The Case for Voice Acting Oscars

Voice acting is an art unlike any other in film. While the script for an animated film is one key factor in crafting a memorable character, and the actual animation is another, the right casting is what makes said characters stick in people’s memories. However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not even create a Best Animated Feature category until 2002. Never mind the fact that only three animated films have been nominated for Best Picture (the most recent example being Toy Story 3). It’s no surprise that voice acting has been utterly disregarded by the Academy throughout the years, and that needs to change. I’m going to make the case for voice acting categories being created, using some iconic past and recent examples.

Example #1: Robin Williams as The Genie in Aladdin (1992)

I have to start with what has become undoubtedly one of the most famous vocal performances in animation history. The Genie, portrayed by comic legend Robin Williams, was a Disney sidekick who combined sage wisdom with an ongoing stand-up set. Launching from heartfelt emotion to celebrity impressions such as Robert De Niro and Ed Sullivan, Williams improvised most of his dialogue, with animators designing the Genie accordingly.

Had he adhered more to the screenplay by John Musker, Ron Clements, Ted Elliott, and Terry Rossio, he might still have provided a suitably entertaining performance. But Williams‘ combination of sincere emotion and on-the-fly wit, true to his personality, are what solidify the Genie being one of the Mouse House’s most immortal creations.

Example #2: Maya Hawke as Anxiety in Inside Out 2 (2024)

With the arrival of new emotions came a number of new cast members for Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out 2. And no one stood out more than Maya Hawke as the voice of Anxiety, the film’s main antagonist (not villain; her motivations were too sympathetic).

Taking control of Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) brain as she enters adolescence, Anxiety perpetually jitters with stress, is quick to please, always in a perpetual struggle to stay ahead of every possible problem. On top of the frenetic animation, Hawke gave the character such a misguided nobility that she became the highlight of the picture for audiences. She made you feel every ounce of teen stress that we all can remember and relate to vividly.

Example #3: Ellen DeGeneres as Dory in Finding Nemo (2003)

A character as exuberant, scatterbrained and forgetful as Dory from Finding Nemo. could have easily tipped over into just being obnoxious. But thankfully, Ellen DeGeneres gracefully jumped between tones so well (which also owed credit to the script by Andrew Stanton, Bob Petersen and David Reynolds, as well as David Ian Salter‘s editing) that she was instantly believable.

 Audiences rightfully fell head over heels for Marlin’s (Albert Brooks) unlikely sidekick and friend, and it was that voice work that drew them in. When you get the right actor, the audience will care so much it hurts.

Example #4: Florence Pugh as Goldilocks in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Who would’ve thought Goldilocks could’ve been so tough-as-nails? Oscar-nominee Florence Pugh, who took on the role for this stellar sequel, infused her with a complex combination of grit and sympathy. In the story, Goldilocks (or “Goldie,” as she was referred to by the Three Bears) sought the magical Wishing Star so that she could get, in her words, “a proper family.”

Found as an orphan by the bears, she went from mourning the absence of human parents, to realizing that family is who’s there for you through thick and thin. Pugh made the audience see through Goldie’s snarky veneer, right to the big-hearted and wounded soul underneath. The Last Wish remains a film that people remember for both its imaginative storytelling and vivid characterization. Goldilocks, thanks to Pugh, remains its most standout character.

Example #5: Wagner Moura as Death in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

It may be cheating to cite two characters from the same film, but Death is worth it (I don’t care how that reads). Voiced by Narcos star Wagner Moura, the Grim Reaper himself, came to collect Puss’ (Antonio Banderas) last life, angry at his disregard for the previous eight. From the menacing design to the stellar writing, the foundation was certainly there.

But with Moura in the recording booth, the character’s nuanced blend of malice and humanity truly came to life. From his wickedly playful line delivery to his ungodly creepy whistle, he brought out that fear of mortality that a lot of us feel, but don’t want to look at- much like Puss himself. I truly believe that, if not for Wagner Moura, both the character, and the movie’s larger message, would not have stayed with people like they did.

My Closing Plea to the Academy

Academy voters, you need to craft acting categories for animated films. Make them similar to your live-action acting categories (Best Voice Actor, Best Voice Actress, etc.). If it weren’t for the right voices bringing these roles to life, people wouldn’t remember them. With animation being a medium of limitless possibilities, voice acting does more than just embody a character. It grounds the audience in a project’s reality. I’d say that’s a feat more than worthy of a golden statuette.