Summary

• Voice actors deserve more recognition for their talent in bringing animated characters to life.
• The Academy should create a voice acting category solely for vocal-oriented performances.
• The performances of Scarlett Johansson, Eddie Murphy, Eartha Kitt, Anthony Gonzalez, Robin Williams, Teri Hatcher, Tom Hanks, and Brian Tyree Henry in their respective roles are worthy of acclaim and accolades.

The voices behind some of cinema's favorite characters don’t get nearly as much recognition as they deserve. Breathing life into an animated or non-human character is a challenging job that not everyone is talented enough to do. Take Vin Diesel as an example; Groot is a character who has the same repetitive line throughout the whole Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and yet, he has become a fan favorite because Diesel's voice talent lends Groot a fully-realized personality.

While animated films do have their own separate category at the Oscars, and while non-animated films that employ voice acting performances have been recognized in some form or another (like Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), the Academy needs to create a voice acting category solely for vocal-oriented performances. It's just as challenging to perform a role using only one's voice as it is to be physically onscreen. Here are ten voice-acting performances that prove it and are, indeed, Oscar-worthy.

Updated on December 8th, 2023: Fans of voice-acting performances will be glad to know this list has been updated with more detail on the best of the bunch.

10 Scarlett Johansson as Samantha in Her

Spike Jonze's screenwriting debut, Her surprised the majority of the audience with its unique storyline. Skepticism grew mostly because of its premise: a man falling in love with an A.I. personal assistant. But the great performances of Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore and Scarlett Johansson's captivating voice as Samantha made it work phenomenally well and have secured some major awards for the movie.

Johansson Nailed Her Character's Complicated Humanity

While Johansson was initially intimidated by the character's complexity, she ended up delivering a brilliant performance as the sophisticated A.I. assistant and felt challenged yet liberated by the rewarding experience after her many recording sessions. The talented actress was somehow overlooked when it came to nabbing prominent accolades despite being on almost everyone's radar for awards contention that year, but her spellbinding portrayal truly speaks for itself. Rent/Buy on Prime Video.

9 Eddie Murphy as Donkey in Shrek

It's safe to say that Eddie Murphy was born to give a voice to Shrek's Donkey. The Shrek franchise has kept moviegoers amused and entertained for over two decades, and Murphy's voice stays as timeless as ever. The actor was the quickest pick for the role by the then-CEO of DreamWorks Animation, a long-time friend of his. Everyone can agree that Murphy has one of the best expressive voices in Hollywood, and he continues to prove it with every role he takes on.

Murphy Nailed Donkey's Endless Energy

Murphy knocked it out of the park as the wise-cracking, annoying-but-lovable Donkey in the blockbuster franchise, stealing every scene he was in and truly holding his own against his other sensational cast members like Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Audiences old and young couldn't get enough of the goofy sidekick, and Murphy went on to win both an Annie Award and a People's Choice Award for his charismatic and unforgettable outing as Donkey. Stream on Peacock.

8 Eartha Kitt as Yzma in The Emperor's New Groove

With a stacked ensemble cast led by David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, and Patrick Warburton, the underrated Disney comedy hit The Emperor's New Groove follows the spoiled and extremely selfish Incan ruler Kuzco as he finds himself shockingly transformed into a llama after his scheming former advisor Yzma makes it her mission to steal the throne by any means necessary.

Kitt Nailed the Combination of Terror and Entertainment

Famed Hollywood singer and actress Eartha Kitt was delightfully despicable as the power-seeking alchemist and advisor Yzma, both amusing and terrifying moviegoers as they witnessed her desperate quest to become emperor. The villainess Yzma had an endless supply of sassy retorts and one-liners at her disposal, and Kitt's distinct voice and cadence only added to her overall wicked ways in the flick. The actress rightfully took home an Annie Award for her phenomenal contributions to the box office hit. Stream on Disney+.

7 Anthony Gonzalez as Miguel in Coco

Coco remains one of the most beautifully animated movies by Pixar to this day. From the heartbreaking yet heartwarming plot line to the songs and the good-natured characters, everything worked perfectly enough for it to become a global blockbuster. The writing is so precise in its earnestness and yet, what truly gives it life is the voice acting performance of Anthony Gonzalez in the role of the main character, Miguel.

Gonzalez Nailed the Heavy Hitting Emotion of Coco

Miguel sets out on a wondrous adventure to the Land of the Dead to locate his legendary musician grandfather, meeting colorful characters along the way while discovering his family's complicated history. Gonzalez auditioned for the lead role at just 9 years old and was officially cast two years later, and the actor brought a moving earnestness to Miguel that truly helped elevate the stunning picture. When describing his similarities with the young protagonist, Gonzalez stated they "both know the importance of following our dream, and we know the importance of following our tradition, so that's something that I connected with Miguel a lot". Stream on Disney+.

6 Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin

Few actors have completely dominated a character (let alone a voice role) as spectacularly as the late and great comedy legend Robin Williams did in the acclaimed '90s Disney hit Aladdin. The beloved flick follows the eponymous young street urchin as he attempts to win the affection of the beautiful princess Jasmine after discovering a magical genie who will grant him three wishes. Naturally, Williams completely stole the show with his incredible and spirited voice work as the sidesplitting Genie.

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Williams Nailed the Complete Uniqueness of the Genie

The fact that Williams did not receive an Oscar nomination for his unparalleled performance as the Genie is downright criminal. He gave the role everything he had and famously impersonated countless celebrities like Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, and Rodney Dangerfield in his epically zany portrayal. The comedian extraordinaire improvised so much during production that the studio ended up with 30 hours of tape. Williams' involvement in Aladdin marked a turning point in animation in which popular actors began to lend their voices to characters instead of specially trained voice actors. Stream on Disney+.

5 Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel Madrigal in Encanto

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Stephanie Beatriz, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine star, is expanding her horizons by taking up many distinctive roles that force her to experiment with her voice. In fact, many are surprised to hear the actress' real higher-pitched voice after getting used to her solemn one in Fox's police-themed TV series. But Beatriz is here to prove that she has one of the widest ranges of today's actresses through her role as Mirabel in Encanto.

Beatriz Nailed Her Transformation

It's hard to remember that Rosa Diaz and Mirabel are voiced by the same actress and that alone proves Beatriz's spectacular talent. The quirky and deeply empathetic Mirabel makes it her mission to save the magic of her family, and Beatriz's warm and comforting tone helped make her instantly relatable and someone fans wanted to root for. Beatriz's performance garnered rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, with many feeling the actress was perfectly cast and downright magnificent. Stream on Disney+.

4 Jeremy Irons as Scar in The Lion King

Widely regarded as one of Disney's most groundbreaking and celebrated animated classics, The Lion King captivated audiences all across the world with its unique retelling of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, telling the story of the lion cub Simba (Matthew Broderick/Jonathan Taylor Thomas) as he challenges his diabolical uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) for the throne after he murders his father Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and forces him into exile.

Irons Nailed the Magnitude of Scar's Villainy

Irons was perfectly cast as the scheming and power-hungry Scar, being chosen over fellow front-runners like Ian McKellen, Alan Rickman, and Tim Curry due to his classical theater training; the studio wanted the villain to come across as a Shakespearean character. The addition of Irons to the '90s juggernaut was a major win for Disney, as he had just received an Academy Award and it was rare for an actor of his caliber to participate in an animated movie after focusing on drama. Irons unsurprisingly came out on top, and he delivered one of the greatest villainous performances, memorably belting the chilling tune "Be Prepared." Stream on Disney+.

3 Teri Hatcher as Mel Jones in Coraline

Neil Gaiman's sinister story is here to remind audiences that not every animated film is geared toward small children. It tells the story of a young girl named Coraline who finds out there's an idealized version of her miserable life that she gets to experience after moving across the country to a mysterious old home. But, the idealized world holds some dark secrets.

Hatcher Nailed the Duality of Her Two Characters

Teri Hatcher is the one who truly shapes the movie with her voice acting performance as the Nice and the Evil mothers. Her voice of the Other Evil Mother terrifies even the strongest of viewers. They can clearly hear something menacing hiding underneath, and Hatcher performs it perfectly. Coraline was based on Gaiman's children's novella of the same name, and the author was blown away by Hatcher's deceptively sweet yet spooky voice, saying, "Her voice is like the aural equivalent of a hug. Just embraced by this lovely sweet, 1950s Donna Reed-ness.” Stream on Max.

2 Tom Hanks as Woody in Toy Story

After watching Tom Hanks yelling at a dog in Turner & Hooch back in 1989, the producers knew they had found the perfect Woody. What better way to cast the Toy Story voice actors, right? Hanks is widely known for making audiences cry with his acting performances, from Forrest Gump to Green Mile to Cast Away and many more; Toy Story is no different.

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Hanks Nailed Woody's Values

Woody's loyalty and righteousness speak fluently through Hanks' voice, and though the studio was also interested in Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, and Robin Williams for the role, director John Lasseter was determined to see Hanks cast. The filmmaker once expressed that the actor, "has the ability to take emotions and make them appealing. Even if the character, like the one in A League of Their Own, is down-and-out and despicable." When his voice isn't around to do the job, his brother Jim jumps in to voice the beloved character in numerous shorts, video games, and movie spin-offs. Stream on Disney+.

1 Brian Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

In the universally acclaimed Marvel superhero extravaganza Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) emerges as the new Spider-Man, but after meeting Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), he quickly learns that there are countless other Spider-people from various universes who have his same special powers, and they must join forces to stop the nefarious Kingpin.

Tyree Henry Nailed the Paternal Role

It's crazy to think that when giving his voice to the character of Jefferson Davis in 2018, Henry had only been in his breakthrough period for two years. In terms of design and personality, Jefferson has to be one of the greatest animated dads ever created. His deep and soothing voice perfectly suits the role of a father and a police officer who does things by the book in Into the Spider-Verse. All it takes is to watch a compilation of Jefferson's quotes in the movie, and moviegoers immediately get a sense of comfort. Rent/Buy on Prime Video.