The man who lent his voice to the beloved cartoon character Charlie Brown in the original Peanuts cartoons has died. Peter Robbins was 65.
Robbins died last week, his family told FOX 5 San Diego, as they confirmed his death on Tuesday (25 January).
They said the actor – who had bipolar disorder – took his own life.
Robbins’ career began when he was just nine, when he voiced the 1963 special A Boy Named Charlie Brown, becoming the first actor to give life to the character previously only enjoyed in print.
He voiced six more specials, including the famous holiday specials A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966), and the feature film A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969).
A Charlie Brown Christmas won both an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award after its release:
At the age of 14, Robbins, was replaced by younger actors in the role.
The actor found fame away from Charlie Brown, appearing in TV series like Rawhide and The Donna Reed Show.
Robbins also appeared in episodes of The Munsters as Elmer.
The star suffered from bipolar disorder and sadly went on to be troubled in later life.
More to come…