J.K. Simmons Discloses He Originally Declined to…

In the multiverse of alternate scenarios, actor J.K. Simmons has eluded the iconic voice role of Omni-Man in Prime Video’s animated show, Invincible. Recently, the versatile performer revealed some hush-hush details about the voice role in a tête–à–tête with GQ as part of its Iconic Characters series.

As it turns out, Simmons was first approached for a different role in the adult animation series. However, after giving the script a thorough read, he amicably declined, feeling a bit like a square peg in a round hole. “It was really smart and weird and cool,” he ruefully recalls. Nevertheless, the animation gods were smiling, circling, and came back a few months later with an offer for Omni-Man.

The Remaking of Character Dynamics

As the proverbial dust settled on his pitch-perfect performance, imagining someone else voicing Omni-Man seems as absurd as a superhero forgetting his cape. Simmons’ work earned a standing ovation from both critics and loyal fans. Who knew animated characters could be subject to such intrigue, almost like a secret superhero identity!

“I don’t think I knew how twisted it was at the time, just another interesting dad character,” reminisces Simmons, potentially raising a toast to parents everywhere who find life just a little too unpredictably comic. The chance to work with the fabulous duo, Steven Yeun and Sandra Oh, was an irresistible cherry on the cake. You’d have to be wearing some seriously heavy boots not to be swept away, even if it means hanging out with your buddies in a recording studio.

A Surprise in Character Disguise

The twist, though? Veteran viewers might have been initially led down the sparkly path of believing that Omni-Man is indeed the world’s most powerful superhero. But, in classic animation-twist style, the rug swiftly got yanked out from under us. The deceptively benign persona of Nolan Grayson (aka Nowl-Ahn or Omni-Man) hiding a villainous identity for a cool two decades was a revelation that would have made any comic book aficionado do a triple backflip.

Between Spider Webs and Flying Capes

Invincible isn’t Simmons’ first rodeo in the world of comic book adaptations. He’s been around the animated block, bringing to life the stern and mustachioed J. Jonah Jameson, the editor-in-chief of Daily Bugle in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, and not to forget his reprised role in Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Far From Home and No Way Home.

Jumping from the world of bugs to the world of bats, Simmons served as the voice of Commissioner James Gordon in Justice League and lent his voice to General Wade Eiling in the Justice League Unlimited animated series.

So, if you’re in the mood for some top-tier voice acting with an unexpected twist, you’ll find J.K. Simmons in all his glory in the first two seasons of Invincible, available to stream on Prime Video. As the saying goes, “a Simmons’ performance is worth its weight in gold!”