Matthew Lillard has built a career that spans live-action hits, beloved franchises, and voice work, so when he talks about the state of animation casting, it comes from experience.
And during a recent appearance at Fan Expo Denver, the actor didn’t hold back when discussing Hollywood’s ongoing habit of filling animated movies with celebrity names instead of professional voice actors.
For years, major animation studios have leaned heavily on recognizable stars to sell their projects and Lillard believes that trend has become a real problem for the industry say they are “not able to carry a part”.
Speaking at Fan Expo Denver (via Screen Rant), Lillard explained why voice acting requires a very different skill set than traditional on-screen acting:
“I think Hollywood has made a huge mistake by hiring actors that are not able to carry a part with [their] voice. As an actor, you have full function, your face, your body, you have all these things that you can play on when you’re on the screen, but a voice actor has only their voice to work.
“The ability to carry a film, as the lead of a film with only a voice, is a power very few people have. And the idea that they keep hiring crappy celebrities to carry huge films is killing us.”
It’s a criticism that has become increasingly common among fans and voice actors alike. While celebrity casting in animation has been around for decades, with performers like Tom Hanks in Toy Story and Billy Joel in Oliver & Company, the modern landscape has seen studios leaning even harder into star-powered casts as a marketing tool.
Lillard doesn’t appear to be taking issue with every celebrity who steps into a recording booth. Instead, his comments seem aimed at productions that prioritize name recognition over finding performers who can actually bring animated characters to life through voice alone.
Voice acting demands a different set of muscles than live-action work. Without facial expressions, physical movement, or camera presence to lean on, everything has to come through the performance itself. The best voice actors can create entire personalities using nothing but tone, timing, and vocal range.
Many fans have noticed occasions where a celebrity-heavy cast feels more like a collection of famous voices than a group of believable animated characters. Professional voice actors, meanwhile, often spend years mastering the craft and can slip into wildly different roles with ease.
Whether you agree with Lillard or not, his comments are likely to resonate with a lot of animation fans who have watched studios repeatedly choose star power over voice acting veterans.
As for Lillard himself, he has plenty on his plate in the coming years. The actor is set to appear in Mike Flanagan’s upcoming adaptation of Carrie, and the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.
There’s also ongoing speculation that his Mr. Charles character could eventually pop up again in Daredevil: Born Again if the series continues beyond its currently announced plans.
For now, though, Lillard’s latest comments have sparked an interesting conversation about animation casting and whether Hollywood is giving enough opportunities to the performers who have dedicated their careers to the art of voice acting.
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