Famed Voice Actor Dan Hennessey Dead at 82

You may not know his name, but you surely know the characters for which he provided the voices.

I am speaking of famed voice actor, Dan Hennessey.

Sadly, he passed away at the age of 82 due to complications with Parkinson’s Disease.

He’s Gone

Hennessey’s family posted a tribute to him online, calling him “an incredible son, brother, husband, father, friend, and performer."

The statement continued, “We are so touched by all those letting us know how he impacted them through his craft, from stage to voice acting and direction.

“We are warmed by the fact that he provided comfort to a generation of kids around the world by giving voice to beloved animated characters like Braveheart Lion and Fatherbear, who were the personification of his kind and exuberant personality.”

Hennessey is considered a legend in voice acting, but he started out just like every other actor, landing small roles in movies or doing single-episode appearances on TV shows.

He first dipped his toes in the voice acting world in “Music Machine,” then had a few regular gigs, until landing another voice roll in “Rock & Rule” in 1983.

Suddenly, his name started to show up on just about every show on TV, including Chief Quimby on “Inspector Gadget” and Brave Heart Lion in “The Care Bears Movie.”

He seemed to have found his calling, going on to land roles in another Care Bears movie, “Star Wars: Droids,” the Madballs franchise, “Garbage Pail Kids,” “Beetlejuice,” and “The Adventures of Super Mario Bros.”

His final credit was in 2008, in “Lomax: The Hound of Music,” but most of his work during his final 10 years was as Father Bear in the “Little Bear” series.

Many of the tributes paid to him uttered almost the same thought, as though a piece of their childhood had been taken from them.

Rest in peace, sir.