Did You Know One of the Voices of Your Childhood is from Indiana?

Did you know the voice of some of your favorite characters from Star Wars, SpongeBob SquarePants, Space Jam, and several others is a fellow Hoosier?

It just wasn't a Saturday morning in 2005 without the cartoons. I can still remember getting up at around 7 a.m. to plop myself in front of an old Magnavox TV with a bowl of Cap'n Crunch, ready to enjoy all my favorite shows. I normally wouldn't move until the news came on, or I was told to go outside for some fresh air. As I got older and caught reruns of those programs, I began to do some research on who voiced some of my favorite iconic characters, and Dee Bradley Baker popped up several times during my Google excursions.

Background

While I've known who Baker was for a long time, I had no idea he was an Indiana native until just recently. According to IMDB Baker was born on August 31, 1962, in Bloomington, Indiana, but spent most of his childhood in Colorado. At nine years old, he began getting involved in local plays and musicals, but saw it nothing more than a hobby throughout his teen years. He later went to the The Colorado College where he earned a degree in Philosophy.

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According to Baker, he finally settled on voice acting in his thirties. In 1993, he moved to Los Angeles, California with his wife Michelle Baker, whom he wed three years earlier in 1990. It was there Baker was able to maintain several years of voice acting success across a string of networks. IMDB notes that Baker was credited with nearly 1,800 roles in 2019, but that number is likely much higher now. Along with voice acting, he also speaks German and is an accomplished ventriloquist.

Characters

If you grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s, like myself, you've probably heard Baker's voice on at least one of your favorite childhood shows. For me, it was Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where he played every single clone trooper featured in the series. While the voice of each clone is virtually identical, I was always amazed at how Baker brought a sense of individual personality to each one he voiced, such as the fan favorites like Rex, Cody, Fives, and Echo.

Of course, Star Wars is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this voice actor. According to Nikelodeon, Baker also voiced Perch Perkins, Bubble Bass, and Squilliam Fancyson on Spongebob Squarepants, along with an assortment of other Nikelodeon characters from shows like The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, and The Penguins of Madagascar. You can see Bradley's full catalog of Nikelodeon characters here.

In addition to those roles, Baker also voiced Daffy Duck, the Tasmanian Devil, and Bull in Space Jam (1996). He also played Perry the Platypus on Phineas and Ferb and has voiced Klaus on American Dad since 2005. It's safe to say he has stayed busy over the years; however, retirement doesn't seem to be on the horizon for this accomplished Hoosier native.

Baker in 2024

In addition to still voicing Klaus on American Dad, Baker also continues to voice clone troopers in ongoing Star Wars projects. He even made his Star Trek debut in 2021, portraying Murf in Star Trek: Prodigy. Between these roles, he also does multiple other guest spots for animated television shows. That said, voice acting isn't all Baker is up to these days.

The accomplished actor currently runs his own website dedicated to helping new voice actors get their start. It's called I Want to Be a Voice Actor and includes advice on how to get an agent and build a portfolio, along with a ton of other information for people just getting into the industry. Here is what Baker said about the website on his bio page:

I maintain this website because it’s fun for me. I like the feeling of saving everyone time (including myself) with this online compilation of all that I’ve learned over my five decades as a performer. I hope it’s a constructive and practical resource for those suited to voice acting- and for those who aren’t.

I think it's really nice to see someone successful in the industry giving back, and doing so with free online help. Not only is Baker an extremely talented individual, he also appears to be a class act. If you're interested in voice acting, this could certainly be a great resource. As for me, I just can't wait to see what character Baker will bring to life next.