Batman actor Kevin Conroy has died, aged 66

Actor Kevin Conroy, best known to generations of fans as the voice of Batman, has died. He was 66 years old.

Fellow Batman: The Animated Series alum Diane Pershing shared the sad news on Facebook, revealing that Conroy passed away yesterday after a lengthy undisclosed illness. Conroy had cancelled con appearances in August and September due to events "beyond his control".

“It is with profound sadness that I send this to you today: Kevin Conroy, the quintessential voice of Batman, and a dear friend to so many of us, has passed away,” Conroy’s rep later confirmed to TVLine in a statement.

"Very sad news: our beloved voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, died yesterday," Pershing wrote in a tribute. "He's been ill for a while but he really put in a lot of time at the cons, to the joy of all of his fans. He will be sorely missed not just by the cast of the series but by his legion of fans all over the world."

Born in 1955 in Westbury, New York, Conroy fell in love with acting at the age of 17, when he earned a full scholarship to attend Juilliard's drama division.

Conroy graduated in 1978, and toured with John Hoseman's acting group, The Acting Company, before a national tour of Deathtap in 1979. His first big TV appearance came in 1980, when he was cast in the daytime soap opera Another World (1964). He continued to appear onstage, however performing in Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California.

After a string of TV roles, Conroy landed the part that would go on to define his career in 1992 as the voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman: The Animated Series. Conroy has returned to play the role of the Dark Knight in multiple video games, movies, spinoffs, and more, including Rocksteady's critically acclaimed Arkham trilogy.

Other members of Batman family have since taken to social media to share their own tributes, including writer Paul Dini.

To fans around the world, Conroy is - and always will be - The Batman.