Crispin Freeman is an American voice actor, voice director, and screenwriter who is best known for voicing characters in English-language dubs of Japanese anime, animation, and video games. Some of his prominent anime roles include Zelgadis Graywords in Slayers, Kyon in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Togusa in the Ghost in the Shell franchise, Alucard in Hellsing, Kirei Kotomine in Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, Itachi Uchiha in Naruto, Gyomei Himejima in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Hagi in Blood+ and Shizuo Heiwajima in Durarara!!
Crispin Freeman | |
---|---|
Born | |
Education | Williams College (BA) Columbia University (MFA) |
Occupation(s) | Voice actor Voice director Screenwriter |
Years active | 1997–present |
Relatives | Cassidy Freeman (sister) |
Website | Official website |
Freeman was born in Chicago.[1] His father is Jewish.[2] He is the oldest of three children. His sister Cassidy is an actress, while his brother Clark is an actor and musician.[3] Freeman graduated from the Latin School of Chicago in 1990 and earned a BA from Williams College, where he majored in theater and minored in computer science. He then earned an MFA in acting from Columbia University and went on to perform on Broadway, at the American Repertory Theater, at the Mark Taper Forum, at Cincinnati's Playhouse in the Park, and at the Williamstown Theater Festival. As a child, he was greatly influenced by anime such as Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets. Casey Kasem voiced the role of his favorite character, Mark of Battle of the Planets, and Freeman even wanted to change his name to Mark at one point. He later discovered Voltron, Star Blazers, and Robotech. He has also stated that the reason he got into the industry was because of the anime The Vision of Escaflowne. He initially got involved in the voice-over industry when a friend of his landed a role in Peacock King.
Knowing Freeman was a big anime fan, a friend suggested he call up Central Park Media (CPM) and apply for a job doing English dubs. When originally approached about dubbing, he initially declined. It was not until he remembered all of the anime shows he watched as a child that he realized that many people are introduced to anime through the English dubbed versions. In 1997, Freeman landed the role of Zelgadis Graywords in Slayers along with Lisa Ortiz, Eric Stuart and Veronica Taylor. He was the second and final voice actor to get the job, after Zelgadis' original voice actor, Daniel Cronin, lost contact with CPM after a year-long halt in the dubbing. Years later he turned to the American animation voice acting grounds.
Freeman has been best known for his work in Marvel Comics based productions such as The Spectacular Spider-Man, Wolverine and the X-Men and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. He then starred as several versions of Roy Harper in Young Justice for DC Comics and Warner Bros. Since then, Freeman has had various roles throughout his career. He has appeared in many video game titles as memorable characters, such as Albedo from Namco's Xenosaga series, the god of the sun Helios in God of War III and God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, Haji, Joel the 6th and Van Argeno in Blood+, the main protagonist Baldur in Silicon Knights's Too Human, Breakdown in Transformers: War for Cybertron, the Winter Soldier in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and Iron Man in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2.
Freeman teaches classes, workshops, and performance lectures in the Los Angeles area.[4] In addition to classes, Freeman has a website called Voice Acting Mastery which includes podcasts and other resources regarding voice acting.[5]
In February 2023, Freeman guest voiced Lieutenant Nolan, an Imperial lieutenant with particular disdain for clones, the commanding officer of Crosshair, in Star Wars: The Bad Batch.[6]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source[7] |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | W.I.T.C.H. | Raphael Sylla | Ep. "Z is for Zenith" | |
2008 | The Spectacular Spider-Man | Max Dillon / Electro | [8] | |
2009 | Wolverine and the X-Men | Multiple Man, Maverick | [27] | |
2010–2013, 2019–2021 |
Young Justice | Roy Harper / Arsenal / Red Arrow, Guardian | [8] | |
2010 | Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | Howard E. Robertson, Rhino, Ben, Cook | Ep. "The Shrieking Madness" | [8] |
2012 | The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes | Scott Lang / Ant-Man | Ep. "To Steal an Ant-Man" | [8] |
Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays | Fabian Menkle | TV special | [8] | |
2014–2015
2017 |
Steven Universe | Doug Maheswaran, Male Nurse | 3 episodes | [8][28] |
2015 | Wabbit | Old Man #1, Dust Bunny | Eps. "Buddha Bugs" & "Dust Bugster" | [29][30] |
2016–2018 | Justice League Action | J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter | [31] | |
2016 | Adventure Time | Turtle Prince, Ice President | Ep. "Five Short Tables" | [32] |
2017 | All Hail King Julien | Alex | Ep. "The End is Here" | [8] |
Spider-Man | Mysterio, Spot | Ep. "Bring On the Bad Guys Part 2" | [8] | |
2023 | Star Wars: The Bad Batch | Lieutenant Nolan | Ep. "The Outpost" | [33] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source[7] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | Grave of the Fireflies | Doctors, Old Man | English dub | |
2001 | Revolutionary Girl Utena | Touga Kiryuu, Prince | English dub | |
Night on the Galactic Railroad | Campanella | English dub | ||
Space Travelers | Hayabusa "Jay" Jetter | English dub | ||
2002 | Cowboy Bebop: The Movie | Operator | English dub | |
2003 | Sakura Wars: The Movie | Brent Furlong | Credited as Joseph McDougall, English dub | [8] |
2004 | Slayers Premium | Zelgadis Graywords | English dub | [8] |
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence | Togusa | English dub | [8] | |
2005 | Howl's Moving Castle | Prince Justin / Turnip Head | English dub | |
2006 | Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children | Rude | English dub | [8] |
Ice Age: The Meltdown | Various characters | |||
2007 | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society | Togusa | English dub | |
2010 | The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya | Kyon | English dub | [8] |
2015 | Tiger & Bunny: The Rising | Virgil | English dub | [34] |
2017 | Teen Titans: The Judas Contract | Roy Harper / Speedy | [8] | |
2018 | Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel I. presage flower | Kirei Kotomine | English dub | [35] |
Mirai | Yukko (Human Form) | English dub | [36] | |
2019 | Promare | Kray Foresight | English dub | [37] |
2019 | Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel II. lost butterfly | Kirei Kotomine | English dub | |
2021 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train | Gyomei Himejima | English dub | [8] |
2021 | Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel III. spring song | Kirei Kotomine | English dub |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source[7] |
---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | Oldboy | Lee Woo-jin | [48] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source[7] |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Adventures in Voice Acting | Himself | [49] |
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: postscript (link)