Roddy McDowall had a prolific career as an actor across film, television, and stage, with a significant body of work in voice acting, particularly in animated series and films. While his live-action roles, such as those in the Planet of the Apes series, are widely recognized, his voice brought to life a variety of characters in numerous animated projects from the 1970s through the 1990s.

One of his noted voice roles is in the 1979 Japanese-American stop-motion animated film Nutcracker Fantasy. In this adaptation of the classic tale, produced by Sanrio, McDowall voiced the dual roles of Franz, a guardsman in the Doll Kingdom, and his human counterpart, Fritz. His performance contributed to the film's dark, dreamlike atmosphere, a departure from more traditional adaptations of the story.

Beyond Nutcracker Fantasy, McDowall's voice acting career was extensive and included a wide range of characters in Western animation. He was a familiar presence in the DC Animated Universe, most notably providing the voice for the villainous Jervis Tetch, also known as the Mad Hatter, in the acclaimed series Batman: The Animated Series and its follow-up, The New Batman Adventures. He also voiced the character Proteus in the series Gargoyles.

His other notable voice credits include the role of Niddler in The Pirates of Dark Water, the Breadmaster in The Tick, Snowball, the evil lab mouse and rival to The Brain, on Pinky and the Brain, and various characters in shows such as Darkwing Duck and 2 Stupid Dogs. In one of his final film roles, he provided the voice of Mr. Soil in the Pixar film A Bug's Life. McDowall's ability to portray characters ranging from whimsical to sinister made him a sought-after talent in the animation industry, leaving a lasting legacy in the voice acting community.