NARF!
If you grew up in the nineties, that nonsensical syllable probably just triggered a massive wave of nostalgia. It’s the calling card of Pinky, the tall, dim-witted, yet strangely sweet lab mouse who spent his nights helping a megalomaniacal genius try to take over the world. But behind those drawings wasn't just a script; it was the incredible, lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry of two men. The voices of Pinky and the Brain, Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche, didn't just read lines. They built a legacy that redefined what TV animation could be.
Honestly, it’s rare to see a duo click like this. Most voice acting is done in isolation these days. Actors stand in a booth, alone, screaming at a wall. But for Pinky and the Brain, things were different. They recorded together. They fed off each other's energy.
The Men Behind the Microphones
Rob Paulsen is the guy you’ve heard in basically everything. He was Raphael in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Yakko Warner in Animaniacs. He’s got this elastic energy that’s impossible to replicate. When he became Pinky, he wasn't just doing a "dumb" voice. He was channeling a weird, British-inspired eccentricity that gave the character a soul. He famously based Pinky’s voice on a combination of a goofy British accent and a specific "silly" quality he found while messing around in the booth.
Then there’s Maurice LaMarche.
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If you want a voice that commands authority while sounding like it’s one minor inconvenience away from a total nervous breakdown, Maurice is your man. He voiced the Brain. Most people know that the Brain’s voice is a dead-on impression of Orson Welles. Specifically, it’s based on the infamous "Frozen Peas" outtakes where Welles was being a total jerk to a recording director. LaMarche took that pomposity and turned it into a mouse. It was genius.
A Partnership Built on Real Friendship
The voices of Pinky and the Brain aren't just colleagues. They are best friends in real life. You can actually hear that bond in the show. When the Brain hits Pinky over the head with a rolled-up blueprint, the timing of the "Zort!" or "Poit!" from Paulsen is perfect because they were standing three feet apart.
They’ve talked about this a lot in interviews. LaMarche often mentions how Rob is the "engine" of their comedy. Because Paulsen is so fast and chaotic, it allows LaMarche to play the straight man with incredible precision. They’ve done the routine for over thirty years now. Think about that. Thirty years of trying to take over the world. They even returned for the Animaniacs revival on Hulu in the early 2020s, and they didn't skip a beat. It sounded like they’d never left the booth.
Why Their Performances Still Hold Up
Most cartoons from that era feel dated. They rely on "extreme" 90s tropes or references that don't make sense anymore. But the voices of Pinky and the Brain created something timeless. The Brain’s frustration is universal. Who hasn't felt like they were the only sane person in a room full of idiots? And Pinky? Pinky represents the pure, unadulterated joy of just being alive.
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There's a specific nuance in LaMarche’s performance that people miss. It’s the vulnerability. Every time the plan fails—and it always fails—there’s a tiny crack in the Brain’s voice. It’s not just anger. It’s exhaustion. It’s the realization that his destiny is just out of reach. That’s high-level acting. It just happens to be coming out of a mouse.
- Rob Paulsen (Pinky): High energy, British-inflected, masters the "happy idiot" trope without being annoying.
- Maurice LaMarche (The Brain): Deep, Orson Welles-inspired, carries the weight of the world in every syllable.
- The Dynamic: They recorded in the same room, a rarity that allowed for improv and natural comedic timing.
The "Frozen Peas" Connection
You can't talk about these guys without mentioning the 1970 standard commercial outtake. Orson Welles was recording a radio spot for Findus Frozen Peas and got incredibly pedantic with the director about the phrasing. Maurice LaMarche used that specific "unhappy genius" energy to craft the Brain. In fact, there is an episode of Pinky and the Brain called "Yes, Always" that is a literal word-for-word recreation of that Orson Welles recording session. If you haven't seen it, go find it on YouTube. It is a masterclass in voice acting and an inside joke for the ages.
Impact on Modern Voice Acting
The voices of Pinky and the Brain changed the industry. Before them, voice acting was often seen as "lesser than" screen acting. But Paulsen and LaMarche brought a theatricality to it. They proved that you could have a show driven entirely by dialogue and character dynamics rather than just slapstick gags.
Rob Paulsen has even used his platform to help others. He survived throat cancer a few years ago—a terrifying prospect for a man whose livelihood is his voice. He wrote a book about it called Voice Lessons. His journey back to health and back to the microphone is a testament to how much he loves these characters. He literally fought to keep Pinky's voice alive.
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Maurice, meanwhile, has become a legend for his versatility. He’s won Emmys. He’s been in Futurama (as Kif Kroker and Lrrr), The Critic, and basically every major animated project of the last four decades. But for most of us, he will always be the mouse in the cage, planning his next move.
What You Should Do Next
If you're a fan of these legends or an aspiring voice actor, don't just watch the show. Listen to it. Really listen.
- Study the "Yes, Always" episode: It shows how Maurice uses breath control and pauses to convey arrogance.
- Listen to "The Animaniacs Podcast": Rob Paulsen hosts it, and he often brings on Maurice to talk shop. It’s an education in how the industry actually works.
- Support the actors directly: Both actors are active on the convention circuit. Meeting them is a rite of passage for any animation fan. They are famously kind to their fans.
- Watch the Hulu revival: See how they adapted the characters for a modern audience without losing the original spark. It's a rare example of a reboot that actually works.
The world of the voices of Pinky and the Brain is one of deep craft and even deeper friendship. They showed us that even if you're a lab mouse, you can still reach for the stars—even if you end up back in the cage by sunrise.