Your view on Rob Paulsen as Donatello

[LeotheLateBloomer]

How do you guys feel about Rob Paulsen is doing as Donatello? Do you think he fits him as Don better than Raph? Do you think he's getting better as the series progresses? Do you believe he was better as Raphael? How did you first react when he was announced as Donnie?

This is all a matter of opinion.

[RaphAndDonnie]

I like him as Raph and Donnie about equally. He could pull of the snarky ness of Raph and now he can capture Don's personality well.

[Casey]

At first it weirded me out, but now I totally see why they cast him. He is incredibly talented and a great fit. Raph has evolved into a character not suited for such an animated voice like Paulsen's. Donnie being so animated though is a riot. He remains my favorite turtle even if he was once falsely and incorrectly voiced by Corey Feldman who SHOULD HAVE voiced Michelangelo.

[CyberCubed]

I'm surprised at how little he sounds like Raph. Rob did such a great job that you can easily tell Donnie's voice is nothing like Raph's.

[The Fifth Turtle]

Raph and Donny are VERY distinct. Hell he even voiced them on the same episodes and if you didn't know any better you'd never know they were voiced by the came people.

[plastroncafe]

It's funny, before the show aired I thought that Biggs and Astin would be the voices I found the most distracting, but...it's really Paulsen and Cipes that jar me the slightest bit at the beginning of each episode.

I love Paulsen's Donnie. I love that he frustrates as easily as he does, and is as expressive. It'd be far too easy to make Donnie aloof, and I'm glad they went with a more animated socially-inept take on him.

[BabyTurtles]

I love Rob voicing Donnie~ it's perfect ^__^ I like his attitude also~

I love all the voices!! *___*

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

I think that Rob Paulsen sounds awesome as Donatello. I was listening to one of his podcasts a while ago and all i could picture in my head was Donatello from the 2012 series. He is that good.

[blindturtle02]

I'm great with him as Don. You can tell that Paulsen is glad to be doing the voice. You can tell from his podcasts and panels he's attended that he def respects TMNT and is still thrilled to be a part of it. It's amazing that he's still surprised when people tell him how the OT effected them growing up. He's got a great amount of humility for such a well-known va. I imagine he'll have kids from present day coming up and telling him the same thing when they've gotten older, if he doesn't already. He's the type of person that gives 110 percent, and it shows. Yet, he seems like the type of guy who couldn't care less about the attention and everything that comes with it. He's not Paulsencentric, he's peoplecentric much like the characters he portrays. And that's exactly the kind of actor you need in kids' shows like Turtles. He certainly imbues Don with the same generous spirit he possesses as a person. There's this podcast he did right after the nightmare at Sandy Hook. It featured the cast of the 2012 TMNT series. If you want a really clear pic of what this guyand his pals bring to the table both as actors and in the real world, that one's definitely worth a listen. Yeah it's old news, but it's refreshing to revisit when reading or seeing news stories that are a trifle unsettling. Anywho, seems like both OT and 2012 casts are great groups of people from what I've learned via the DVDs and Talkin' Toons, but I won't get into all that since this is a Don thread.

[Bry]

It says a lot about his talent that, even with as recognizable a voice as he has, he's been able to portray these two distinct characters in the same franchise, and so damn well. Seriously, he just nails it every time. I'd be curious to see him try playing Leo and Mikey at some point, even as a one-off experiment.

[Lisardo]

I enjoy him voicing both characters. I agree with others in that even tho it's the same guy voicing both, he does so in a way that differentiates each character. But there's still a bit of Rob's personality in Donny, esp. the way he quips with the others and freaks out the way he does. But I gotta still love OT Raph's sarcastic wit, and kind of sly attitude. I think Rob voiced Raph a bit lower than he does with Donny too.

[Powder]

I was a little put off when I heard the news, only because I thought we'd end up having a turtle who sounded exactly like a past turtle. But once I saw the first episode I knew we were in for something great. He kills it, Donnie is 100% his own character, & I couldn't see anyone but Rob pulling off that role at this point.

[kelligrafie]

Raph and Donny are VERY distinct. Hell he even voiced them on the same episodes and if you didn't know any better you'd never know they were voiced by the came people.

No I think you'd notice the similarity there. It's not like you're comparing Pinky with Raphael which are two VERY different voices. Rob said that Donnie and Raph are both very close to his natural voice, which if you listen to his podcast is true.

But I have noticed all the voice actors' voices progressing over the two seasons as they've all really grown into their respective characters. I don't think Donnie in episode 1 sounds exactly the same as he does in the Manhattan Project.

I also think Hoon's getting more and more sassy wiseman with Splinter. I have no complaints though. ;)

[TurtleTitan97]

I love it. Rob has helped make this Donnie my favorite version of the character.

[pannoni1]

He's great as both, and Manhattan Project proved it could, mostly due to the fact that Nick Raph is more Mirage rooted with a more aggressive approach whereas Fred Wolf Raph (which does seen a bit goofy now upon rewatching) sounds corny but still has the down to earth attitude compared to the others. Sean Astin does a good job at Raph as a result and fits in well with Josh Pais, Nolan North, and Frank Frankson's. Donatello can get a bit of a temper if he can't figure something out, but never typically is associated with a hardcore stamina like most Raph's are. And Rob Paulsen is one of the best voice of actors of all time, so it works out fine!

[BubblyShell22]

I absolutely love Rob as Don, and when I heard the news, I was stoked. I knew he could pull it off because he's talented, and I definitely hear a distinct difference in Don's and OT Raph's voices when Rob does them. I love how Don's personality has changed and Rob has just done an amazing job. Then again, all of the VA's have done an awesome job with their characters and have definitely progressed and have a really good "feel" for their characters.

[MikeandRaph87]

Its hard to listen to because he is the definitive Raphael for me so hearing his voice come out of a different turtle is disorienting no matter how long its been into the series. I doubt I am alone in this.

[Warhorse]

He does really good, but I still picture OT Raphael whenever 2012 Donnie starts to flip out "HE GRABBED ME BY THE FACE!". Not that it's a bad thing (Rob's hilarious take on Raph was probably why Raphael became my favorite to begin with)

Still, just for chuckles, I'd like to hear Donnie tell someone to go suck a lemon! Just once, for old times sake!:D

[Bossa Nova]

I didn't grow up with the 80's turtle's, so I didn't have the problem of instantly associating Rob with Raph when I first heard him, and rewatching the 80's series now I can certainly hear a difference between them. That being said, I'm not a huge fan of Rob's voice altogether, and even though he's a terrific actor and seems really down to earth and awesome, the actual sound of his voice (especially the more high pitched version he uses for characters like Don) is like nails on a chalkboard to me. So personally I'd have to take a pass and would have really preferred if someone else was chosen and Rob was given a different character, possibly a supporting character like Feldman was given.

[Jester]

I refuse to answer on the grounds of my colossal bias.

[snake]

I love it, he's clearly the best Donatello.

[Sabacooza]

I think Rob does a really good job as Donnie. It never really bugged me knowing he did Raph's voice in the OT.

[kolaida]

I love his voice. It doesn't jar me at all (only Mikey's voice was slightly jarring to me a few times, but I got it over it). I think it's great and fits the characters well.

[tylerdavies]

I think he's great. simple as that

[Papenbrook]

I don't really like Rob Paulsen as Donnie. His voice is too high-pitched for me, and his tone(as Don) is immature. This is only my opinion though.

[CyberCubed]

Its hard to listen to because he is the definitive Raphael for me so hearing his voice come out of a different turtle is disorienting no matter how long its been into the series. I doubt I am alone in this.

Really? I don't even think about Raphael at all when hearing Donnie talk in Nick. He sounds completely different.

[Cure]

I still wish they had gone with someone else, but I live with it.

[Shark_Blade]

He's perfect as Donnie.

[billbot85]

I think Rob Paulsen great as Donnie! I don't even think of OT Raph when I hear him talking as Donnie, even though Paulsen has such a distinct voice. As other members here have mentioned before, he's made such a new and distinct character out of him, and I can't imagine anyone else doing a better job.

In short, Rob Paulsen rocks! :tgrin:

[cryan]

You do have to remember that both characters are different. This is the first time Paulsen as Donnie ever used Techno jargon. The one scene I like is when April is throwing cans of salt so Donnie can stop the worm.

[Warhorse]

You do have to remember that both characters are different. This is the first time Paulsen as Donnie ever used Techno jargon. The one sense I like is when April is throwing cans of salt so Donnie can stop the worm.

Really, because I think Donatello in this version is just like OT Raph in personality. But, like I said, Raphael became my favorite in the OT, and probably for that reason, his sarcasm and wit, and the mood suits this Donnie just fine.

[909 Turtle Fan]

As others have said, originally I was thinking it would be off, but he absolutely KILLS it as Don.

[TheBlueTurtle1]

I think he makes me enjoy the show 50% more, since he is such a great Don, more so than Raph tbh.

[BubblyShell22]

Here's one of my fave exchanges between Don and Raph:

Raph: Go for the head.

Don: I just did!

Raph: Do it better.

Don: Great. Two times in a row. He'll never see THAT coming!

And I also love it when Don's under pressure and starts yelling at the others. Rob does a great job with that.

[Karai Samurai]

I randomly watched a few clips of OT on Youtube and I can hear the resemblance between OT Raph and Nick's Donnie. Paulsen just does Donnie's voice in a higher pitch and with a more animated tone. Still, he does a great job as Donatello. Spazzy Donnie is the best ("It's a kraang sweet sixteen birthday party - how am I supposed to know?") and Paulsen's voice is part of the reason why everyone loves Donatello.

[fridaynightdestination]

He does a great job! I like his Donnie voice, it fits Donnie's face and personality, and he does a great job voice acting. This is the best Donnie.

[Jephael]

Everyone here's pretty much hit the nail on the head already, though all I can say is I'm really hoping at some point they show the 80s TMNT again just so we can see the interaction between Fred Wolf Raphael and Nickelodeon Donatello we were promised.

[Warhorse]

I think one of Raphael's most iconic line in the OT was the "Does go suck a lemon mean anything to you?" and it would be nice for Donnie to quip that out.

[Ninja Tiptup]

Rob Paulsen has been a phenomenal Donatello. It was a surprise to me just how different he makes Donatello and Raphael feel. In Wormquake his Raphael had a distinctly different tone than his Donatello and to me that shows just how amazing an actor he is.

This Donatello is a smart guy but he's also a smart-ass and a hopeless romantic and those are two levels of the character that he can bring to life. He's also quite apt at screaming which seems to be something this Donatello ends up doing a lot.

Rob Paulsen has said he considers himself a better actor today than he was 20 years ago and it shows. I'd argue he could probably voice the Fred Wolf Raphael even better now but I prefer Raphael to be closer to Mirage. Donatello falls into the smart-ass role very well when given the opportunity. The first movie is an excellent example and if there was one thing I would have changed about Donatello in the 2003 series, is he'd be a lot more sarcastic. With the 2012 series I get a sarcastic Donatello who is more than a little high strung and it works beautifully.

I never doubted Rob Paulsen could deliver as Donatello but I never could have expected just how amazing his performance turned out.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

As for me, I think Rob Paulsen does a great job as Donatello, possibly because he's been in the TMNT business for a while now. His Donatello is one of the most relatable. His version of the turtle matches Rob's sensabilities to the point where I can see the two becoming one. I think the difference is that his Raph voice is bit deeper while his Don voice is a bit higher pitch. I loved him as Raphael but he fits Donatello more, especially these days. Even though my favorite voice actor for Don is Sam Regal, I still think Rob is a great fit for Donatello.

[shuriken]

I like it. Definitely the most neurotic of all Donnies, but it works.

[Icebot]

For me, it took time to get used to it. My first times watching the show, every time I would hear Donatello talking, I kept thinking it was Raphael.

I like having an old toon actor on this show! It makes the old toon feel alive to me!

[MST3KFan]

When I first heard he was playing Donnie I was puzzled. Why would Raph be voicing Donnie.

Then I heard him and it's basically a totally different thing. You still hear Rob Paulsen in Donnie, but it's not like Raph, it's is own thing.

Now I can't picture anyone else doing the modern Donnie.

[Ninjawolf]

I think Rob does a great job as Donnie he's hilarious! Actually the entire cast is excellent IMO

[TurFlytle]

I think Rob's voice combined with Donnie's personality fits him very well. Donnie's kinda a nerdy type of guy! :lol:

[Warhorse]

I like it. I like Donnie's and Leo's voices, but I still am not a fan of Raph's or Mikey's. I wish Mikey's was a bit more grittier, like in the 1990 flick, and I wish Raph's was a bit more deeper, with a Brooklyn accent, like the 2007 movie.

[1987]

rob paulsen has actually been voicing donatello since 1987 on the very first episode turtle tracks, when april just meets the turtles in the sewer lair and tries to run away and accuse them of committing the robberies, donatello jumps up and blocks her path with his bo-staff and says "aaaaa wait a minute did i miss something here? aint u up on current events lady, we just saved your life!" and clearly u can hear that it is rob paulsen's voice.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

I love that he's doing Donnie in the new show. It was one of the main things that started me watching it, since I wasn't keen on the animation style and character designs, initially. But when I heard he was voicing Donnie, I was curious enough to give it a chance. And I LOVE him as Donatello! This is a version of Don I really enjoy, and he is actually my second fave turtle in this show. (Mikey is still my first, though I dislike what they've done to him....)

[swing_kinker]

rob paulsen has actually been voicing donatello since 1987 on the very first episode turtle tracks, when april just meets the turtles in the sewer lair and tries to run away and accuse them of committing the robberies, donatello jumps up and blocks her path with his bo-staff and says "aaaaa wait a minute did i miss something here? aint u up on current events lady, we just saved your life!" and clearly u can hear that it is rob paulsen's voice.

Those mistakes happened quite a lot on the old series, very sloppy at times. Regarding the question, his voice is so distinctive it's hard not to think "ah rob paulsen" rather than getting lost in the character. That said, there's a reason he's used so much.....he's very good. This show shows the importance of good voice acting, I was really turned off by the animation so never gave it a shot but the voice acting is so good it really makes the characters likeable and natural

[Garfield]

I think he does a good Don for this version of Don. Its spot on. He show range well. Its not just him using his Raph voice for Don

My favorite Don's voice is Barry Gordon's, but I just like that version of Don more overall.

[Tubuloso 1984]

The voice certainly fits the character design. With Donnie's gap tooth, he looks like he would have that high pitched sorta weaselly voice.

[Master Rabid]

I don't really have anything to say that anyone else in this board hasn't, but I think Rob does a great job as Donnie; his higher pitch and more awkward/over-the-top performance makes it different from his Raphael.

[MikeandRaph87]

Let me sum up this topic...

Jester:Rob Paulsen is the voice of God! He can voice the entire character list on his own!

MikeandRaph87:When I think of Raphael I think Rob Paulsen so hearing in effect Raphael coming out of Donatello it plays havoc with my mind.

Cybercubed:Are you kidding? Rob sounds different enough to make Donatello is his own.

AndrewNDB:I don't care I just want to hear Rob read a line where his turtle Raph or Don kills someone.

TurtleTitan97:Speaking for the generation that was introduced to the franchise with rthe 2003 carton I say Rob nails both and is distinct enough.

Gobo:He's okay.If he voices all these characters why not a muppet?

Did I sum up the responses good enough?:tlol:

[fridaynightdestination]

The only problem I have with Rob is the dudes 58 and sometimes in the show Donatello sounds like he's 58! I get that people get old, it's just weird to have a TMNT sound like an old man sometimes, but it's better teenage voice than Sean Astin. I love Sean Astin, he did an amazing job as Sam in The Lord of the Rings, but the dude sounds like a 45 year old man as Raphael! And while Donnie does sound old sometimes, Rob pulls off a better teenager voice than Sean.

[BubblyShell22]

Are you kidding me? Don doesn't sound like an old man at all and neither does Raph. I think they both get it right with the teenager part, and I especially like Sean's take on Raph being sarcastic and rash. As for Don, I don't hear an old man when I listen to his voice. He sounds young enough to me.

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

The only problem I have with Rob is the dudes 58 and sometimes in the show Donatello sounds like he's 58! I get that people get old, it's just weird to have a TMNT sound like an old man sometimes, but it's better teenage voice than Sean Astin. I love Sean Astin, he did an amazing job as Sam in The Lord of the Rings, but the dude sounds like a 45 year old man as Raphael! And while Donnie does sound old sometimes, Rob pulls off a better teenager voice than Sean.
Funny, i was thinking how much Rob Paulsen doesn't sound like an old man. Neither does Sean.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

I don't think they sound like old men either but I do think that they sound like they're in their 20s. But this is all about you guys' opinions, express what you think about Rob Paulsen as Donatello.

[MiBs]

I love Sean Astin, he did an amazing job as Sam in The Lord of the Rings, but the dude sounds like a 45 year old man as Raphael!

Haha, you shouldn't watch the 2K3 show then

[fridaynightdestination]

Haha, you shouldn't watch the 2K3 show then

Too late, yeah, Sean Astin is better than that guy. Well, honestly, I've never been a fan of the voice actors in 2K3. Leo and Donnie are fine, Raph sounds like a 45 year old man like he does in the 2012 show, Michelangelo sounds like a smoker, and I can barley understand Splinter! Still a good show, but 2012 show is 10X better, at least I think. But you guys, go to the Youtube video "Best of Donatello TMNT 2012", or pop in the Rise of the Turtles DVD, and go the part where Raph says "You shoulder dropped the staff" And tell me that doesn't sound like a 45 year old.

[Electric]

Is he a good Donnie? Absolutely

Do I like him as Donnie? Not at all

Donatello was always my favorite turtle until this series. I liked how calm, focused, passive and mature he was. He was always played off as just the nice intelligent guy. In this series, he's more high strung, neurotic, stressed, and dorky. They obviously are making him more of a nerd than before.

The voice for most previous donatellos had always been similar, very smooth, relaxed. I don't know how to describe it but most of them all sounded alike. To create this more nerdy don, they're using rob, with a higher more dorky voice.

So, it's not so much me disliking rob, because his voice fits this Donnie well, I just don't care for this Donnie.

[Powder]

Not trying to sway your opinion of the character or anything but he had most of those qualities in the OT & Next Mutation, just not to the extent he does in the Nick series.

[Electric]

No that's a fair point.

I grew up with the 03 series which had a very calm and passive don, and the other incarnations I was exposed to did as well, where as I never really enjoyed the OT or next mutation. So I'm definitely biased. When I think of don, I always think of the 03 voice actor, who sounds similar to the 07 movie and the out of the shadows don. (OOTS Donnie was probably my favorite don voice out of all of them)

But with nick, to me, they overdid it with the nerdiness. With the skinny egghead design, high pitched voice, randomly blurting out facts, having a short fuse etc. It just pushed don outa my favorite turtle spot for this series:ohwell:

[Powder]

Yeah, 4kids' Donnie is super mellow. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but I found him to be quite bland there. He keeps to himself in the Mirage books but he's sort of tightly wound due to how much is going on in his head at any given time, so he's had a few moments there where he snapped. I think that lends a bit of credit to this "new" persona, though at the same time it's sort of just OT Donnie in overdrive with a few more nerd tropes thrown in. Donnie has pretty much always been my second favorite, but for me, this overhaul has had the opposite effect on me than you, in that he's definitely my #1 turtle in the Nick universe. I find him to be both refreshing yet true to the spirit of the character, or at least some versions past.

[Electric]

I guess I just prefer the more calm don, because there's always Mikey and raph to freak out. But I could see how he could be bland.

Don't get me wrong, this Donnie is still a great one, and is my second favorite turtle in this series, but just changes too many things about Donnie that put him in my #1 spot

[snake]

I never really liked Donatello in 2k3. To boring for me,but to be honest, aside from nick and the OT, I don't like don in anything else.

[Warhorse]

Is he a good Donnie? Absolutely

Do I like him as Donnie? Not at all

Donatello was always my favorite turtle until this series. I liked how calm, focused, passive and mature he was. He was always played off as just the nice intelligent guy. In this series, he's more high strung, neurotic, stressed, and dorky. They obviously are making him more of a nerd than before.

The voice for most previous donatellos had always been similar, very smooth, relaxed. I don't know how to describe it but most of them all sounded alike. To create this more nerdy don, they're using rob, with a higher more dorky voice.

So, it's not so much me disliking rob, because his voice fits this Donnie well, I just don't care for this Donnie.

You know who the Nick Donnie reminds me of. McGee from NCIS.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

I've always loved Donatello in the 2003 cartoon. He was always sweet, compassionate, and looked like the type of character that would help others in need and not seem to judge others. It sort of broke out of that "we're dark" image that the Mirage comics had. I think he was given a much bigger role in the 2003 cartoon where he was more active and had more personality. It was the show that actually made me like Don for the first time.

[Powder]

It sort of broke out of that "we're dark" image that the Mirage comics had..

Spoken like someone who never read them.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

I have read them.

[graphic_content]

at first, without knowing the cast, when hearing Donnie, I immediately thought Raphael, and when I read up on the casting, I now know why.

Having grown up on the old cartoon, those voices stayed with me, and to this day, despite the fact that I love the nick toon, I cannot hear Donnie, and not 'hear' Raph too.

but, I love Raphs 'new' voice...so thats a plus to me.

[GeneralTragg]

I like Paulsen's voice, I just don't like how whiny and neurotic they made Donatello...

[sdp]

He sounded too much like Raph at first for me, maybe because I had just seen the OT recently. Now I can watch it and it sounds good to me.

[madyankees]

I won't say he's messing up but I think the whiny nature of Don in the nick show makes him a less likeable character. Plus all that romance thing with April just makes things worse.

[Powder]

I won't say he's messing up but I think the whiny nature of Don in the nick show makes him a less likeable character. Plus all that romance thing with April just makes things worse.

Aaaaaand none of that has to do with Rob. He's not a writer on the show.

[madyankees]

Aaaaaand none of that has to do with Rob. He's not a writer on the show.

Can't argue with that.

But just for the record, I don think Rob sounds old at all. In fact he sounds a lot "less mature" than all the other earlier versions which fits into the nick show pretty well.

Between the 2 turtles he's played though, I definitely prefer him as Raph.

[JTH]

Rob was the perfect choice for Donnie in this show.

I personally don't mind that he's more edgy because quite frankly nearly ALL the characters are more edgy in this show than most the others.

Leo has more of an edge.
Mikey has more/or a different style of edge.
Raph...is Raph.
Splinter isn't the usual Splinter we've seen.
Hell, April has more of an edge than any other.

So Donnie's sharper edge just goes along with the show's style.

[Bossa Nova]

Rob was the perfect choice for Donnie in this show.

I personally don't mind that he's more edgy because quite frankly nearly ALL the characters are more edgy in this show than most the others.

Leo has more of an edge.
Mikey has more/or a different style of edge.
Raph...is Raph.
Splinter isn't the usual Splinter we've seen.
Hell, April has more of an edge than any other.

So Donnie's sharper edge just goes along with the show's style.

Define "edge". Bratty? Annoying? Rude? Self-centered? Immature? I can agree if that's your definition. Otherwise, I'm not sure edge is the word you're looking for.

[Powder]

We get it, the show irks you. There's really no need to continue reminding us.

[Luckyday]

The characters are written to be more flawed and sometimes having those flaws will make them seem unlikeable at times.

[Chris_a_Bunga]

It feels weird to admit it but honestly the Nick version of Donnie is my favorite aside from the comics (Mirage and Current IDW) and original movie, I have always loved Cory Feldman's version.

[Scrabblemouse]

Donatello has always been my favourite turtle, right from watching the 80's cartoon as a nipper to the modern day adaptations, and every version of Donnie has always been my 'favourite'....that is until the next one comes along!

I thought the 2003 version was my absolute favourite until the wonderful Rob Paulsen came into the frame. I have loved this man for years as I am a huge Animaniacs fan and I think he has got Donatello spot on. I did like the earlier interpretations but now I feel we are finally getting a more rounded character with Rob's Donnie - I particularly love the freak-outs and the wry humour that he has