Aside from a bunch of big budget blockbuster animated features, 2012 had a surprising amount of voice over performances in film. It seems like voice overs are back in a big way. This does not mean that films are lazily relying on narration to cover for plot holes. It means that screenwriters are creating characters that communicate to the audience even when they aren’t onscreen.

Here are the best voice acting performances of 2012. Each film can only have one nominee in the actual ranked category; otherwise, Brave, Paranorman, and Wreck-It Ralph could have filled up the whole thing.

Honorable Mentions:

bestvoiceactinghonorablementions Best Voice Acting in Film 2012

  • Jodelle Ferland, Paranorman
  • Irrfan Khan, Life of Pi
  • Seth MacFarlane, Ted
  • John C. Reilly, Wreck-It Ralph
  • Emma Thompson, Brave
  • Julie Walters, Brave