Sounds Familiar

Rob Paulsen boasts tens of millions of fans.

Of course, most of them don't recognize him — until he opens his mouth,

At first, the comforting voice sounds somewhat familiar. Then Paulsen lets out his friends — Pinky of Pinky and the Brain, Yakko of Animaniacs, Arthur of The Tick, as well as Raphaei from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Donatello from the current version. Squeals abound.

"There's something remarkable about the effect animated characters have on people," the voice actor says. "It has nothing to do with money, ratings or action figures. It's pure joy."

Once Paulsen's voice is recognized, word inevitably spreads. "No, it's not George Clooney," he deadpans. "It's this nondescript white dude who has a bunch of characters banging around in his mouth.”

Paulsen has voiced more than 2,000 hours of animated TV, 1,000 commercials and a host of video games. And those numbers only encompass his 30 years of voice work.

"I'm 60, and I've had my SAG card since I was 23," says the Michigan-raised singer, who came to Hollywood in 1978. "I did episodic television, movies and commercials. But you learn rather quickly that there are a million average-looking guys with SAG cards — and a lot of them are talented."

So when voice offers started trickling in, Paulsen jumped. He soon found himself working with stars such as Jonathan Winters and Mel Blanc. With the first TMNT, he solidified his place in the industry. After being cast as Pinky, he beat out Jeffrey Tambor and Ernest Borgnine for a 1999 Daytime Emmy. "Very auspicious company," Paulsen says, beaming.

In addition to his TV work, Paulsen appears at conventions and workshops, and his podcast, Talkin' Toons with Rob Paulsen, draws up to 40,000 listeners a month. "It's taken on a life of its own," he marvels of his career. "People seem to want to buy what I'm selling. I'm an incredibly fortunate fellow!"