Townsend Coleman
Townsend Coleman | |
---|---|
Occupation | Voice actor, DJ |
Years active | 1974–present |
Townsend Coleman is an American voice actor who has performed in many animated series and TV commercials beginning in the early 1980s. Among his most notable roles are Michaelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,[1] Wayne Gretzky on ProStars, and the title characters in Where's Wally? and The Tick.
Early work[]
Coleman was a disc jockey for WGCL in Cleveland, Ohio, in the late 1970s. This included the weekend of July 7–8, 1979, when that radio station presented his own take on American Top 40 after the station's refusal to air the "Top 40 Disco Songs" special for that weekend.
In the same period, Coleman appeared in several plays through Jerry Leonard's Heights Youth Theater ensemble. The plays were staged at Wiley Junior High School in University Heights, Ohio – just down the road from John Carroll University. Other famous performers who appeared in Leonard's plays include the actress Carol Kane.
Voice acting[]
Coleman's career as a voice actor took off in the 1980s when, having recently moved to Los Angeles, he auditioned for the role of Corporal Capeman on Inspector Gadget. He also portrayed Riot on Jem, Gobo in the animated version of Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock, Scott Howard on the animated Teen Wolf and many others. In TV commercials, he was the 7-Up "Spot", Keebler Elves, and Raid Bugs. Coleman has also been the voice of NBC commercials for programs such as Must See TV and The Tonight Show since the early 1990s. Coleman has also provided the voice for Jason Whittaker on the Focus on the Family radio drama Adventures in Odyssey since 1994. He also voiced the Autobot Mini-Cassette Rewind on the Transformers cartoon series (1986) and provided the voice of Colt in Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs.
From 1987 to 1996, Coleman voiced Michelangelo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Coleman also provided the voice for The Tick in the 1994 cartoon series, for which he received an Annie Award nomination. Coleman performed a wide range of voices in King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow, including Vizier Abdul Alhazred, Shamir Shamazel, Lord Azure, Ferryman, Beast and the Minotaur.
Coleman returned to the Transformers franchise by voicing Sentinel Prime in the Transformers Animated series. The character was designed to look like The Tick, as confirmed by the writers of the show at Botcon 2008, Coleman also currently provided the voice of Neddy the Mallet in the Cartoon Network series, Mighty Magiswords. Neddy's mannerisms on the show are based on The Tick which led to him being acquired the role. According to the creator Kyle Carrozza, Neddy was Townsend's first original cartoon role in years.
Recently, he also returned to the Tick franchise in the 2017 series on Amazon Prime, but this time providing the voice of the ex-superhero dog Midnight.
Filmography[]
Film[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1986 | Black Moon Rising | Waiter | Live action |
The Kingdom Chums: Little David's Adventure | Eliab / Fox Soldier #2 | TV Movie | |
The Amazing Adventures of Inspector Gadget | Cpl. Capeman | ||
1987 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Tom Fool | TV Movie |
1988 | Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears | Zor One | |
1992 | FernGully: The Last Rainforest | Knotty | |
1998 | Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero | Additional Voices | Direct-to-video |
Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night | Father Joseph (speaking) | ||
2000 | The Christmas Lamb | Samuel / Daneil / Joseph | TV Movie |
2007 | Superman: Doomsday | Drill Operator | Direct-to-video |
2008 | Justice League: The New Frontier | Dr. Magnus | |
2013 | Batman: The Dark Knight Returns | Morrie / Abner | |
Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite | Commissioner Gordon | ||
2016 | Sing | Additional Voices | |
2018 | The Grinch | Additional Voices |
Videogames[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | King's Quest VI | Vizier Abdul Alhazred / Shamir Shamazel Lord Azure |
|
2007 | Mass Effect | Lord Darius / Rafael Vargas Zabaleta |
|
2012 | Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes | Mr. Freeze / Mad Hatter Commissioner Gordon / General Zod |
|
Spec Ops: The Line | Soldiers |
Television[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | Inspector Gadget | Corporal Capeman / Sweetly | |
1986 | The Transformers | Mini-Cassette Rewind / Martin | |
1986-1987 | Teen Wolf | Scott Howard / Teen Wolf | |
1987-1996 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Michaelangelo, Rat King, Krang (1989 alternate) Shredder (1993 alternate - 7 episodes only) Usagi Yojimbo, Rahzar Screwloose, Splinter (season 5 alternate) Burne Thompson (season 3 alternate) Jerry Spiegel, Electrozapper Dalton Dumpsky, Fritz |
|
1987 | Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series | Gobo Fraggle / Wrench Doozer Architect Doozer |
Episode: "Wembley and the Bemble/A Fraggle for All Seasons" |
1988 | Jem and the Holograms | Rory "Riot" Llewelyn | |
1988 | Superman | Teenage Clark Kent / Ted Kline | |
1989 | Ring Raiders | Yasu Yakamura | |
1990 | TaleSpin | Turkey Client / Newsreel Announcer | Episode: "From Here to Machinery" |
1991 | Darkwing Duck | Patrick | Episode: Whiffle While You Work |
1991 | Where's Waldo? | Waldo | |
1994-1996 | The Tick | The Tick | |
1995-1996 | Timon & Pumbaa | Vulture Police / Purplest Stupidest Pirate | |
1995-1997 | Spider-Man | Young and Middle-Aged Silvermane | 2 Episodes |
1996 | Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series | Canard | 2 Episodes |
1996-1999 | Superman: The Animated Series | Programmer / Thug Leader Death Fist Ninja / Co-Pilot / Captain |
4 Episodes |
1997-1999 | The New Batman Adventures | Rocco / Mugger / Mugsy | 2 Episodes |
1999-2000 | Batman Beyond | Falseface / Lieutenant | 2 Episodes |
2002 | Spy TV | Announcer | 2 Episodes |
2005 | Duck Dodgers | Superego Dodgers / Protectorate #2 | Episode: "A Lame Duck Mind" |
2007 | The Batman | Campus Guard | Episode: "Seconds" |
2007-2009 | Transformers: Animated | Sentinel Prime, Tracks | 13 Episodes |
2014-2017 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | 80s Michelangelo / Clerk | 5 Episodes |
2015 | Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. | Hercules | Episode: "The Tale of Hercules"[2] |
2016-2018 | Mighty Magiswords | Neddy the Mallet, Beeswax Crown | |
2017-2018 | The Tick | Midnight / Onward |
Select filmography[]
- Adventure Time with Finn and Jake - Additional voices
- Animaniacs - Katzeneisnerman (episode: "Hooray For North Hollywood Part 1")
- Brandy & Mr. Whiskers - Additional voices
- The Buzz on Maggie - Additional voices
- Camp Lazlo - Additional voices
- CatDog - Additional voices
- Catscratch - Additional voices
- Danny Phantom - Additional voices
- Dave the Barbarian - Additional voices
- Dexter's Laboratory - Additional voices
- Dino-Riders - Additional Voices
- Earthworm Jim - Additional voices
- El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera - Additional voices
- The Fairly OddParents - Additional voices
- Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends - Additional voices
- Gravity Falls - Additional voices
- Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi - Additional voices
- My Life as a Teenage Robot - Additional voices
- NBC advertising (1992–2009)
- Poochini's Yard - Additional voices
- ProStars - Wayne Gretzky
- The Powerpuff Girls - Additional voices
- Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs - Colt
- Space Cats - Scratch
- Turtles Take Time (and Space) - 80s Michelangelo
- The Jungle King - Additional voices
- Time Squad - Additional voices
- Tiny Toon Adventures - Additional voices
- The X's - Additional voices
- Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears - Zor One
References[]
- ^ "Townsend Coleman Interview" Kidzworld.com. Retrieved on June 19, 2009.
- ^ "The Tales of Hercules". Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Season 2. Episode 16. March 15, 2015. Disney XD.
External links[]
- Living people
- American male voice actors
- American male radio actors
- American male stage actors
- American male video game actors
- NBC network announcers
- American radio DJs
- People from Cleveland Heights, Ohio
- Male actors from Ohio