Animaniacs Season 2 Cast Guide: What The Actors Look Like

The characters in Animaniacs season 2 may sound familiar; the voice actors from the classic series have returned in their original roles, ready to present more “totally insane-y” shenanigans. Originally produced for the Fox network’s after-school programming lineup before migrating to the WB network, Animaniacs was one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed animated series of the 1990s. The 2020 revamp produced by Hulu has proven just as high quality, winning over a new generation of fans and earning more social media mentions than any Hulu Original series to date.

The original Animaniacs, which ran from 1993 to 1998, was produced by legendary director Steven Spielberg as a tribute to the Looney Tunes cartoons he grew up watching. Animaniacs featured a large ensemble of strange original characters, ranging from the Warner Siblings (who were presented as 1930s ink-blot animals whose meta cartoons made no sense) to the mousy, would-be world conquerors Pinky and the Brain. The series was a true family-friendly production, with slapstick humor and smart satire that both children and their parents could enjoy.

Animaniacs boasted an impressive ensemble, featuring some of the most acclaimed voice actors in the business. When Hulu revived the series in 2020, they were quick to recruit the original cast and sign them on for one more tour of duty. The same actors have returned for Animaniacs season 2 and will presumably be returning for Animaniacs season 3.

Rob Paulsen as Yakko Warner, Pinky and Various

One of the most prolific voice actors of all time, with over 500 credits on his resume, Rob Paulsen stands unique as the voice of two different Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in two different series. Paulsen played Raphael in the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series in 1987 and went on to voice Donatello in the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Paulsen also lends his voice to two of the Animaniacs; the fast-talking Yakko Warner (who is the eldest of the Warner Siblings) and the insane but good-hearted Pinky of Pinky and the Brain. He is also fondly remembered as the voice of Carl Wheezer in Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

Jess Harnell as Wakko Warner and Various

A famed singer and impressionist, Jess Harnell is famed for his ability to impersonate all four of the Beatles. Indeed, the voice he uses for Wakko Warner in Animaniacs was said to have been loosely based on John Lennon. Harnell has worked on over 350 animated productions and video games and has voiced both Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. He is also notable as the only actor to voice two characters in the 2007 Transformers movie, providing the voices for both Ironhide and Barricade. In addition to returning to play Wakko Warner, Harnell also provides the voice for John Cena in one Animaniacs season 2 skit.

Tress MacNeille as Dot Warner and Various

First finding fame impersonating Lucy Ricardo in the music video and audio track for Weird Al’s “Ricky,” Tress MacNeille went on to become one of the most popular voice actors of all time.  MacNeille has voiced multiple characters on The Simpsons, Futurama, and Tiny Toon Adventures. She is the official voice of Daisy Duck and Chip the Chipmunk in all animated Disney productions and also provided the voice for Gadget in Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers. In addition to playing Dot Warner, MacNeille lends her versatile voice to a security alarm, a TV host, and many other minor roles in Animaniacs season 2.

Maurice LaMarche as The Brain and Various

One of the most famous mimics in the field of voice-over work, Maurice LaMarche broke into animation in a big way and has performed in over 350 animated series and video games. Like Tress MacNeille, he has voiced several characters for The Simpsons and Futurama, most notably Lt. Kif Kroker and the acting robot Calculon. LaMarche is famous for his impersonation of Orson Wells, which was dubbed over Vincent D’Onofrio in Tim Burton’s 1994 Ed Wood biopic. This impression also formed the basis of Brain, the super-genius mouse on Animaniacs, whose schemes to take over the world always end in disaster, one way or the other. LaMarche is also fondly remembered for playing Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters animated series, a role he won by attempting to impersonate Harold Ramis’ dry delivery after being instructed not to by the casting agents. In addition to once again voicing Brain, Animaniacs season 2 sees LaMarche voicing numerous background characters.

Frank Welker as Ralph the Guard and Various

In a cast of legendary voice actors, Frank Welker may be the most legendary — and it is virtually impossible for any fan of American animation not to have heard Welker’s work at some point. He is noteworthy as the only actor to voice two different characters for Scooby Doo, being the original voice of Fred Jones in 1969’s Scooby Doo, Where Are You? and the official voice of Scooby Doo since 2002. He played the role of Nibbler on Futurama, providing both his resonating speaking voice and the high-pitched grunts he made while pretending to be a dumb animal. In the original Animaniacs, Welker provided the voices for Ralph the Guard and Chicken Boo, among other characters. Welker returned to voice Ralph in Hulu’s Animaniacs but also provides the voices for various animals and background characters, including a vampire waiter.

Stephanie Escajeda as Nora Rita Norita and Various

Stephanie Escajeda is a noteworthy new recruit to the cast of Hulu’s Animaniacs. She provides the voice for Nora Rita Norita, who is the CEO of Warner Bros. in the reality of Animaniacs. A ruthless, no-nonsense executive, Nora does not suffer fools gladly and is precisely the sort of authority figure the Warner Siblings delight in tormenting. Escajeda is perhaps best known for providing the voice for Maria in Bordertown, a short-lived series produced by Family Guy producer Seth Macfarlane. She also played Mrs. Martin in 100 Things To Do Before High School and has voiced various characters for The Cleveland Show, Duncanville, and Family Guy.

Animaniacs Season 2 Supporting Characters & Who Voices Them

John DiMaggio as Benjamin Franklin: Beloved as both Bender in Futurama and Jake the Dog in Adventure Time, John DiMaggio plays the part of Benjamin Franklin in a historical sketch where the Warners become his new apprentices and proceed to run riot after he steals their inventions.

Danny Jacobs as Various: Best known for replacing Sacha Baron Cohen as King Julien in the various animated series based on the Madagascar films, Danny Jacobs lends his voice to various background players.

Kari Wahlgren as Various: Perhaps best known as the voice of Jessica on Rick and Morty and Zatanna in DC Superhero Girls, the versatile Kari Wahlgren voices several background characters in Animaniacs season 2.

About The Author

Matt Morrison
(1835 Articles Published)

Matt Morrison has been writing about comics since before the word
“blogging” was coined. He got his start writing for the
legendary DC Comics digital fanzine Fanzing,
before receiving his own column, The Mount. Since then he has gone on
to write for over a dozen websites, including 411
Mania, Comics
Nexus and The Cult of Nobody. He holds both an MS in Information
Science from the University of North Texas and a BFA from the
University of Texas at Arlington. Known as a font of comic book
history trivia, he has delivered lectures on the history of American
Comic Books, Japanese Manga, Doctor Who, and Cosplay at over a dozen conventions
and served as an Expert In-Residence for a course on Graphic Novels
for Librarians at the University of North Texas. In addition to his
work for Screen Rant, Matt is currently the Editor In Chief of
Kabooooom.com and writes reviews for No
Flying, No Tights – a graphic literature and anime review site
aimed at teachers and librarians. He also maintains a personal blog –
My Geeky Geeky Ways –
which hosts his extensive episode guide for the television series
making up The Arrowverse as well as his
comedic Let’s Play videos. What little spare time he has is
devoted towards acting, role-playing, movie-riffing and sarcasm. You
can follow his adventures on Twitter, @GeekyGeekyWays.

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