Rob Paulsen

The voice of Yakko Warner and Pinky in the Animaniacs franchise.

Robert Frederick Paulsen III is an American voice actor born on March 11, 1956, best known for his roles as Yakko and Pinky in the Animaniacs franchise. For these performances he received three Annie Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program, which he won in 1999 for voicing Pinky. His work spans decades, from his first voice role in 1983 to reprising Yakko and Pinky in the Hulu revival that ran for three seasons from 2020 to 2023.

Quick Facts

Birth name: Robert Frederick Paulsen III
Born: 11 March 1956
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Education: University of Michigan-Flint
Occupation: Voice actor, voice director
Years active: 1978–present
Children: 1

Lore & Background

In 1993, he starred as Yakko Warner and provided the voice of Pinky from both Animaniacs and its spin-off, Pinky and the Brain. He won Annie Awards for the role of Pinky in 1996, 1997, and 1999, and in 1999 also won the Daytime Emmy Award for voicing Pinky. Paulsen has said that the voice of Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is very close to his natural voice. The franchise became a massive success, allowing Paulsen to return to these roles for the revival series on Hulu from 2020 to 2023.

Reader's Guide

For fans exploring Rob Paulsen's extensive career, the Animaniacs franchise stands as a central pillar. He originated Yakko Warner and Pinky in 1993, roles that earned him three Annie Awards and a Daytime Emmy in 1999. Beyond Animaniacs, Paulsen's guide through animation history includes voicing Raphael in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series (1987–1996) and Donatello in the 2012 series. His work also covers Mark Chang in The Fairly OddParents and P.J. Pete in Goof Troop.