J.K. Simmons has become a well-known face over the years, cementing himself as the bald guy who could make you cry if he yelled at you. He’s portrayed iconic characters such as J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy as well as hardcore jazz conductor Fletcher in the movie Whiplash, for which he received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Even though he’s become a recognizable face in film, many audiences may not know that Simmons has also voiced characters in some of their favorite animated shows and movies. Below is a list of some of Simmons’ more notable voice roles.
1. Tenzin in The Legend of Korra
The hit Nickelodeon show follows up on the events that occurred in Avatar: The Last Airbender. The series follows the life of the new avatar Korra as she fights to maintain peace in both the physical and spiritual world. Simmons voices the character Tenzin, who is one of the sons of the previous Avatar Aang. Tenzin is pivotal as a mentor to Korra as well as being her air bender teacher.
2. Lenny Turtletaub in BoJack Horseman
This Netflix original follows the life of washed-up actor BoJack Horseman as he attempts to make a comeback within the rapidly-changing landscape of Hollywood. In this dark comedy series, Simmons plays the role of Lenny Turtletaub, an old turtle that produces the movie Secretariat that BoJack stars in. Lenny is renowned as a producer who only cares about making money and doesn’t care about the quality of the project itself.
3. Omni-Man in Invincible
This Amazon original series made waves during its release earlier this year. The show follows Mark Grayson, the son of the most powerful superhero on the planet. As Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers that his father may not be as heroic as he appears. Simmons does an amazing job voicing Mark’s father Nolan, otherwise known as Omni-Man. He is similar to Superman except that Omni-Man uses his powers to do whatever he wants and his incredible strength makes him unstoppable.
4. Klaus in Klaus
This heartwarming Christmas film has a unique take on the origin story of Santa Claus. The film follows newly-graduated postman Jesper as he delivers letters throughout the miserable town of Smeerensburg. When he meets toymaker Klaus, they begin to spread kindness that will warm even the coldest of hearts.
In this Netflix film, Simmons voices the titular character of Klaus, who is based on the stories of Santa Claus. Simmons does an incredible job of using his voice to bring balance between the hard intimidating appearance of Klaus with the soft and kind warmth within his soul.
5. Mayor Lionheart in Zootopia
This 2016 animated film from Disney won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, and it’s not hard to see why. The movie follows a rookie cop as she teams up with a con artist in order to uncover a conspiracy that plagues the city of Zootropolis. With such a powerful voice, it’s no surprise that Simmons voices the powerful politician Mayor Lionheart. He’s pivotal throughout the story and puts more and more pressure on the police force to resolve the mystery as he worries about his approval rating and the public’s safety.
With so many iconic characters, J.K. Simmons has cemented himself as one of the most versatile actors of all time. With Spider-Man: No Way Home releasing later this year as well as a number of upcoming projects including Batgirl and Being the Ricardos, it doesn’t look like the 66-year-old is planning on slowing down anytime soon.