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Voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck Joe Alaskey Dies at 63

One of the most celebrated successors of legendary voice actor Mel Blanc, Alaskey was one of Blanc’s only successors to work alongside the veteran voice performer prior to his death in 1989.

Joe Alaskey, best known for providing the iconic voices of legendary Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Sylvester and Marvin the Martian, died Wednesday after a battle with cancer, according to a report by Deadline. He was 63.

Alaskey’s spokesperson, K.P. Lynne, shared the news on the voice actor’s Facebook fan page, writing in part, “Never doubt that Joe loved each and every one of you. Your comments and posts always made his day and brought joy to his heart and life.”

Alaskey was one of the most celebrated successors of legendary voice actor Mel Blanc, who originated the voices of many of Warner Bros.’ beloved cartoon characters. Alaskey was one of Blanc’s only successors to work alongside the veteran voice performer before his death in 1989.

Blanc voiced several of the Looney Tunes characters that appeared the acclaimed 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, including Bugs, Daffy and Porky Pig. However, Blanc felt that Yosemite Sam’s famously gravelly voice would be too damaging to his throat, so Alaskey stepped in to lend his vocal talents to the character.

In 2004, Alaskey won a Daytime Emmy Award for his work on the animated series Duck Dodgers, providing the voice of the eponymous hero. Outside of his work in the Looney Tunes universe, Alaskey also lent his voice to many other animated films and television franchises including RugratsThe Spooktacular New Adventures of CasperHey Arnold!Samurai JackHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law and Avatar: The Last Airbender, among many others.

Jennifer Wolfe's picture

Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.