Kevin Conroy, best known as the voice behind the DC Comics superhero Batman, has died.

According to an official press release, Conroy died on Nov. 10 at the age of 66. Known as the voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman on the landmark animated series, Batman: The Animated Series, Conroy brought the hero to life across 60 different projects, including 15 films, 15 animated series and almost 400 episodes culminating in over 100 hours of television. He also starred as a live-action Bruce Wayne on the Arrowverse's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event from 2019 to 2020.

"Kevin was perfection," said Mark Hamill, who voiced the Joker opposite Conroy's Batman. "He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated."

The news of Conroy's passing began circulating after voice actor Diane Pershing, the voice of Poison Ivy, shared an update on Facebook. "He's been ill for a while but he really put in a lot of time at the cons, to the joy of all of his fans," Pershing wrote. "He will be sorely missed not just by the cast of the series but by his legion of fans all over the world."

Born on Nov. 30, 1955, in Westbury, New York, Conroy graduated from the Juilliard drama program and began his acting career in earnest after moving to California in 1980. Before launching into voice acting, he made his mark as a stage, film and television performer.

Conroy began his role as the voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman: The Animated Series, which originally aired on Fox Kids between 1992 and 1995. He went on to portray Batman in multiple DCAU projects, including Batman Beyond (1999-2001), Justice League (2001-2004), Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006) and many more. He also voiced the Dark Knight in the films Batman: Mask of the Phantasm in 1993, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero in 1998, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker in 2000 and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman in 2003. Conroy also lent his voice to the character in the video games Batman: Arkham, Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2.

"Kevin was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and directing – he was a dear friend for 30+ years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no boundaries," said Emmy Award-winning casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano. "Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever."

Conroy was not only the first voice actor to use two distinctive voices for Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego as Batman but, across live-action and animation, he has portrayed the Dark Knight longer than any other actor who has taken up the mantle.

"Kevin was a brilliant actor," Hamill continued. "For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it. His rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery – that all also helped inform my performance. He was the ideal partner – it was such a complementary, creative experience. I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman."

Conroy is survived by his husband, Vaughn C. Williams.

Source: Press Release, Facebook