Rob Paulson

For the last few years, Paulsen has returned to the universe of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the fourth season begins in the fall, with a fifth on order). In the original series, Paulsen played Raphael. But for the Nickelodeon reboot Paulsen was surprised and delighted to learn that the young producers wanted him to play Donatello.

Hardly limiting his success to working on some of the world’s most beloved cartoons, Paulsen is also creator and host of the monthly “Talkin’ Toons,” recorded live at the Improv and featuring Paulsen talking with his industry colleagues about their work, which reaches over 50,000 listeners a month. He’s also produced (with the blessing of Steven Spielberg and Warner Brothers) the live show “Animaniacs Live!,” where he performs the series’ best-loved songs with live musicians with the show’s Emmy-winning songwriter Randy Rogel. When he wants to rest his voice, Paulsen is also a car fanatic (Formula One and proud former owner of many classic cars) and a six-handicap golfer.

He makes dozens of personal appearances every year at animation festivals, ComicCons, and colleges around the country, where he delights both young children and their young-ish parents, each of whom has their favorite Paulsen character. Maybe it’s Carl Wheezer from Jimmy Neutron, or Dr. Otto Scratchinsniff, or Jonny Quest’s sidekick Haji, or the title character in the animated The Mask. Whichever of his delightful creations he brings to life, Paulsen remains committed to finding new ways to fulfill his passion for acting and creating.