Greg Burson
Greg Burson | |
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Born | Gregory Lewis Burson June 29, 1949 Anaheim, California, U.S. |
Died | July 22, 2008 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 59)
Cause of death | Complications from diabetes and arteriosclerosis. |
Occupation | Voice actor |
Years active | 1986–2004 |
Gregory Lewis "Greg" Burson (June 29, 1949 – July 22, 2008) was an American voice actor.
Biography
Greg Burson was trained by Daws Butler and took over the voicing of most of Butler's characters when Butler died.[1] He was given the responsibility of voicing Bugs Bunny in the 1995 Carrotblanca, a well-received 8-minute Looney Tunes cartoon originally shown in cinemas alongside The Amazing Panda Adventure (US) and The Pebble and the Penguin (non-US). It has since been released on video, packaged with older Looney Tunes cartoons, and was even included in the special edition DVD release of Casablanca, of which it is both a parody and a homage. Burson also voiced Bugs in the 1996 short From Hare to Eternity, which is notable for being dedicated to the memory of the then-recently deceased Friz Freleng, and for being the final Looney Tunes cartoon that Chuck Jones directed. Burson also provided Bugs' voice in The Bugs and Daffy Show, which ran on Cartoon Network from 1996 to 2003. He also voiced several other Looney Tunes characters including Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Pepé Le Pew and Foghorn Leghorn on the hit Warner Bros. animated television series Animaniacs, Tiny Toon Adventures, Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries and Taz-Mania.
He also voiced Yogi Bear on The New Yogi Bear Show (after the death of Daws Butler, who was his acting mentor, as well as one of his influences[2] in 1988) and many other characters in Hanna-Barbera-related shows and Mr. Magoo in the animated segments of the live action feature film of the same name in 1997 (after Jim Backus died in 1989).
His other voice work includes shows such as CatDog, Batman: The Animated Series, All-New Dennis the Menace, Mother Goose and Grimm, The Angry Beavers, Samurai Jack, The Smurfs, Super Friends, The Twisted Adventures of Felix the Cat and Garfield and Friends, the feature film Jurassic Park and the three Star Wars video games The Phantom Menace, Jedi Power Battles and The Gungan Frontier.
Arrest
His career came to an end in May 2004 when Burson was arrested by detectives after barricading himself inside his home in Tujunga for six hours before surrendering. Initial reports have claimed that an armed S.W.A.T. team had responded to a call from two of his female roommates that he was inebriated, armed and holding a third female roommate hostage.[3][4] Burson also screamed a stream of nonsensical words at the police when they were alerted to his home. Officers had later discovered that Burson had a collection of guns in his home. One officer says "He was so drunk, we couldn't tell if he was trying to do one of his voices or was just slurring his words." Officer Rudy Villarreal confirmed that all three women involved in the incident lived with Burson, but none of them were harmed.[5]
Death
Greg Burson died on July 22, 2008 at the age of 59 from complications due to diabetes and arteriosclerosis. He had been struggling with alcoholism in the later part of his life from being depressed over losing voice-over work.[2]
Filmography[6]
Television
- The Angry Beavers - Judge Otter, Otter #1
- CatDog - Barry the Baboon
- Channel Umptee-3 - Professor I. Revelent
- Mother Goose and Grimm - Attila
- The Real Ghostbusters - Dib Devlin
- The New Yogi Bear Show - Yogi Bear
- The Twisted Adventures of Felix the Cat - Additional Voices
- All-New Dennis the Menace - Mr. Wilson
- Samurai Jack - Quick Draw McGraw, Baba Looey
- Tom & Jerry Kids - Additional Voices
- Droopy, Master Detective - Additional Voices
- Wake, Rattle, and Roll - Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss
- Yo Yogi! - Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, Officer Smith, Wally Gator
- Jonny Quest - Additional Voices
- Fantastic Max - Additional Voices
- The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest - Corbin, Sanderson
- Garfield and Friends - Additional Voices
- The Baby Huey Show - Fox (1995-1996)
- Batman: The Animated Series - Mad Dog
- Animaniacs - Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam
- Tiny Toon Adventures - Elmer Fudd, Pepe Le Pew, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tasmanian Devil, Foghorn Leghorn
- Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries - Elmer Fudd
- Taz-Mania - Bugs Bunny
- Johnny Bravo - Ghostly Gardener
- 2 Stupid Dogs - Additional Voices
- The Smurfs - Additional Voices
Film
- Asterix and the Big Fight - Bombastix (American dub)
- Carrotblanca - Bugs Bunny, Radio Dispatcher, Louie, Airport PA Announcer
- I Yabba-Dabba Do! - Additional Voices
- Jurassic Park - Mr. DNA (voice)
- Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland - Flap, Nemo's Father
- Mr. Magoo - Mr. Quincy Magoo (animated form)
- Scooby-Doo in Arabian Nights - Yogi Bear, Royal Chef
- Tom and Jerry: The Movie - Man
- Yogi the Easter Bear - Yogi Bear
Theme Park
- The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera - Yogi Bear
Video games
- Wacky Races - Red Max, Sergeant Blast, Peter Perfect, Rufus Ruffcut
- Sheep, Dog, 'n' Wolf - Elmer Fudd
- Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage - Bugs Bunny
- Daffy Duck: The Marvin Missions (Super NES version) - Duck Dodgers
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Boss Rugor Nass, Guard Door, Injured Soldier #1, Jabba's Porter, Shop Owner
- Star Wars Episode I: The Gungan Frontier - Boss Rugor Nass, Gungan Librarian
- Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles - Boss Rugor Nass, Peck
- Lego Jurassic World - Mr. DNA (Archive audio)
References
- ^ "Greg Burson". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
- ^ a b Evanier, Mark (August 1, 2008). "Greg Burson, R.I.P." NewsFromMe.com. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
- ^ Baisley, Sarah. "LAPD & SWAT Surround Voice Actor Burson". AWN. AWN. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
- ^ "GREG BURSON ARRESTED". Retrieved 2015-07-21.
- ^ "Ex-WB Voice Actor Greg Burson Dies At 59". Retrieved 2015-07-21.
- ^ "Greg Burson". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-07-21.