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Joe Alaskey

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Joe Alaskey
Born
Joseph Francis Alaskey III

(1952-04-17)April 17, 1952
Troy, New York, U.S.
DiedFebruary 3, 2016(2016-02-03) (aged 63)
Green Island, New York, U.S.[1]
Cause of deathCancer
NationalityAmerican
Other namesJoseph Francis Alaskey
Joseph Alaskey III
Joseph Alaskey
Joe Francis Alaskey III
Joe Francis Alaskey
Joseph F. Alaskey III
Joseph F. Alaskey
Joe F. Alaskey III
Joe F. Alaskey
Occupation(s)Stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, impressionist
Years active1983–2016
Websitehttp://www.joealaskey.com/

Joseph Francis "Joe" Alaskey III (April 17, 1952 – February 3, 2016) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, and impressionist.[2]

Alaskey was one of Mel Blanc's successors at the Warner Bros. Animation studio until his death on February 3, 2016. He alternated with Jeff Bergman and Greg Burson in voicing Warner Bros. cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Speedy Gonzales, and Taz, among many others. He also voiced Plucky Duck on the Steven Spielberg-produced Tiny Toon Adventures from 1990–95. Alaskey was the second actor to voice Grandpa Lou Pickles on the widely popular and highly-acclaimed Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats (inheriting the role after David Doyle's death in 1997). He voiced Lou again in the Rugrats spin-off series All Grown Up!, as well as the Rugrats film trilogy. He also voiced Stinkie in Casper, as well as the film's 1996 animated spin-off The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper.

Early life

Alaskey was born in Troy, New York on April 17, 1952.[3] At age 3, he was looking for a pair of sunglasses or people's cigar butts so that he could portray different characters.[4] Alaskey was interested in archeology at the age of ten.[4] After archeology, he was interested in becoming a priest and an English teacher.[4] Alaskey moved to New York City in the 1970s. While initially in New York City, he worked in insurance while the acting was getting started.[4]

Career

Alaskey was occasionally seen onscreen impersonating Jackie Gleason, with whom he shared a physical resemblance.[4] In the 1980s, Gleason personally chose Alaskey to re-record selected dialogue from the "lost episodes" of The Honeymooners found in Gleason's private collection.[5] After Gleason died, he watched the project get shelved.[4] In 1985, Alaskey provided various voices for Galtar and the Golden Lance. Alaskey was in several television shows including Night Court, Head of the Class, Back to the Future, and Spitting Image: The 1987 Movie Awards. His first major film was Who Framed Roger Rabbit as Yosemite Sam.[6] Alaskey provided a vocal Gleason impersonation in the "Mighty's Wedlock Whimsy" episode of Bakshi-Hyde Ventures' Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures in 1988, and a Cary Grant impersonation in "The Bride of Mighty Mouse" episode from the same season.

Alaskey did voice work for non-Warner Bros. characters. He has voiced Grandpa Lou Pickles on Rugrats (inheriting the role after David Doyle's death in 1997).[3][7] He voiced Lou again in the Rugrats spin-off series, All Grown Up!, as well as the Rugrats film trilogy. He also created the voice of Thomas Timberwolf for the internet series TimberWolf, created by animation legend Chuck Jones. He was heard briefly as a voice-over announcer for the Toon Disney channel (and sometimes Dcom extras on Disney Channel). He was the voice of Curt Connors in the Spider-Man 2 video game and Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe.[8] Alaskey was in the independent film The Legend of Sasquatch and voiced Mermaid Man in the video games SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants! and SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab. He voiced Stinkie in Casper as well as that film's 1996 animated spin-off, The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper.[8] Alaskey played Beano Froelich in Out of This World but left the show early in its final season, making only infrequent appearances in a few episodes. In the 1980s, he worked as the original announcer on the short-lived game show Couch Potatoes, hosted by Marc Summers.[8] Alaskey made several onscreen appearances, portraying the show's "next door neighbor". For the show's final weeks, he was replaced by Jim McKrell and the "next door neighbor" concept was dropped. During this time, he was also a panelist on The New Hollywood Squares, hosted by John Davidson.[8]

In 2008, Alaskey participated in a unique interview conducted by Logan Leistikow and released by TheYellowMic.com. He answered questions and told his story, then went out onto Hollywood Boulevard and talked to people on the street who wanted to hear his famous voices. This was the first time Alaskey had performed in public in this manner.[8] In 2003, he took over the roles of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in the film Looney Tunes: Back in Action.[6] He also, at times, provided the voices for Sylvester, Tweety, and other Looney Tunes characters.[6] Alaskey was the primary voice for Plucky Duck on Tiny Toon Adventures.[6] In 2014, Alaskey started narrating the television documentary series Murder Comes to Town, which airs on the Investigation Discovery Network.[8]

Alaskey's only live-action leading role in a film was as lovelorn Ron Douglas in the black comedy Lucky Stiff, directed by Anthony Perkins and co-starring Donna Dixon and Jeff Kober.

Death

Alaskey died in Green Island, New York, from cancer on February 3, 2016, aged 63.[9] He was survived by his brother, John, and his nieces and nephews.[10][11]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Yosemite Sam Voice only; film debut
Lucky Stiff Ron Douglas
1990 Spaced Invaders Dr. Ziplock voice only
1991 Bugs Bunny's Lunar Tunes Daffy Duck, Marvin the Martian voice only; direct-to-video
1992 Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation Plucky Duck, Elmer Fudd, Tupelo Toad, Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon voice only; direct-to-video
1993 Bank Robber Night Clerk #2
The Waiter Producer short film
1994 Forrest Gump President Richard Nixon voice only
1995 Casper Stinkie voice only
Carrotblanca Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat voice only; short film
Another Froggy Evening Marvin the Martian voice only; short film
1996 Marvin the Martian in the Third Dimension Daffy Duck, K-9, Marvin the Martian voice only; short film
1997 Father of the Bird Sylvester the Cat voice only; short film
1998 The Rugrats Movie Grandpa Lou Pickles voice only
2000 Tweety's High Flying Adventure Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird, Pepé Le Pew, Marvin the Martian, Henery Hawk, Colonel Rimfire voice only; direct-to-video
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie Grandpa Lou Pickles voice only
2001 Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase Officer Wembly voice only; direct-to-video
Timber Wolf Thomas Timber Wolf voice only; direct-to-video
2002 Balto II: Wolf Quest Hunter, Nuk voice only; direct-to-video
2003 Rugrats Go Wild Grandpa Lou Pickles voice only
Looney Tunes: Stranger Than Fiction Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, Sylvester Jr., Tweety Bird, Marvin the Martian voice only; direct-to-video
Looney Tunes: Reality Check Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird, Cecil Turtle, Beaky Buzzard voice only; direct-to-video
Looney Tunes: Back in Action Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, Beaky Buzzard, Mama Bear voice only
2004 Daffy Duck for President Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck voice only; short film
Hare and Loathing in Las Vegas Bugs Bunny voice only; short film
2006 The Legend of Sasquatch Dave voice only
Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepé Le Pew, Marvin the Martian voice only; direct-to-video
2007 Elf Bowling the Movie: The Great North Pole Elf Strike Santa Claus, Bagger, Chief Manamana voice only
2008 Justice League: The New Frontier Bugs Bunny voice only; direct-to-video
2009 The Haunted World of El Superbeasto Erik the Newscaster voice only; direct-to-video
2011 Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz The Wizard of Oz, Butch, Droopy Dog voice only; direct-to-video
2012 Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse Friar Tuck, Droopy Dog voice only; direct-to-video
2013 Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure Droopy Dog/King Droopy voice only; direct-to-video
2015 Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest Droopy Dog voice only; direct-to-video
Dark Seduction Fatman
2016 Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz The Wizard of Oz, Butch, Droopy Dog Posthumous release
voice only; direct-to-video
dedicated in memory.

Television

Video games

References

  1. ^ Leovy, Jill (February 4, 2016). "Joe Alaskey dies at 63; impersonator was a later voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  2. ^ Voice actor Joe Alaskey was also a damned good impressionist
    A.V. Club. Feb. 4, 2016
    Retrieved Jul. 30, 2016
  3. ^ a b Ortiz, Erik (February 4, 2016). "Joe Alaskey, Voice Behind Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, Dies at 63". NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Greene Jr., James (December 3, 2012). "Sufferin' Succotash! Looney Tunes Voice Actor Joe Alaskey On Bugs Bunny, Geraldo, & Why He Wasn't In 'Space Jam'". Split Sider. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  5. ^ Kaplan, Peter W. (January 26, 1985). "75 'Honeymooners' Episodes Found". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved November 26, 2006.
  6. ^ a b c d Dornbush, Jonathon (February 4, 2016). "Modern Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck voice actor Joe Alaskey dies at 63". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  7. ^ Westbrook, Caroline (February 4, 2016). "Joe Alaskey – aka the voice of Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny – has died aged 63". Metro. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Joe Alaskey". Internet Movie Database. amazon.com. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  9. ^ Leovy, Jill (February 4, 2016). "Joe Alaskey dies at 63; impersonator was a later voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  10. ^ Sorto, Gabrielle (February 4, 2016). "Joe Alaskey, voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, dies at 63". CNN. Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  11. ^ Faherty, Allanah (February 4, 2016). "That's All Folks: The Modern Voice Of Bugs Bunny And Daffy Duck Has Sadly Passed Away". Movie Pilot. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  12. ^ http://www.mobygames.com/game/nintendo-ds/looney-tunes-cartoon-conductor/credits
Preceded by
Jeff Bergman (1990–93; 2011–present)
 Voice of Daffy Duck
1990–2014 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Voice of Grandpa Lou Pickles
1998–2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Voice of Bugs Bunny
2000–2011 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Voice of Droopy Dog
2011–2016 		Succeeded by
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