Kevin Michael Richardson (born October 25, 1964) is an American actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, he has mostly voiced villainous characters in animation and video games. In film, Richardson voiced Goro in ''

Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The development of the first game was originally based on an idea that Ed Boon and John Tobias had of making a ...

'' (1995) and reprises in '' Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge'' (2020), Captain Gantu in the '' Lilo & Stitch'' franchise, and Deus Ex Machina in ''

The Matrix Revolutions ''The Matrix Revolutions'' is a 2003 American science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the third installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, released six months following ''The Matrix Reloaded''. The film stars ...

'' (2003). He has also voiced characters on

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series '' Family Guy'' (since 1999) and '' The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creat ...

's shows ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ch ...

'', ''

The Cleveland Show ''The Cleveland Show'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Richard Appel, and Mike Henry for the Fox Broadcasting Company. A spin-off of ''Family Guy'', the series centers on Cleveland Brown, his new wife Donna Tubbs, a ...

'', and ''

American Dad! ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Since 2014, the series has been airing new episodes on TBS. ''American Dad!'' is the first television ...

'', as well as several characters on ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

''. Richardson is also known for his roles as Trigon, Mammoth & See-More in both ''

Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to ...

'' and '' Teen Titans Go!'', Antauri in '' Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!,'' the Shredder in '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (2012), Stump Smash and Tree Rex in the '' Skylanders'' video game series, as the second voice of

Dr. Hibbert Dr. Julius Michael Hibbert, M.D. is a recurring character on the television animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is Springfield's most prominent medical professional. Although he has a kind and warm persona, he is also often characterized as gree ...

and various others in ''

'', Rosie in '' F Is for Family'',

Barney Rubble Barney Rubble is a fictional character who appears in the television animated series ''The Flintstones''. He is the diminutive, blond-haired caveman husband of Betty Rubble and adoptive father of Bamm-Bamm Rubble. His best friend is his next ...

in '' The Flintstones: On the Rocks'', and the Mauler Twins and Monster Girl in ''Invincible''. He received two

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

nominations for voicing the Joker in ''

The Batman Batman is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman or The Batman may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Characters * Batman (Terry McGinnis) * Batman (Thomas Wayne) * Batman (Earth-Two) * Bat ...

'' (2004–2008).

Early life

Richardson was born on October 25, 1964 in the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

borough of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. He earned a BFA in theater from

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

in 1988.

Career

Kevin Michael Richardson by Gage Skidmore 3

Richardson began his live-action acting career in New York City, where he performed in commercials. His first professional acting job was in an

AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile ...

commercial. He was frequently hired as a voice for television commercials. He later moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. He has usually portrayed villainous characters due to his deep and powerful voice. In 1995, he obtained his first voice role as Mayor Tilton on the animated television version of ''

The Mask The Mask may refer to: Books and comics * ''The Mask'' (comics), a comic book series by publisher Dark Horse Comics * Mask (DC Comics), an opponent of Wonder Woman * ''The Mask'' (novel), a 1981 novel written by Dean Koontz under the pseudonym ...

''. Additionally, early in his career, he appeared in a PBS special directed by John Houseman. Richardson's other credits include Captain Gantu in '' Lilo & Stitch'' and its franchise, Shnitzel in the '' Chowder'' pilot (and was later replaced by John DiMaggio), Goro in ''

'', the second voice of Skulker on '' Danny Phantom'', Sarevok in the ''

Baldur's Gate ''Baldur's Gate'' is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms ''Dungeons & Dragons'' campaign setting. The game has spawned two series, known as the ''Bhaalspawn Saga'' and the ''Dark Alliance'', both taking place mostly ...

'' series, Jolee Bindo in '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'', Crunch Bandicoot in the '' Crash Bandicoot'' games, Sai Sahan in Elder Scrolls Online MMORPG series, Tartarus from '' Halo 2'', Chairman Drek in '' Ratchet & Clank'', Antauri in '' Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!'', Openly Gator from '' Queer Duck'', Doctor Payne and others on '' The Proud Family'', Dark Laser on '' The Fairly OddParents'', Maurice from '' The Penguins of Madagascar (replacing Cedric the Entertainer)'', Slam Tasmanian and Tech E. Coyote on ''

Loonatics Unleashed ''Loonatics Unleashed'' is an American superhero animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that ran on Kids' WB for two seasons from 2005 to 2007 in the United States. The series was based/inspired on the '' Looney Tunes' ...

'' and the voice of

Exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

in the 1990s animated series '' Road Rovers''. Richardson replaced Keith David as the voice of Tombstone on '' The Spectacular Spider-Man''. He provided a character voice set for ''

Icewind Dale ''Icewind Dale'' is a role-playing video game developed by Black Isle Studios and originally published by Interplay Entertainment for Windows in 2000 and by MacPlay for the Macintosh in 2002 (both the Classic Mac OS and OS X). The game takes p ...

'': '' Heart of Winter'' and '' Icewind Dale II''. He was the voice of Heihachi in the PlayStation 2 game ''

Soul Calibur II is a 2002 fighting game developed by Project Soul and published by Namco and the third installment in the ''Soulcalibur'' series of weapon-based fighting games. It is the sequel to ''Soulcalibur (video game), Soulcalibur'', which was released in ...

'', though he is listed in the role as Victor Stone. He also voiced Stump Smash and Tree Rex in '' Skylanders: Swap Force'', '' Skylanders: Trap Team'' and '' Skylanders: SuperChargers''. In 2001, Richardson voiced

in the animated movie '' The Flintstones: On the Rocks''. In 2004, he became the first Black actor to portray the Joker, voicing the character on the animated series ''

'', a role for which he was twice nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program. In 2005, he voiced Trigon on the animated series ''

'', taking over the role from

Keith Szarabajka Keith Szarabajka (; ; born December 2, 1952) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Mickey Kostmayer on '' The Equalizer'', Daniel Holtz on ''Angel'', Gerard Stephens in ''The Dark Knight'' and Adam Engell in ''Argo''. I ...

. In 2006, he appeared in the comedy '' Clerks II'' in which he plays a cop who notices the words "Porch Monkey 4 Life" written on the back of

Randal Graves This is a list of major and recurring characters in Kevin Smith's fictional universe known as the View Askewniverse. ''Clerks'' (1994) Dante Hicks Dante Hicks, played by Brian O'Halloran, is 22 (33 in ''Clerks II, 49 in Clerks III''), works at ...

' work jacket; he also voiced the elder dragon Terrador from ''

The Legend of Spyro ''The Legend of Spyro'' is a game trilogy that is part of the ''Spyro'' series. It acts as a reboot to the original series. The games use a combination of close-combat and platforming gameplay, though more oriented on combat than previous games in ...

'' game series. In 2008, he performed the voice of

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

for '' Wolverine and the X-Men''. Later, he did the voice of

Nick Fury Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in '' Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos' ...

on '' The Super Hero Squad Show''. He also voiced Tyro in

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

's '' Avatar: The Last Airbender'' in 2004. Richardson often plays characters based on comedian Bill Cosby, such as on ''

'' ("Brian Does Hollywood"), where Stewie is a contestant on the comedian's '' Kids Say the Darndest Things''; as Cosby himself on ''

The Boondocks Boondocks are remote, usually brushy areas. Boondocks may also refer to: * The Boondocks (band), an Estonian rock band * ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder ** ''The Boondocks'' (2005 TV series), the television ser ...

''; and Numbuh 5's father Mr. Lincoln, an homage to Cosby on '' Codename: Kids Next Door''. His most frequent role on ''Family Guy'' is Jerome, Lois's ex-boyfriend. He also is the voice of

Cleveland Brown Jr. Cleveland Orenthal Brown Jr. is a fictional character in the animated television series '' Family Guy'' and its spin-off series ''The Cleveland Show''. He is the son of Cleveland Brown and his late ex-wife Loretta. On ''Family Guy'', he was depi ...

and voiced Lester Krinklesac and numerous others on ''

''. He currently voices Principal Brian Lewis on ''

'' and is the current voice for

replacing Harry Shearer on ''

''. His voice roles in 2011 included Panthro in the '' Thundercats'' series, Martian Manhunter on '' Young Justice'' and Bulkhead, one of the Autobots in '' Transformers: Prime''. He played

Kilowog Kilowog is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is a member of the Green Lantern Corps. The character appeared in the 2011 ''Green Lantern'' film with his voice provided by actor Michael Clarke Dunca ...

in '' Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters'', the video game sequel to the live-action film ''Green Lantern'' and later reprised the role in '' Green Lantern: The Animated Series''. He was nominated for Voice Actor of the Year by Behind the Voice Actors in 2012 and in 2013. In September 2013, he provided the voice of Mr. Gus on the

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...

show '' Uncle Grandpa''. In 2015, he did the voice of a

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

n king on ''

'' episode " The Princess Guide". Later, he provided the voice of Judge Michaels in Tyler Perry's first animated film, ''

Madea's Tough Love ''Tyler Perry's Madea's Tough Love'' is a 2015 American live action-animated comedy film directed by Frank Marino, written by Matt Fleckenstein and Benjamin Gluck produced by Tyler Perry, Matt Moore, and Ozzie Areu, and starring the voices of P ...

''. In 2021, he provided the voice of Jimbo in '' The Boss Baby: Back in Business'' (2018), the sequel to the 2017 film '' The Boss Baby''.

Personal life

Richardson lives in

with his wife, Monica, whom he married in 2006. He is the stepfather of her two sons from a previous marriage.

Filmography

Film

Television

Animated film

Direct-to-video and television films

Animation

Video games

Web

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

www.kevinmichaelrichardson.net
''(archived)'' * * *
Richardson on 'Cuse Conversations Podcast in 2021
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Kevin Michael 1964 births Living people 20th-century African-American people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century African-American people 21st-century American male actors African-American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American male video game actors American male voice actors American people of Jamaican descent Audiobook narrators Cartoon Network people Disney people Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from New York City People from the Bronx Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts alumni