the Oscars.
Would such a move be cool comfort in an industry where voice actors are more exposed than their on-screen counterparts in the on-going battle between studios (both gaming and TV/film) and the incursion of AI tech that some fear could replace them? Yes. But closing the celebration gap might help to at least start the process of raising the profile on voice acting as a art form and vital piece of the entertainment industry puzzle.
One of the many conversations going into this awards season was about how the best-animated feature film category was stacked with a number of critically acclaimed projects that also did well at the the box office — solidifying the point that Studio Ghibli and Disney’s Pixar aren’t the only ones who can produce high-quality content that resonates with a wide audience. With that plus the explosion of popularity for the anime genre how can a single category at the industry’s biggest awards show be enough to recognize the awesome work and cultural importance of films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Nimona, and The Boy and the Heron? More is needed.
The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature has been in existence since 2001 when the award first went to Shrek. (It’s also the last time a new category was added before the Academy starts giving awards for Best Casting in 2025.) The directors of the nominated films are normally the ones to come up on stage and accept the award. They’ll even include a thank you to the cast in their acceptance speech if they manage to remember. And that’s normally the last we hear of them.
While their vibrant look and amazing soundtracks define the Spider-Verse films, they go from good to great due to the ability of the ridiculously stacked cast — from Jake Johnson’s version of Peter Parker to Hailee Steinfeld’s Gwen Stacy, Shameik Moore’s Miles Morales, and Mahershala Ali’s Uncle Aaron. Yet none of them can get their flowers on the industry’s grandest stage for this work.
Going back through time, the same can be said about Jeremy Irons’ bone-chilling delivery of “I killed Mufasa” as Scar in The Lion King, Robin Williams magical work as Aladdin’s Genie, and both Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy’s iconic work in the Shrek franchise. We could have had moments to celebrate the likes of Tom Hanks as Woody in Toy Story, Angela Lansbury for her work in Beauty And The Beast. The list is endless, the lost chance at elevating the art form truly unfortunate. And that’s just traditional animation. Millions felt gutted watching Rocket Raccoon’s story play out in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 last year. And what about Andy Serkis’ legendary work in Lord Of The Rings?
Voice actors can play superheroes, magical creatures, anthropomorphic animals, or even inanimate objects and regularly use their talent to convey a message, instill an emotional response, and power some of pop culture’s most iconic (and successful works). While Hollywood has never been a meritocracy, award shows let us pretend that it is for a little while, but there are cracks in the facade. That voice actors are technically as eligible for plaudits as any live-action performance proves the point that they are equally vital to moviemaking when all things are equal, but some segments of Hollywood will never see them on that same level, and so we need this kind of distinct award to be reminded of how amazing and irreplaceable they are.