# Scott McNeil
**Scott McNeil** (born 1962) is an Australian-born Canadian voice actor based in Vancouver, British Columbia, known for voicing multiple characters in *[Beast Wars: Transformers](https://www.edgepedia.org/beast-wars-transformers)*, [Wolverine](https://www.edgepedia.org/wolverine) in *X-Men: Evolution*, [Piccolo](https://www.edgepedia.org/piccolo-dragon-ball) in the Ocean dub of *Dragon Ball Z*, and Duo Maxwell in *Gundam Wing*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/) • [2](https://www.animeboston.com/guest/guest_details/56) He is among the most prolific performers in the Vancouver animation industry; in 2007 he estimated that he had voiced more than 8,000 characters across western animation, anime, video games, and live action.[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/scott-mcneil/bio/3030100289/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1962, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; moved to Vancouver, Canada, at age four[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/) |
| Signature roles | Dinobot, Rattrap, Waspinator, and Silverbolt in *Beast Wars: Transformers* (1996-1999), four characters voiced by one actor[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/) |
| Anime dubbing | Piccolo in the Ocean dub of *Dragon Ball Z*; Duo Maxwell in *Gundam Wing*; Koga in *InuYasha*; Hohenheim of Light in *Fullmetal Alchemist*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/) • [2](https://www.animeboston.com/guest/guest_details/56) |
| Western animation | Wolverine/Logan in *X-Men: Evolution* (2000-2003); Hack in *ReBoot*; Ace the Bat-Hound in *Krypto the Superdog*; Voltar in *League of Super Evil*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/) • [4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mcneil-scott-1962) |
| Transformers work | Jetfire in *Armada* and *Energon*; Snarl and Backstop in *Cybertron*; did not continue as Jetfire in *Cybertron*[5](https://www.bwint.net/scottmcneilinterview.htm) |
| First voice role | *The New Adventures of He-Man*, beginning 1989[2](https://www.animeboston.com/guest/guest_details/56) |
| Reported favorite role | Dinobot[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/) |
## Early life and training
McNeil was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and moved with his family to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, when he was four years old.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/) He began acting at age three and studied theater after high school at Studio 58, a Vancouver theater school.[2](https://www.animeboston.com/guest/guest_details/56) • [6](https://www.sykografix.com/articles/article9/2-scott.html) According to a 2001 convention report, he originally wanted to be a stage actor performing Shakespeare but was kicked out of the school and told he would never make it.[6](https://www.sykografix.com/articles/article9/2-scott.html)
His path into voice acting began with a failed audition. His first commercial audition was for a Levi's advertisement that wanted a Jim Byrnes-style voice; Byrnes himself walked out of the booth as McNeil arrived, and neither got the job. The audition introduced McNeil to casting director Doug Parker, who later cast him in *The New Adventures of He-Man*, his first voice acting role.[6](https://www.sykografix.com/articles/article9/2-scott.html) In interviews McNeil has traced his fascination with the craft to a childhood trip to [Disneyland](https://www.edgepedia.org/disneyland) at age twelve, when he learned that [Paul Frees](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-frees), the voice heard throughout the Haunted Mansion, was also the voice of the [Pillsbury Doughboy](https://www.edgepedia.org/pillsbury-doughboy).[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/scott-mcneil/bio/3030100289/)
## Beast Wars and Transformers
**Four characters, one actor.** On *Beast Wars: Transformers* (1996-1999), McNeil voiced the Predacon flier Waspinator and the Maximals Rattrap, Dinobot, and Silverbolt, more distinct characters than any other actor provided for the series.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/) He has described how each voice was built: Rattrap got a Brooklyn-style accent for a streetwise wisecracker; Waspinator's high helium voice was director Doug Parker's suggestion, played as an evil wasp; and Dinobot grew out of McNeil's brief turn as [Cobra Commander](https://www.edgepedia.org/cobra-commander) in *G.I. Joe*, dropped roughly two octaves into a sustainable range.[5](https://www.bwint.net/scottmcneilinterview.htm) Silverbolt, introduced in the second season, was the hardest for him because the producers wanted his own voice.[5](https://www.bwint.net/scottmcneilinterview.htm) His favorite role is reported to be Dinobot.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/)
He carried Rattrap, Silverbolt, and Waspinator into the sequel series *Beast Machines* (1999-2001), recording both Beast Machines seasons in a single year after three full seasons of Beast Wars.[5](https://www.bwint.net/scottmcneilinterview.htm) In the Unicron Trilogy he voiced [Jetfire](https://www.edgepedia.org/jetfire) in *Transformers: Armada* and *Energon*, plus Omega Supreme and Strongarm in *Energon*.[7](https://transformers.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_McNeil) For *Transformers: Cybertron* he was replaced as Jetfire by [Brian Drummond](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-drummond); McNeil said the directors wanted the new Jetfire to carry a slight Australian accent, an irony he noted given that he was born in Australia, though his normal speaking voice has no Australian accent.[5](https://www.bwint.net/scottmcneilinterview.htm) On *Cybertron* he instead voiced Snarl and Backstop.[5](https://www.bwint.net/scottmcneilinterview.htm)
## Anime dubbing and other animation
McNeil was the original English voice of Piccolo in the Ocean dub of *Dragon Ball Z*, and also voiced characters including Jeice and Nappa in that series.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/) • [4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mcneil-scott-1962) In *Gundam Wing* he played Duo Maxwell, a role fans frequently connect to his Rattrap voice.[2](https://www.animeboston.com/guest/guest_details/56) • [7](https://transformers.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_McNeil) Other dub credits include Koga in *InuYasha*, Hohenheim of Light in *Fullmetal Alchemist*, Principal Kuno in *Ranma 1/2*, and Captain Harlock in the Viz releases of *Galaxy Express 999*.[7](https://transformers.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_McNeil) • [4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mcneil-scott-1962)
In domestic animation he voiced Wolverine/Logan for all of *X-Men: Evolution* (2000-2003), Hack in *ReBoot*, [Ace the Bat-Hound](https://www.edgepedia.org/ace-the-bat-hound) in *Krypto the Superdog*, Ken Masters and Blanka in *Street Fighter: The Animated Series*, Proto Man and Dr. Wily in the [Ruby-Spears](https://www.edgepedia.org/ruby-spears) *Mega Man* series, Voltar in *League of Super Evil*, and multiple roles in *He-Man and the Masters of the Universe* (2002) and the *Bionicle* and *Care Bears* features.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/) • [4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mcneil-scott-1962) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/scott_mcneill) His video game work includes multiple roles across the *Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War* series and the Evil Masked Figure in the *Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed* game.[9](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/scott-mcneil)
## Live action
McNeil has also worked on camera. His first live-action role was as Bonesteel, a big game hunter, in Saban's *Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation* (1997-98).[7](https://transformers.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_McNeil) • [4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mcneil-scott-1962) Live-action credits include the feature films *Sleeping with Strangers* and *Sleeping Dogs*, and guest appearances on *Stargate SG-1*, *Highlander*, *The Outer Limits*, and *Viper*.[2](https://www.animeboston.com/guest/guest_details/56) In the 2003 animated *Ben Hur* he voiced Jesus.[7](https://transformers.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_McNeil)
## Conventions and public profile
McNeil is a frequent guest at [Transformers](https://www.edgepedia.org/transformers) and anime conventions, with appearances including BotCon 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2006 and OTFCC 2004.[7](https://transformers.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_McNeil) At panels he is known for performing conversations between his own characters in their distinct voices.[10](https://x-menevolution.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_McNeil) His advice to aspiring voice actors emphasizes acting over vocal tricks: in his words, if you can do voices but cannot act, you cannot work, while a brilliant actor with limited range can still find employment.[5](https://www.bwint.net/scottmcneilinterview.htm)
## References
1. [Scott McNeil - Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573926/bio/)
2. [Guest: Scott McNeil, Anime Boston](https://www.animeboston.com/guest/guest_details/56)
3. [Scott McNeil Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/scott-mcneil/bio/3030100289/)
4. [McNeil, Scott 1962-, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mcneil-scott-1962)
5. [Interview with Scott McNeil (June 26, 2005), Ben's World of Transformers](https://www.bwint.net/scottmcneilinterview.htm)
6. [Scott McNeil: Canadian National Expo 2001, SykoGrafix](https://www.sykografix.com/articles/article9/2-scott.html)
7. [Scott McNeil, Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki](https://transformers.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_McNeil)
8. [Scott McNeil Movie and TV Credits, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/scott_mcneill)
9. [Scott McNeil (born 1962) - actor, VALÉORINE reference](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/scott-mcneil)
10. [Scott McNeil, X-Men Evolution Wiki](https://x-menevolution.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_McNeil)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Voice performers › Canadian voice performers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license