Voice Actor of the Week - Patrick Warburton

 Alright. Haven't done this in a while. Time for my Voice Actor of the Week!

You've probably seen Patrick Warburton in some live action movie or television show. He appeared onscreen in the movie Joe Somebody and the television series Less Than Perfect and Rules of Engagement. If you're a country music fan, you probably also saw him in the music videos for Brad Paisley's songs "Celebrity" and "Online."

However, one of his trademarks as an actor is his low, deadpan, somewhat lazy-sounding voice, which is easily recognizable in vocal performances. In that regard, he is probably best known to children as Kronk from Disney's The Emperor's New Groove. To adults, as Joe Swanson from the adult animation comedy Family Guy.

Warburton has used his voice to play characters who were a bit slow-witted, but at the same time strangely insightful, and characters who have kind of a tough guy streak to them. Sometimes both.

Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove

Kronk is the goofy, lovable henchman to The Emperor's New Groove's villain Yzma. Warburton reprised this role in Kronk's New Groove and the spin-off animated series The Emperor's New School. Warburton manages to use his natural deadpan to portray Kronk as a type of character who is somehow simultaneously both clueless and intuitive. He ends up in some of the funniest situations in the whole movie and Warburton's deep voice definitely fits the tall and muscular frame the character was given. Plus, his funniest moments are enhanced by his flat delivery of even the simplest lines that wouldn't be funny in any other instance.

Joe Swanson from Family Guy

In Family Guy, Joe Swanson is a police officer and series protagonist Peter Griffin's handicapable neighbor and drinking buddy. Just like Kronk, Joe is a muscular individual. Not so much like Kronk, he can actually be someone you don't want to tangle with. While it was later retconned, Joe was originally established to have lost the use of his legs fighting the Grinch, of all people. And he is often shown throughout the series performing his job as a police officer surprisingly effectively, wheelchair notwithstanding. In this role, Warburton got to use his typical deadpan again, but very often ends up having to shout or be more authoritative than Kronk typically was.

Apart from these, Warburton has also had roles as Brock Samson on The Venture Bros., the Wolf on Hoodwinked!, Steve Barkin on Kim Possible, Buzz Lightyear on Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, and smaller roles in Archer, The Wild, Open Season, Chicken Little, The Batman, and the Disney Parks ride Star Tours. 

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Oh yeah. It's all coming together.

Family Guy - Joe this is my wheelchair

You can view Warburton's performance on The Emperor's New Groove with Disney+.

Watch Warburton's performance as Joe on Family guy through Hulu.