Jonathan Kimble Simmonsis one of the best character actors currently working in the industry. Though he originally planned to be a singer, Simmons practiced acting as well during his college years, and got his first role on Broadway in 1992 in the musicalGuys and Dolls.After some more Broadway productions, he transitioned to film and television, with one of his biggest early roles being Vernon Schillinger in the prison-drama,Oz.
Simmons has appeared in over two hundred roles in film, television, and video games. This has naturally led to him voicing all sorts of memorable animated characters. Be they intimidating villains, calm straight men, or goofy side characters, Simmons always puts his all into his performance.
10Mayor Lionheart
From ‘Zootopia’
As the 52nd mayor of Zootopia, Lionheart prides himself on finding a way to keep the various factions of animals happy and healthy. To that end, he introduced a Mammal Inclusion Initiative, which allowed Judy Hops (Ginnifer Goodwin) to become the first rabbit member of the police force. However, when a string of feral predator cases emerge in the city, Lionheart tries to cover it up while looking for a cure rather than tell the citizens the truth.
Lionheart is a serviceable character in Disney’s film about thecomplex nature of prejudice. He is presented as one of the film’s more complicated characters: he doesn’t just animals based on their size or species, and even wants to help them find equal opportunity, but also overwork his secretary and is fine with lying to the public to preserve his image. Simmons' delivery captures all the layers of complexity on display, but his best moments have to be when Lionheart is speaking to the public, as his voice has a natural power and charisma to it.
Zootopiacan be streamed on Disney+ in the U.S.
Watch On Disney+
9General Wade Eiling
From ‘Justice League Unlimited’
A high-ranked member of the United States military, General Wade Eiling was originally an ally of the Justice League and grateful for their help against alien threats. However, this changed when he learned that the League’s orbital watchtower was equipped with a massive laser weapon, with only their moral compass preventing them from using it against Earth. This drove him to join Project Cadmus, a secret organization headed by Amanda Waller (CCH Pounder) dedicated to acquiring powers that could equal or surpass the Justice League in case they went rogue.
Eiling was a minor antagonist inJustice League Unlimited, but he worked thanks to a combination of Simmons' performance and the writing behind his character. He is, at his core, a man who wants to do his duty and keep humanity safe from metahuman threats, but his inability to trust the League leads him to very radical actions. His story culminates with him mutating himself into a monstrous form in order to fight Superman (George Newbern), only to realize he has become the very thing he was standing against.
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimitedcan be streamed on Max in the U.S.
Watch On Max
8Lenny Turteltaub
From ‘BoJack Horseman’
In the ever-changing landscape of Hollywood, no producer has had as long of a career as Lenny Turteltaub. Since his job is to keep the Hollywood machine in motion, Lenny doesn’t really care about the artistic quality of the films he produces, so long as they can make money. He also has a complex relationship withactor BoJack Horseman(Will Arnett), who he keeps casting in productions despite not liking him.
Lenny is a decent caricature of a Hollywood producer, often depicted as fast-talking, no nonsense, and hard to please. He doesn’t mince his words either, often getting very harsh when it comes to shooting down ideas. Simmons pulls this off with aplomb, and his cynical delivery does a great job in helping the character stand out despite his limited screen time.
BoJack Horseman
BoJack Horsemancan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
Watch On Netflix
From ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’
When his brother-in-arms, Oogway (Randall Duk Kim), was injured in battle, General Kai carried him to a hidden panda village. They used their mastery over chi to heal Oogway, but Kai coveted their power and learned how to steal the chi from others to make himself stronger. Oogway defeated him and sent him into the spirit world, but five hundred years later, Kai defeated Oogway and returned to the mortal world, ready to steal the chi of all living and dead kung fu masters.
Kai might not reach the same emotional heights of the previous two villains, but he remains one of thebest villains from DreamWorks. His design does a wonderful job of conveying his unnatural nature as a Spirit Warrior and pairs well with Simmons' voice, who plays Kai as a mixture of intimidation and comedy. He feels like an unstoppable force of nature that pushes the heroes to their limits as they attempt to find a way to strip him of his stolen power.
Kung Fu Panda 3
Kung Fu Panda 3can be streamed on AppleTV in the U.S.
Watch On AppleTV
6Stanford Pines
From ‘Gravity Falls’
As a child, Stanford and his younger twin brother, Stanley (Alex Hirsch), loved going on adventures and dreamed of sailing the world together. Unfortunately, their bond was strained as they got older and Ford wanted to pursue a life of science. Eventually, he moved to Gravity Falls to study the supernatural phenomena in the area, which he cataloged in a series of journals before accidentally being lost in another dimension for decades.
The identity of Stanford wasGravity Falls’biggest mystery, and went a long way in making it one of thebest animated shows of the 2010s. When Ford made his debut as a character, he added a lot to the show with his need for validation and his brilliant but at times narcissistic mind. This made him an ideal role model and dark mirror for his great nephew, Dipper (Jason Ritter), who both idolized Ford’s intellect and adventurous spirit, while fearing that his relationship with his own sister, Mable (Kristen Schaal), would end up the same as Ford and Stanley.
Gravity Falls
Gravity Fallscan be streamed on Disney+ in the U.S.
From ‘The Legend of Korra’
The third child of Avatar Aang (D. B. Sweeney), Tenzin, was the only one to be born an Airbender. As such, Aang spent a lot of time teaching Tenzin about the history and culture of the Air Nomads in the hopes of reviving the dead culture. Now a father himself, Tenzin tries to pass Aang’s teaching to his own children and the new Avatar, Korra (Janet Varney), but often finds himself struggling to escape his father’s shadow.
Tenzin is easily the best character inThe Legend of Korra,the divisive sequeltoAvatar: The Last Airbender.He is a character who has the weight of an entire culture on his shoulders, yet always makes an effort to present himself as calm and collective as possible. Though his teaching methods don’t always work at first, Tenzin is able to flow like the air and adapt his methods to each of his students' needs.
The Legend of Korra
The Legend of Korracan be streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Watch On Paramount+
From M&M Commercials
In the mid 1990s, M&M created a series of characters to serve as the spokesperson for their candy. One of the most iconic is Yellow, who represents peanut M&Ms, and almost always seen with his best friend, Red (John LovitsandBilly West). Their job isn’t always easy, on account of humans always trying to eat them, but Yellow always does his best, regardless of the danger.
Yellow was briefly voiced byJohn Goodmanin the early commercials, but Simmons has been the voice ever since 1996. Simmons' performance is amazing, capturing Yellow’s cluelessness in a sweet and charming way that makes audiences laugh alongside him. He might not be the smartest of the spokescandy, but he definitely has the biggest heart.
From ‘Klaus’
The reclusive woodsman, Klaus, keeps to himself on the island of Smeerensburg, spending his days making bird houses to honor his late wife. When a new postman named Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) arrives at the island, Klaus becomes aware of how miserable the children of Smeerensburg are due to the feud between their families. With Jesper’s help, he begins sharing his large collection of toys with the children in the hopes of spreading joy.
Klaus offered a chance for Simmons to show how versatile he can be as an actor, which helps cement Klaus as one of thebest interpretations of Santa Claus. In the early parts of the film, Klaus is quiet, closed off, and mysterious, so Simmons voices him with blunt inflections and minimalist dialogue. As the film goes on, he becomes more social, allowing Simmons to show a range of emotions including joy, sorrow, and fury, which makes Klaus the most human character in the film.
Klauscan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
From ‘Invincible’
In a world populated by dozens of superheroes and villains,none are more powerfulthan Omni-Man, a member of a powerful alien species known as the Viltrumites. When he’s not defeating villains and stopping kaiju-sized monsters, he lives as novelist Noland Greyson with his wife, Debbie (Sandra Oh), and son, Mark (Steven Yeun). Unknown to everyone, however, Omni-Man’s reasons for coming to earth aren’t as benevolent as they initially appeared.
Omni-Man is one of the best characters fromInvinciblethanks to Simmons' delivery and his complex emotions. For the most part, he plays Omni-Man as a considerate and friendly individual, but there is an air of uncertainty about his actions. When the reveal finally comes, Simmons gets to play him with an air of powerful authority and cold fury, especially when he gets frustrated at Mark’s inability to understand, which leads to some of the show’s most emotional moments.
Invincible
Invinciblecan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
Watch on Prime
1J. Jonah Jameson
From various Marvel projects
As the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson is committed to keeping the people of New York City informed about accurate events happening around them. Despite his commitment to the people, he disagrees with them when it comes to the local web-slinging superhero, Spider-Man. While most people love the wall crawler, Jameson views him as a public menace who gets in the way of real officers, and so leads a smear campaign against him.
Simmons first portrayed Jameson in theSam RaimiSpider-Mantrilogy, but has reprized the role in numerous shows, such asAvengers: Earth’s Mightiest HeroesandSpider-Man Ultimate.He has even reprized the role in some of thelaterSpider-Manfilms, such asSpider-Man: Far From Home. It’s easy to see why this is: Simmons completely loses himself in Jameson and captures both his obnoxious demagogue tendencies and his noble side that is committed to integrity and keeping the spirit of New York strong.
The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is a 2D-animated series based on Marvel Comics' famous superhero team. It follows Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America, Wasp, Hawkeye, and other superheroes in storylines pulled straight from the comics. Despite its popularity, the show only aired from 2010 to 2012 and was replaced by Avengers Assemble.
The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroescan be streamed on Disney+ in the U.S.
