Charlie Adler gives manic cartoon voices distinct personalities, often playing several in the same programme. We rate his sustained character work; Transformers offers a less rewarding introduction than his animation performances.
Fi1m perspective
In Cow and Chicken (1997), Charlie Adler voices Cow, Chicken and the Red Guy, keeping three personalities distinct through some decidedly excitable deliveries. We rate that ability to sustain a character while letting the voice run loose. His comic performances often favour the manic or neurotic, but the important skill is making each speaker recognisable. Keeping that distinction clear across a series takes more than finding a funny sound.
Tiny Toon Adventures (1990) made productive use of that energy in Buster Bunny, with Tom Ruegger and voice director Andrea Romano among his collaborators. Ed and Bev Bighead in Rocko's Modern Life (1993) offered another paired assignment, while Ickis in Aaahh Real Monsters (1994) drew on his neurotic comic delivery. These recurring parts allowed him to develop characters beyond the initial impression of an unusual voice. His move into voice direction in the late 1990s, notably with Klasky Csupo's Rugrats, also took him beyond performing the parts himself.
Transformers (2007) is a less persuasive place to start with him. He voices Starscream for Michael Bay, returning to a franchise in which he had played Silverbolt in the original television series. The whiny, amplified delivery belongs to his established work with agitated characters, though the film itself earns only a mixed verdict from us. We grew impatient with the muddled fights and laboured comedy; neither gave us much reason to care about the next confrontation.
The robots in Transformers are intricate and convincing, and there are passages where watching them is pleasure enough. The thin characters remain a problem, and Adler's presence is no reason to excuse the film around him. He continued as Starscream in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), but the franchise is a narrow introduction to an actor whose clearest distinction is sustaining several personalities within one production. For a better sense of what we value in his work, start with Cow and Chicken.
Biography
Charlie Adler is an American voice actor and voice director. He began his career as a stage actor, touring in productions including Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy.
Adler has voiced numerous characters in animation and film. His credits include Buster Bunny in Tiny Toon Adventures (1990–1992), multiple roles in Rocko's Modern Life (1993–1996) and Cow and Chicken (1997–1999), Ickis in Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994–1997), and Starscream in the Transformers films (2007, 2009, 2011). He provided additional voices for Aladdin (1992) and The Little Mermaid (1989).
Adler has also worked as a voice director on series including Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. He received an Emmy Award for dialogue direction.
