Jean Barney is a French actor whose career spans theatre, film, television, and voice work, with a particular prominence in dubbing for French-language versions of international productions and animated series. After studying at the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique, he began his stage career in 1968 and soon expanded into film and television roles. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Barney established himself as a familiar face in French cinema and on television, appearing in series such as Au théâtre ce soir and the historical serial Le Roi qui vient du sud, where he played Henri de Navarre. However, it is in the realm of voice acting that he has become particularly well-known to a broad audience.

Barney's voice is frequently heard in French dubs of Hollywood films and animated features. He is notably the regular French voice actor for American performer J. K. Simmons, lending his voice to Simmons's roles in films such as the Spider-Man trilogy and Thank You for Smoking. His work in animation is extensive and includes voicing Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke in Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Jack the Clipper in Rango, and the character Doris in the Shrek film series. He also provided the voice for Phaéris in the French animated television series Wakfu.

In the specific context of anime, Jean Barney has contributed his voice to the French adaptations of several major Japanese series. He is one of the actors who has voiced the iconic samurai Goemon Ishikawa XIII in the French version of Lupin the 3rd, a role he performed in the dubs produced in 2005 and 2007. His work on this long-running franchise connects him to one of the most enduring characters in anime history. More recently, he took on the role of Geo Noto Soto, a powerful priest and father to one of the main characters, in the French dub of the Netflix anime series Bastard!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy-, which was produced in 2022. These performances highlight his ability to bring a range of animated characters to life, from stoic warriors to authoritative figures. Beyond performance, Barney also contributes to the craft as a workshop leader for actors specializing in dubbing.