Voice Compare » Spider-Man » Aunt May
Comparision of the voice over actors who have been the voice of Aunt May with sound clips and images.
Aunt May Parker is a major supporting character in the Spider-Man series, who first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962). A native of Brooklyn, she fell for a criminal during her youth, but became attracted to fellow classmate Ben Parker and eventually they married. After Ben's older brother and his wife died, the couple took in their young son Peter and raised him as their own. After Ben was killed, May began to struggle with financial difficulty and raising the teenage Peter. A major conflict of the comic books is Peter hiding his secret identity from Aunt May
Created by UltimateCharm on Sun Sep 2 2012, 74 Comments, Add Comment
EDITOR'S OPINION
I think all these actresses did fine as Aunt May. They played the part of the doting caretaker to Peter Parker very well.UltimateCharm
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DaltonioSpidey94 said at 7:54 PM on Sat Jan 5 2013
This is where it makes me think people are just automatically voting for Spectacular Spider-Man voice actors without listening to them all, I never really liked Strangs' Aunt May. She didn't sound right for the part at all imo, she's my least favorite after Misty Lee. I voted for Linda Gary.
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pete said at 11:03 PM on Sat Jan 5 2013
@DaltonioSpidey94 DEborah is younger and is the Ultimate version personality wise with the health issues and age look of classic May and a bit of personality as well. Misty is the ULtimte version(obviously) but neither sound sturn enough for it.
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Anicomicgeek said at 4:20 PM on Sat Jan 26 2013
@DaltonioSpidey94
They're voting for Sepctacular, becuase it has good voice acting, unlike TAS, which should've vocie director and a lot of the actors he cast canned like he was in the 90s IM and FF cartoons. Besides, May on the show owes a little more to the Ultimate version.
ReplyThey're voting for Sepctacular, becuase it has good voice acting, unlike TAS, which should've vocie director and a lot of the actors he cast canned like he was in the 90s IM and FF cartoons. Besides, May on the show owes a little more to the Ultimate version.
pete said at 2:08 PM on Sun Feb 3 2013
@Anicomicgeek The second part of your sentence is a little messed up.
ReplyAnicomicgeek said at 11:58 PM on Sun Feb 3 2013
@pete
Yeah, I sadly have a tendency of posting stuff without looking over it for typos and errors. I should check that more often than I do.^^;
ReplyYeah, I sadly have a tendency of posting stuff without looking over it for typos and errors. I should check that more often than I do.^^;
coolgeek176 said at 12:40 AM on Sun Nov 4 2012
Deborah Strang is more what i picture Aunt May to sound like.
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Music Meister said at 7:44 PM on Wed Sep 12 2012
Peg was alright, was kinda a generic old lady voice but it did fit and you knew she was kind so she's alright.
June is basiclly using her Granny voice but it fits, fitting the age and warmth of Aunt May and is a good example of the voice work in the show
Linda Gary was great, she was kind, she made her seem old without over doing it and made Aunt May strong. She had a lot going on with her and never seemed winy but still had some weakness without over doing it.
Julie was a decent stand in for Linda, her voice sounds like Linda's and her performace was almost the same. Not as good as Linda's but she was still good.
Mindy tried but you can tell a younger woman is trying to sound older and it just sounds wrong.
Deborah is...well her performance is great but sometimes it's hard to tell what age she's suppose to be and the animation doesn't help (though the animation is basiclly one person's face differed slightly). Yeah yeah, it's a mix of Classic and Ultimate, well that doesn't help. Still it's a good example of the show's work.
A lot of poeple were bothered by a young Aunt May but I like it. Misty fits the young outgoing May, was strict yet kind. I like it.
Personally I like Gary the most, with Strange and Bennet seconds, and Lee and Foray at third.
Reply
June is basiclly using her Granny voice but it fits, fitting the age and warmth of Aunt May and is a good example of the voice work in the show
Linda Gary was great, she was kind, she made her seem old without over doing it and made Aunt May strong. She had a lot going on with her and never seemed winy but still had some weakness without over doing it.
Julie was a decent stand in for Linda, her voice sounds like Linda's and her performace was almost the same. Not as good as Linda's but she was still good.
Mindy tried but you can tell a younger woman is trying to sound older and it just sounds wrong.
Deborah is...well her performance is great but sometimes it's hard to tell what age she's suppose to be and the animation doesn't help (though the animation is basiclly one person's face differed slightly). Yeah yeah, it's a mix of Classic and Ultimate, well that doesn't help. Still it's a good example of the show's work.
A lot of poeple were bothered by a young Aunt May but I like it. Misty fits the young outgoing May, was strict yet kind. I like it.
Personally I like Gary the most, with Strange and Bennet seconds, and Lee and Foray at third.
pete said at 2:25 AM on Sat Jan 12 2013
@Music Meister Mindy was trying t copy Rosemary Harris and the end result was... well you know.
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Music Meister said at 9:51 PM on Sat Feb 2 2013
@pete You'd think they'd get someone else to fit the role...
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TheVengeanceKnight said at 3:43 AM on Sun Feb 3 2013
@Music Meister
The game was probably pretty low-budget, so they probably couldn't get a renowned casting director like Andrea Romano or Jaime Simone to cast people who fit the roles.
ReplyThe game was probably pretty low-budget, so they probably couldn't get a renowned casting director like Andrea Romano or Jaime Simone to cast people who fit the roles.
SpiderDreamer said at 10:09 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
Deborah's the best. She sounds old, but not frail, and that hidden strength comes through in her best moments. Of course, she also got much more interesting material than most of the other actresses here (love ya, June!).
And I'm sorry, but Misty is just TOO young. Her Aunt May sounds like she's in her 30s.
Reply
And I'm sorry, but Misty is just TOO young. Her Aunt May sounds like she's in her 30s.
Anicomicgeek said at 3:53 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
It's been almost a couple of years since I last got on so Gamecube; I'd almost forgotten how bad Mindy Sterling's Aunt May was, which is sad since I liked a lot of her other voice work.
I'm gonna go with Deborah Strang, though Misty Lee nd Linda Gary were good, too.
Reply
I'm gonna go with Deborah Strang, though Misty Lee nd Linda Gary were good, too.
Nightmare Crusher said at 1:28 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
I was honestly expecting Deborah Strang to immediately dominate the poll.
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CatsTuxedo said at 4:27 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@Nightmare Crusher So was I. But the fact that she's dominating the poll anyway just goes to show that people really are sheep. I suspect that the reason the majority of the users voting for Strang (and this goes to every other comic VC with a clear bias toward a single incarnation regardless of the quality of the performance) don't leave any comments and at least try to justify their choice is because they didn't even bother listening to the other actresses and are thus deliberately depriving themselves of a decent reason to vote for anyone else. And of course they won't be honest and admit as much in the comments because they know that's a dumb reason to vote for their favorite show (durr hurr, I mean "performance").
Me, bitter and cynical? Don't be silly! :P
ReplyMe, bitter and cynical? Don't be silly! :P
Anicomicgeek said at 4:32 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@CatsTuxedo
She's winning becuase she's actually good and suits the role. Just becuase she's in the elad doesn't make the people who vote for her sheep. A lot of people prefer more modern voice acting because it's more grounded and realistic.
ReplyShe's winning becuase she's actually good and suits the role. Just becuase she's in the elad doesn't make the people who vote for her sheep. A lot of people prefer more modern voice acting because it's more grounded and realistic.
pete said at 6:06 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@CatsTuxedo I'm thinking the same thing. They come here vote for Spectacular and then leave and are done. I go through the VC's before voting and like to pick someone who isn't already winning in the polls to be fair if I like another voice.
ReplyTheVengeanceKnight said at 6:42 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@CatsTuxedo
Le copy and paste time:
It's not biasing, it's because people genuinely like her performance and think it's the best. It's all a matter of opinion.
Also, the quality of a show is often synonymous with the quality of its voice acting. Great producers hire great casting directors, who hire great voice actors and pull great performances out of them (or something like that). ;-)
ReplyLe copy and paste time:
It's not biasing, it's because people genuinely like her performance and think it's the best. It's all a matter of opinion.
Also, the quality of a show is often synonymous with the quality of its voice acting. Great producers hire great casting directors, who hire great voice actors and pull great performances out of them (or something like that). ;-)
Anicomicgeek said at 7:12 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@pete
But the point is to pick your *favorite* voice. Just so happens, alot of people like Strang.
ReplyBut the point is to pick your *favorite* voice. Just so happens, alot of people like Strang.
D.A.V.E. said at 7:15 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@CatsTuxedo
I know right? It's so horrible that people are such blind sheep and use their freedom of thought to vote. :P
ReplyI know right? It's so horrible that people are such blind sheep and use their freedom of thought to vote. :P
CatsTuxedo said at 8:07 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@Anicomicgeek Whether something is "grounded and realistic" doesn't automatically make it better, especially when someone's idea of realism is simply removing anything that might be perceived as "out-there" or "cartoony" (looking at you, Pocahontas and Young Justice). There's a lot of classic voice acting that is just as high-quality and memorable (if not more so) as whatever is being classified as modern. Even the '80's, a low point for animation as an artistic medium, managed to get out some distinct, recognizable character voices here and there; I think a good reason Peter Cullen continues to voice Optimus to this day is because casting a "grounded and realistic" voice would be too risky.
ReplyAnicomicgeek said at 9:26 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@CatsTuxedo Peter Cullen's Optimus Prime isn't as cartoony as a lot of other vocies from that time, though. Besides, realism suited what Weisman in both Spectacular and YJ was going for, which was a more gronuded take and Timm also wanted a lot of more realsitic voices. Trying to go for, as Tad Stones from the one of the Hellboy Animated put it, a "live-action reading" is NOT a bad thing.
ReplyTheVengeanceKnight said at 10:06 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@CatsTuxedo
If you listen to G1 Optimus and compare it to Optimus in, say, Transformers: Prime or the movies, there's a very noticable difference. While I think part of it has to do with age, a lot of it has to do with a change in voice direction. Cullen's G1 voice is great for an 80's cartoon, but wouldn't work as well in a blockbuster or a modern animated series. Same goes with Frank Welker as Megatron.
ReplyIf you listen to G1 Optimus and compare it to Optimus in, say, Transformers: Prime or the movies, there's a very noticable difference. While I think part of it has to do with age, a lot of it has to do with a change in voice direction. Cullen's G1 voice is great for an 80's cartoon, but wouldn't work as well in a blockbuster or a modern animated series. Same goes with Frank Welker as Megatron.
TheVengeanceKnight said at 10:08 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@Nightmare Crusher Maybe the 90's fanboys finally had enough of SSM's superiority and decided to Blitzkrieg the poll? I kid, I kid. :-P
ReplyTheVengeanceKnight said at 10:29 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@pete In my defense, I was actually planning to vote for Misty Lee. But then I listened to the other clips and decided that Deborah Strang's was better. ;-)
Replypete said at 11:18 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@TheVengeanceKnight Though since Linda was winning I won't.
Replypete said at 11:20 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@Anicomicgeek If you saw my opinion I'm bothered that she's not a direct adaption of Ultimate Aunt Mat since she has Classic Aunt May in her as well. A direct adaption would be nice especially the way Misty's portrayed.
ReplyAnicomicgeek said at 11:25 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@pete So they decided to go with a combination of the to versions. It's not a big deal. I personally have no problem with it.
Replypete said at 11:34 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@Anicomicgeek That's ot why. I just wish a strict Aunt May like in the Ultimate Universe would be adapted and it bugs me she wasn't since Deborah was better than Misty with Ultimate Aunt May.
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Smarttamarr94 said at 7:34 PM on Wed Oct 10 2012
@CatsTuxedo IKR right. How dare someone have a different opinion than you! That was sarcasm by the way :p
ReplyTheVengeanceKnight said at 8:57 PM on Sat Nov 17 2012
@Smarttamarr94 Welcome to the internet; hope you survive the experience. :-P
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coolgeek176 said at 10:31 PM on Sat Jan 12 2013
@pete I think Deborah sound too old for Ultimate Aunt May. She sounds more like she is in her mid 60s than in her early 50s.
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TheVengeanceKnight said at 8:47 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
LOL 90's fanboys and their nostalgia. :-P
I went with Deborah Strang, as I thought she was best suited for the role. Misty Lee was good too.
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I went with Deborah Strang, as I thought she was best suited for the role. Misty Lee was good too.
Anicomicgeek said at 3:16 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@TheVengeanceKnight
If it makes you feel better, Strang is currently leading.
ReplyIf it makes you feel better, Strang is currently leading.
TheVengeanceKnight said at 6:39 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@Anicomicgeek Heh, I knew it was only a matter of time. :-P
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Metabad said at 10:16 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@TheVengeanceKnight Hey now, I was born and raised in the 90's and I actually never watched the 90's series (though I have seen clips here and there) I actually grew up with the 60's series (which would probably make me feel old, but even back then I knew it was made long before my time.) I don't really know why but I guess the 90's series didn't catch my interest back then.
There are some performances from that series I liked (Tony Jay as Baron Mordo especially, but also Efrem Zimbalist as Doc Ock and Jennifer Hale as Black Cat) but some I find kind of overrated (Venom and Carnage mostly)
So I'm not really all that biased for or against the show. I've never seen Spectacular Spider-man though. (My TV hasn't worked for many years.)
ReplyThere are some performances from that series I liked (Tony Jay as Baron Mordo especially, but also Efrem Zimbalist as Doc Ock and Jennifer Hale as Black Cat) but some I find kind of overrated (Venom and Carnage mostly)
So I'm not really all that biased for or against the show. I've never seen Spectacular Spider-man though. (My TV hasn't worked for many years.)
Metabad said at 10:30 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@TheVengeanceKnight Ah, alright, just figured I'd get out there that not everyone who grew up in the 90's saw this series. (or at least I didn't.)
ReplyMetabad said at 11:41 PM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@pete It doesn't seem to be available on Netflix from what I can see.
ReplyMetabad said at 12:15 AM on Tue Sep 4 2012
@pete I prefer watching shows on Netflix, personally.
Replypete said at 12:58 AM on Tue Sep 4 2012
@Metabad I'd rather not pay that's way it's the Internet.
ReplyMetabad said at 1:12 AM on Tue Sep 4 2012
@pete I guess I can see why, but with Youtube you get all these stupid arguments in the videos that half the time don't even relate to the video you're watching that get pretty annoying to read at times.
Not to mention that sometimes parts of movies or episodes can easily be taken down or go missing and even if they aren't taken down, with YouTube being the way it is it can be pretty much guaranteed that an episode or movie will get taken down or censored due to copyrights eventually. With Netflix there's less of a chance of an episode being taken down. Sure sometimes movies and shows get taken off of instant streaming, but normally not for censorship or copyright reasons and it always has a chance of going back up, either way though things aren't taken down often and there's normally something to watch. You get better video quality with Netflix too most of the time. Worst that happened with shows for me is that sometimes episodes are out of order, but normally a proper episode list can easily be found.
Netflix isn't flawless, but I'd take it any day over watching a show on YouTube.
ReplyNot to mention that sometimes parts of movies or episodes can easily be taken down or go missing and even if they aren't taken down, with YouTube being the way it is it can be pretty much guaranteed that an episode or movie will get taken down or censored due to copyrights eventually. With Netflix there's less of a chance of an episode being taken down. Sure sometimes movies and shows get taken off of instant streaming, but normally not for censorship or copyright reasons and it always has a chance of going back up, either way though things aren't taken down often and there's normally something to watch. You get better video quality with Netflix too most of the time. Worst that happened with shows for me is that sometimes episodes are out of order, but normally a proper episode list can easily be found.
Netflix isn't flawless, but I'd take it any day over watching a show on YouTube.
pete said at 1:59 AM on Tue Sep 4 2012
@Metabad All Spectacular Spider-Man episodes are up and have been for a while. You can always ignore comments or find an alternative site to watch Spectacular Spider-Man. If you Google it. it's your first result.
ReplyTheVengeanceKnight said at 5:53 AM on Tue Sep 4 2012
@pete
Hey now. Didn't you learn anything from the Young Justice episode "Beneath"? Piracy is EVIL, and some kid with an annoying voice will report you to the cops! :-P
ReplyHey now. Didn't you learn anything from the Young Justice episode "Beneath"? Piracy is EVIL, and some kid with an annoying voice will report you to the cops! :-P
PurpleWarrior13 (Moderator) said at 1:03 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
1. June Foray
2. Peg Dixon
3. Julie Bennett
4. Linda Gary
5. Mindy Sterling
6. Deborah Strang
7. Misty Lee
Reply2. Peg Dixon
3. Julie Bennett
4. Linda Gary
5. Mindy Sterling
6. Deborah Strang
7. Misty Lee
GothamRed said at 12:32 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
I like Linda and Deborah here. Linda is classic, for me at least growing up in the 90s, and her voice still fits today.
Deborah, who might sound a bit young but it's really just the difference between 50 and 70 to me really (ie seems like a lot a really isn't), I like for her acting, she really worked well in this role and actually brought a bit of life into what had become a very 1 note character over the years.
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Deborah, who might sound a bit young but it's really just the difference between 50 and 70 to me really (ie seems like a lot a really isn't), I like for her acting, she really worked well in this role and actually brought a bit of life into what had become a very 1 note character over the years.
GothamRed said at 12:36 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@GothamRed Also on a side note:
YAY!! A NEW MARVEL COMPARE! LIFE IS GOOD!!!
ReplyYAY!! A NEW MARVEL COMPARE! LIFE IS GOOD!!!
pete said at 12:49 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@GothamRed Since the 200th Voice Compare was being saved for something special(Mickey Mouse) and it was posted. They'll probably post a lot more of our requests now.
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pete said at 12:25 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
Awesome while I was typing my opinion Linda took a lead.
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pete said at 12:24 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
I'll go with Linda Gary. She sounds a bit more overprotective than Julie Bennett. That being said both Deborah Strang and Misty Lee are goo as Ultimate Aunt May but neither of them are direct adaptions of her. Strang's has Ultimate and Classic in her and Lee hasn't shown the strict firm authorive adult she is in the Ultimate universe. Peg Dixon is good considering she does all females and has rather good feel to her voive. Very caring and protective and June had a rather great voice for the role too sounding like and aged woman who is not only protective of Peter but also likes people to be polite and considerate. Mindy Sterling is definitely the weakest as she's trying o channel Rosemary Harris and sounds too young for that. so from best to worst.
1. Linda Gary
2. Julie Bennett
3. June Foray
4. Peg Dixon
5. Deborah Strang
6. Misty Lee
7. Mindy Sterling
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1. Linda Gary
2. Julie Bennett
3. June Foray
4. Peg Dixon
5. Deborah Strang
6. Misty Lee
7. Mindy Sterling
CatsTuxedo said at 11:58 PM on Sun Sep 2 2012
Strang and Lee are definitely too young for the role. I think I'll go with Dixon here.
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Anicomicgeek said at 12:00 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@CatsTuxedo
They were probably based on Ultimate Aunt May, who is indeed a bit younger than classic Aunt May.
ReplyThey were probably based on Ultimate Aunt May, who is indeed a bit younger than classic Aunt May.
TheVengeanceKnight said at 12:01 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@CatsTuxedo I don't think she's supposed to be THAT old; she's an aunt, not a grandmother. ;-P
ReplyCatsTuxedo said at 12:07 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@TheVengeanceKnight I think it has to do with my mental image of Aunt May being mainly influenced by the Sam Raimi movies (I was never much of a comic reader), not to mention that the majority of the performances here do indeed paint the character as elderly.
Replypete said at 12:29 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@CatsTuxedo Spectacular's was Classic and Ultimate combined and USM was well Ultimate's lol though neither are direct adaptions of Ultimate Aunt May. Ultimate Aunt May BTW is late 40's early to mid 50's unlike classic which late 60's and early to mid 70's.
Replypete said at 12:29 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@TheVengeanceKnight a rather aged aunt which is why they killed her off a few times only to bring her back.
Replypete said at 12:30 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@Anicomicgeek Yes they are though neither is completely accurate to the Ultimate version..
ReplyTheVengeanceKnight said at 12:31 AM on Mon Sep 3 2012
@pete While that's not beyond the realm of possibility, I think it makes more sense for Aunt May to be old, but not that old (a la the Ultimate Marvel Universe). But that's just me. :-)
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said at 1:28 AM on Sat Jan 12 2013