The name Barbara Larsen is associated with the accomplished American voice actress Barbara Goodson, as Larsen is one of several pseudonyms she has used throughout her career. Born on August 16, 1949, in Brooklyn, New York, Goodson has built an extensive career in voice-over work for animation, anime dubbing, and live-action productions since the 1960s.

Goodson's career is marked by remarkable versatility, frequently voicing characters ranging from elderly women to young boys. In the realm of anime, for which she is often credited as Barbara Larsen, her filmography is vast and includes numerous notable roles. She has provided voices for characters in a wide array of series, such as Gon's Great-Grandmother in Hunter x Hunter, Chiyo and Shima in the Naruto franchise, Torogai in Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, and Mitsune Konno in Love Hina. Her work also extends to classic and influential titles like FLCL, where she voiced the lead character Nandaba Naota, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, in which she voiced Prime Minister Yoko Kayabuki.

Beyond anime, Goodson is widely recognized for her iconic live-action voice role as the villain Empress Rita Repulsa in the long-running Power Rangers franchise, a character she voiced across several series and a feature film. Her other prominent voice work includes Red Fraggle in the animated series Fraggle Rock and Mother Talzin in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a performance that earned her a Best Actress award from the website Behind The Voice Actors.

Throughout her career, Barbara Goodson has been recognized for her talent with several accolades. She received an Earphones Award for her narration of the audiobook On A Night Like This. Furthermore, the series CloudBread, in which she was a cast member, was nominated for an Annie Award for Best Children's Programming in 2011.