Robert Frederick Paulsen III (born March 11, 1956) is an American voice actor, comedian, impressionist, and singer. Rob loved cartoons as a kid and aspired to be a professional hockey player. Ironically, acting was something to "fall back on" and even though Rob voiced numerous characters in Warner Bros. cartoons (Taz-Mania, Tiny Toon Adventures), he is best known as the voices of the wisecracking Raphael in the original animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series (and would later portray Donatello in the 2012 version before becoming voice director of the succeeding Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, and in more recent times the Motor Mouthed, Groucho Marx-esque Yakko Warner on the Peabody and two-time Emmy award-winning series Animaniacs and the boisterous and energetic laboratory mouse Pinky on Animaniacs as well as Pinky and the Brain.
Paulsen's extensive credits include on-camera roles in numerous motion pictures including Body Double, Stewardess School, Eyes of Fire, The Perfect Match, Spaceballs, and Warlock. His television acting credits include guest-starring roles on MacGyver and St. Elsewhere. Additionally, he is one of the most sought-after voice actors in the commercial arena, performing in over 1000 of them.
Realizing how fortunate he is and passionate about giving to charity, Rob supports various charitable organizations, particularly those benefiting children and cancer research. Rob's volunteer work with GOALmodels is particularly rewarding. GOALmodels, a high school program in Reseda, California, is designed to inspire ninth-graders to set goals and overcome obstacles in life. Blending his life experiences with passion for his work, his presentations are informative, entertaining, and inspiring. In his leisure time, Rob enjoys golf, ice hockey, and riding his motorcycle. He spends the majority of his free time with his wife, Parrish; son, Ash (an editor for UDON Entertainment who used to work for GameXplain, but left to co-create Good Vibes Gaming), and two Yorkshire terriers, Pooshie and Tala.
He started a podcast, "Talkin' Toons with Rob Paulsen", and is planning a live Q&A/Meet & Greet tour. Both can be accessed at RobPaulsenLive.com
.
Best buds with Pinky and the Brain co-star Maurice LaMarche.
Some of Paulsen's roles include:
- Snow Job in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
- Chase, Air Raid, and Slingshot in The Transformers
- Shreako in Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers
- Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
- Donatello and '87 Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)
- Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
- Gusto in Adventures of the Gummi Bears
- Saber Rider and Jesse Blue in Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs
- Antoine in Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)
- Yakko Warner, Dr. Otto von Scratchansniff, and Pinky in Animaniacs (1993–1998) and Animaniacs (2020–2023)
- The titular Max in Mighty Max
- Carl Wheezer and Yokian Fleet Commander in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius
- Doppy in Planet Sheen
- Squishington in Bump in the Night
- Atchan, The Amazing Dr. Mysto and others in Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi
- Jack Fenton, Nicolai Technus, and the Box Ghost in Danny Phantom
- Gordon in Catscratch
- Coconut Fred in Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island (one of the few roles Paulsen considers an Old Shame)
- Rev Runner in Loonatics Unleashed
- Peck the Rooster in Barnyard and its spin-off series
- Dead Juju, Tlaloc, Dream Juju, Giant Misunderstanding in Tak and the Power of Juju.
- Mr. Vanderbosh in The Replacements
- Experiment 625 (a.k.a. Reuben) in Lilo & Stitch: The Series as well as its two films, Stitch! The Movie and Leroy & Stitch
- Major Glory in Dexter's Laboratory and an episode of The Powerpuff Girls
- Stanley Ipkiss and The Mask in The Mask series
- Arthur on The Tick (second season only; in season one, Micky Dolenz from the 1960s band The Monkees was the voice of Arthur)
- The screen-knocking character Mr. Opportunity in ads for Honda of America, beckoning customers to come in for lower-priced cars before the new ones come in.
- Several appearances in Steve Oedekerk's 'Thumb' filmettes.
- Morte in Planescape: Torment.
- Gray Fox / The Cyborg Ninja in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, replacing Greg Eagles because he sounded too similar to another role he did in the game - the DARPA Chief.
- Hard Drive in SWAT Kats
- Sean One in Phantom 2040
- Throttle in Biker Mice from Mars
- Steelbeak in Darkwing Duck
- Brick and Boomer in The Powerpuff Girls (1998)
- PJ Pete in Goof Troop and its spinoff movies A Goofy Movie and An Extremely Goofy Movie
- Fowlmouth, Concord, Furball (one episode), and Arnold in Tiny Toon Adventures
- Spooky in The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper
- Officer Beauregard "Buck" Tuddrussel in Time Squad
- Alien buddy Mark Chang on The Fairly Oddparents
- Noodleneck Ned in It's Pony
- Fuzzy Bunny in The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat
- Bubsy the Bobcat in the second game and the animated pilot (another of the few Old Shame roles for Rob Paulsen.)
- Bravoman and Alpha Man in the Bravoman web series
- Spike in The Land Before Time
- A couple of generic Mooks in Spaceballs (one who helps Dark Helmet up after the Ludicrous Speed meltdown, and another reporting back negative in "Combing the desert" for Lone Starr and crew)
- Replaced Jim Carrey in the animated spin-offs of his first three movies, which he describes as "playing Jim Carrey for less money." He also dubs over profane lines in Carrey's films when they're edited for TV.
- Dickie and Super Snooper in Yo Yogi!
- 2-T Fru-T in Butt-Ugly Martians
- Sir Kirby in Doc McStuffins
- Jose in House of Mouse and Mickey and the Roadster Racers
- Macoco in Elena of Avalor
- General Lemmex and his assistant in Miles from Tomorrowland
- Rodney J. Squirrel in the Squirrel Boy pilot "Kite Makes Right".
- Professor Cyrus in Mighty Magiswords
- Seymour and Luan’s genderbend counterpart, Lane in the episode “One of the Boys” in The Loud House
- Foot Lieutenant in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (is also the voice director)
- Beetle in The Ant Bully
- Bonker in ClayFighter 63⅓
- Wilbur Wafflemeier in Orion Burger
- The Melee Island Lookout and Bob in The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition and Return to Monkey Island.
