Crispin Freeman is an American voice actor, voice director and a screenwriter who is best known for voicing characters in English-language dubs of Japanese, including anime and video games. Some of his prominent anime roles include Zelgadis Graywords in Slayers, Kyon in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Togusa in the Ghost in the Shell franchise, Alucard in Hellsing, Kirei Kotomine in Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, Itachi Uchiha in Naruto, Gyomei Himejima in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Hagi in Blood+ and Shizuo Heiwajima in Durarara!!.
Early life
Freeman was born in Chicago. His father is Jewish. He is the oldest of three children. His sister Cassidy is an actress, while his brother Clark is an actor and musician.'Lex Schmex' – Meet SMALLVILLE's Tess Mercer Newsarama.com Freeman graduated from the Latin School of Chicago in 1990 and earned a BA from Williams College, where he majored in theater and minored in computer science. He then earned an MFA in acting from Columbia University and went on to perform on Broadway, at the American Repertory Theater, at the Mark Taper Forum, at Cincinnati's Playhouse in the Park, and at the Williamstown Theater Festival. As a child, he was greatly influenced by anime such as Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets. Casey Kasem voiced the role of his favorite character, Mark of Battle of the Planets, and Freeman even wanted to change his name to Mark at one point. He later discovered Voltron, Star Blazers, and Robotech. He has also stated that the reason he got into the industry was because of the anime The Vision of Escaflowne. He initially got involved in the voice-over industry when a friend of his landed a role in Peacock King.
Career
Knowing Freeman was a big anime fan, a friend suggested he call up Central Park Media (CPM) and apply for a job doing English dubs. When originally approached about dubbing, he initially declined. It was not until he remembered all of the anime shows he watched as a child that he realized that many people are introduced to anime through the English dubbed versions. In 1997, Freeman landed the role of Zelgadis Graywords in Slayers along with Lisa Ortiz, Eric Stuart and Veronica Taylor. He was the second and final voice actor to get the job after Zelgadis' original voice actor, Daniel Cronin, lost contact with CPM after a year-long halt in the dubbing. Years later, he turned to the American animation voice acting grounds.
Freeman has been best known for his work in Marvel Comics-based productions such as The Spectacular Spider-Man, Wolverine and the X-Men and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. He then starred as several versions of Roy Harper in Young Justice for DC Comics and Warner Bros. Since then, Freeman has had various roles throughout his career. He has appeared in many video game titles as memorable characters, such as Albedo from Namco's Xenosaga series, Helios in God of War III and God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, Haji, Joel the 6th and Van Argeno in Blood+, the main protagonist Baldur in Silicon Knights's Too Human, Breakdown in Transformers: War for Cybertron, the Winter Soldier in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and Iron Man in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2.
Freeman teaches classes, workshops, and performance lectures in the Los Angeles area. In addition to classes, Freeman has a website called Voice Acting Mastery which includes podcasts and other resources regarding voice acting.
In February 2023, Freeman guest voiced Lieutenant Nolan, an Imperial lieutenant with particular disdain for clones, the commanding officer of Crosshair, in Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
Filmography Anime + List of voice performances in anime Year Title Role Notes Source Revolutionary Girl Utena Touga Kiryuu, Dios –20002010 Slayers series Zelgadis Graywords –2000 The Irresponsible Captain Tylor Justy Ueki Tylor Also OVAs Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight Spark Virgin Fleet Mau Sakisaka OVA Photon The Galactic Emperor Shamanic Princess Kagetsu Boogiepop Phantom Masami Saotome, Manticore Angel Sanctuary Rosiel OVA Assemble Insert Host 1 Fencer of Minerva Sho RG Veda Taishakuten Now and Then, Here and There Tabool Rurouni Kenshin Shogo Amakusa Hellsing Alucard Cosmo Warrior Zero Warrius Zero I My Me! Strawberry Eggs Hibiki Amawa (male), Seiko's Father Vandread: The Second Stage Tenmei Uragasumi X Fuma Monou Digimon Frontier Kouichi Kimura, Duskmon, Lowemon, Bakumon, Pipismon Argentosoma 1st Lt. Dan Simmons, MORGUE Military Official .hack//Liminality Yuki's Brother, Harald Hoerwick OVA Chobits Hideki Motosuwa R.O.D.: Read or Die Joker OVA s-CRY-ed Straight Cougar, Councilmember The Big O Season 2 Alan Gabriel Geneshaft Mario Musicanova Initial D Koichiro "Cole" Iketani Spirit of Wonder Jim OVA Witch Hunter Robin Amon Last Exile Alex Row .hack//SIGN Balmung Kikaider 01 Rei / Kikaider 00 OVA Wolf's Rain Tsume Kaze no Yojimbo Genzo Araki, Yamamoto .hack//Legend of the Twilight Balmung Rave Master Shuda, Sieghart Angel Tales Shin –2005 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Togusa Also 2nd GIG Please Twins! Kosei Shimazaki Zatch Bell! Takeshi Kaneyama, Wonrei, Kane, Gustav, Mamoru Iwashima, Albert (Sherry's butler), Oren, Albert (Laila's bookkeeper), additional voices Scrapped Princess Shannon Casull Voice director, ADR Script Writer Planetes Colin Clifford Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki Kamikura 3rd OVA series –2009 Naruto Itachi Uchiha, Ebisu, Rasa Mars Daybreak Lt. Rich IGPX Bjorn Johannsen Eureka Seven Holland Noein: to your other self Karasu –2014 Hellsing Ultimate Alucard OVA series Blood+ Hagi, Van Argeno, Joel Goldschmidt VI The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Kyon Phoenix Oh-ama-no-miko Digimon Data Squad Thomas H. Norstein –2009 Code Geass Jeremiah Gottwald Lucky Star Tomokazu Sugita, Kyon (cosplayer) Strait Jacket Isaac Hammond 2009–2018 Naruto: Shippuden Itachi Uchiha, Rasa, Ebisu Durarara!! Shizuo Heiwajima Marvel Anime: Wolverine Tesshin Asano Tenkai Knights Vilius, Slyger Fate/Zero Kirei Kotomine –2016 Durarara!!×2 Shizuo Heiwajima The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan Kyon Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works Kirei Kotomine TV series God Eater Soma Schicksal Ingress: The Animation Jack Norman Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia King Hassan, Meuniere –2022Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045Togusa 2020Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no YaibaGyomei HimejimaYashahime: Princess Half-DemonOsamu Kirin, KirinmaruTV series Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Confessor OVA The Promised Neverland Peter Ratri Season 2 Pokémon Horizons: The Series Friede Sakamoto Days Kanaguri
Animation + List of voice performances in animation Year Title Role Notes Source W.I.T.C.H. Raphael Sylla Episode: "Z is for Zenith" –2009 The Spectacular Spider-Man Max Dillon / Electro, Thug #1 6 episodes Wolverine and the X-Men Multiple Man, Maverick –2013,2019–2021 Young Justice Roy Harper / Arsenal / Red Arrow, Jim Harper, Will Harper, Captain Boomerang, various voices Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Howard E. Robertson, Rhino, Ben, Cook Episode: "The Shrieking Madness" The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Scott Lang / Ant-Man Episode: "To Steal an Ant-Man" Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays Fabian Menkle TV special –2015 2017Steven Universe Doug Maheswaran, Male Nurse 3 episodes Wabbit Old Man #1, Dust Bunny 2 episodes –2018 Justice League Action J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter Adventure Time Turtle Prince, Ice President Episode: "Five Short Tables" All Hail King Julien Alex Episode: "The End is Here" Spider-Man Mysterio, Spot Episode: "Bring On the Bad Guys" Star Wars: The Bad Batch Lieutenant Nolan Episode: "The Outpost" X-Men '97 Maverick Episode: "Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs"
Films +List of voice performances in feature films Year Title Role Notes Source Grave of the Fireflies Doctors, Old Man English dub Adolescence of Utena Touga Kiryuu Night on the Galactic Railroad Campanella Space Travelers Hayabusa "Jay" Jetter Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Operator Sakura Wars: The Movie Brent Furlong Credited as Joseph McDougall, English dub Slayers Premium Zelgadis Graywords English dub Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence Togusa 2005Howl's Moving CastlePrince Justin / Turnip Head Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Rude Ice Age: The MeltdownVarious characters Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society Togusa English dub Resident Evil: Degeneration Frederic Downing The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya Kyon English dub Tiger & Bunny: The Rising Virgil Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Roy Harper / Speedy Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel I. presage flowerKirei KotomineEnglish dubMiraiYukko (Human Form)2019PromareKray ForesightFate/stay night: Heaven's Feel II. lost butterflyKirei Kotomine2021Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen TrainGyomei HimejimaFate/stay night: Heaven's Feel III. spring songKirei Kotomine2024Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are StarsAnti-Spiral2025Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity CastleGyomei Himejima
Video games