Veteran voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy

Tributes to voice actor Kevin Conroy have been paid by his fellow Batman: The Animated Series co-stars Mark Hamill, Diane Pershing and Tara Strong.

Conroy, best known for voicing Batman in cartoons, died on Thursday aged 66 after a short battle with cancer, according to a statement provided by DC Entertainment.

The stage, film and television actor – who guest-starred in Cheers, Murphy Brown, Spenser: For Hire and Matlock – voiced the Dark Knight in 60 different productions from 1992 onwards.

These included 15 films like Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and 15 animated series, such as Batman: The Animated Series, spanning nearly 400 episodes and more than 100 hours of television, as well as video games.

Mark Hamill, who played the Joker opposite Conroy’s Batman, said in a statement: “He was one of my favourite 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.”

Pershing, who played Poison Ivy opposite Conroy, wrote on Facebook: “He really put in a lot of time at the (Comic Con events), to the joy of all of his fans.”

Tara Strong, who voiced Batgirl, said: “I don’t have the words. Not today. My heart is broken.”

Kevin Conroy.