Celebrities Who Play Cartoon Characters

I was watching television with my preschooler, when I began to notice something. I kept getting a deja-vu feeling, as if I had heard these voices before. A couple of voices, I had outright recognized. It turns out, I was right. There are some very famous stars moonlighting on such networks as The Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney, and Nickelodeon's preschool channel, Noggin. Only, they are not in the spotlight as they typically are, only their voices are the stars. They are talking octopuses, cameras, penguins, and much more!

On The Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney, there are a few famous voices if you listen closely. Handy Manny most notably, is the voice of lovable Fez on That Seventies Show, Wilmer Valderrama. Lance Bass, from the famous boy band 'N'Synch plays the character of Kelly's little brother. There have been many famous people who have guest starred on the popular show, Higglytown Heros as well. Kathie Lee Gifford, Lance Bass, Betty White, Cyndi Lauper, Travis Tritt, Ed McMahon, and Debbie Allen to name just a few. Some of these characters are reoccurring "heroes" as well.

On Noggin, celebrity voices can be found everywhere. On Dora The Explorer, John Leguizamo lent his voice to earlier episodes and on Go, Diego, Go!, Rosie Perez plays Diego's camera, "Click" on recurring episodes. Also on Noggin, the popular show, Oswald, about a lovable octopus and his best friend, a sometimes grumpy penguin, Fred Savage voices Oswald. You remember him from the wildly popular movie, The Princess Bride, as well as his most famous role as Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years. Here is a blast from the past, too. Remember "squiggy" from the seventies comedy Laverne and Shirley, starring Penny Marshall? The actor who played him, David Lander, voices Henry the Penguin, Oswald's neighbor and friend. Tony Orlando also voices a character on Noggin's Oswald, as Sammy Starfish of the Sammy Starfish Show.

On PBS kids, talented star the late John Ritter voices Clifford The Big Red Dog, which still runs in syndication to this day. William H. Macy voiced the narration on the first season of Curious George. Thomas The Tank Engine, has had super famous narrators during it's time on air, from Ringo Star, the late and great George Carlin, Alec Baldwin, and as guest narrator, Pierce Brosnan.

That is only but a small variety of celebrities who have gotten out from in front of the camera and behind a microphone to lend their voices to the cartoons kids of today know and love. So, if you are watching TV with your child and you hear a familiar voice, it may not just be in your head. That talking penguin, exploring, talking camera, or handyman may just be the voice of someone you watch on television every week!

sources: www.pbskids.org, www.nickjr.com, www.wikipedia.org, www.disney.go.com