It's a sad thing to grow up and forget your favorite childhood TV shows and movies. But what's
even worse is how easy it is to forget the people who brought them to life in the first place,
and how some of them have quietly passed away without us knowing.
Chuckie Finster may have been a cartoon baby, but for children of the '90s, he was a rare expression
of the type of anxiety that would plague us later in adulthood. The nervous chatter that became part
of our inner monologue was originally voiced by actor Christine Cavanaugh, who portrayed the
red-headed tot for the majority of the original series and a few of the feature length movies.
"Your grandpa took his teeth out!"
Cavanaugh stopped acting in the early 2000s, and Nancy Cartwright ultimately took on her
"Rugrats" role — the Chuckie Finster most children know today. But about a decade
after Cavanaugh's retirement, the prolific voice star died at the age 51. According to the BBC,
no cause of death was ever disclosed, but the TV silence was palpable. Cavanaugh didn't just
portray Chuckie — she was the woman behind some of the most beloved characters of the '90s,
including Oblina in "Aaahh!!! Real Monsters," Dexter in "Dexter's Laboratory,"
Gosalyn Waddlemeyer-Mallard in "Darkwing Duck," and the eponymous pig in "Babe."
"Uh, I was just trying to be a sheep dog."
At the time of Cavanaugh's death, her family released a statement saying:
"She was able to do incredible and amazing things with her voice and bring lots of smiles and many
laughs to many people. [...] Many know of her from the roles she played, but in each role
there was a part of her showing through that the ones who truly knew her could see."
Carroll Spinney's work undoubtedly impacted numerous generations of children. The legendary
puppeteer spent nearly half a century behind the movements of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch — from
"Sesame Street's" 1969 premiere all the way up until his 2018 retirement. Spinney only left his
post after he was diagnosed with Dystonia, which NBC News describes as "a neurological movement
disorder that produces involuntary muscle contractions, cramps and other symptoms."
The puppeteer died at home in Connecticut the year following his retirement — and though he
lived until 85 years old, his work managed to outlive him. "Sesame Street" still aired
new posthumous episodes with Spinney as Big Bird until 2020. By the end of his career,
the star had worked on 644 different episodes, with dozens premiering after his retirement.
Sesame Workshop, Spinney's former longtime employer
and the non-profit behind the series, gave him a heartfelt tribute:
"His enormous talent and outsized heart were perfectly suited to playing the larger-than-life
yellow bird who brought joy to generations of children and countless fans of all ages around the
world, and his lovably cantankerous grouch gave us all permission to be cranky once in a while."
There are few children of the '90s who can look at a yellow frog and not immediately
think of "Gullah, Gullah Island." The classic Nickelodeon series aired from 1994 to 1998,
and though the island never existed in real life, the culture behind the island
definitely did. According to CNN, it's based on traditions of the Gullah Geechee people,
a group of direct descendants of enslaved Africans who largely worked on island
and coastal plantations in the lower Atlantic region of the U.S.
Among the series' most beloved characters was Binyah Binyah, the child-sized pollywog. In
some regards, he was the perfect children's show star — larger than life, cartoonish but tangible,
an unyielding confidante with a heart of gold, and unmistakably yellow. But what most fans of
the show don't know is that the actor who played the original Binyah Binyah, Philip D. Garcia, died
in a car accident in 1996. The network replaced him with Justin Campbell until the series wrapped
in 1998, and kids were none-the-wiser — though a giant costume tends to be a great disguise.
Cameron Boyce was just starting to break away from the Disney Channel and graduate
into more adult roles at the time of his untimely death. Most children know him as
Carlos in the "Descendants" film series or Luke Ross in the Debby Ryan-led comedy, "Jessie,"
but in 2019, the star appeared in the steamy HBO drama "Mrs. Fletcher."
This was a sign of things to come. In 2021, he took it a step further, serving as a
wide-eyed club promoter in Amazon Prime's gritty "Paradise City." But what casual fans don't know
is that this was a posthumous starring role, as Boyce's career was cut short at the age of 20.
According to ABC News, Boyce died in his sleep in 2019 after suffering from a seizure. He had
been receiving treatment for "an ongoing" — but undisclosed — medical condition. Today
eventually revealed that this condition was epilepsy. Per the coroner's report,
Boyce's death was considered "natural." The exact cause was a rare event called "sudden
unexpected death in epilepsy," which affects just one in 1,000 people with the disorder.
Former Disney co-star Debby Ryan later shared on Instagram:
"This ripped me up. I keep trying and I can't make anything make sense.
He was blameless, and relentlessly joyful; he was good. Through and through, Cam is good,
in all ways and to all people. [...] He couldn't help himself but to always leave you smiling,
or laughing, or dancing."
Maddie Blaustein was more than a voice actor; she was the voice of the only Pokémon actually given
a voice — or, at least, an intelligible voice. As longtime fans know, few Pokémon can communicate in
ways beyond repeating their own name. Some manage to make themselves heard via telepathy — think:
Mewtwo in "Pokémon: The First Movie". Others use a weird plot loophole to talk out loud — like
Pikachu in "Detective Pikachu," who turned out to actually be a human consciousness
uploaded into a Pokémon. But none can actually carry on conversations besides Meowth.
"Well at least he doesn't look like he's trick or treating like you do."
Though Meowth was a villain and a rubbish video game character not worth his salt in battle,
Blaustein's portrayal made him dearly beloved among fans.
He was also inspiring, not just to children of the '90s, but to Blaustein herself. According to Them,
the transgender actor's decision to transition was inspired after the very episode where Meowth
learned how to speak like a human in the name of love — with Blaustein's friend, Aaron McQuade,
later saying that the character lived as a, quote, "human trapped in a Pokémon's body."
Them reports that Blaustein died in 2008 after suffering from an untreated stomach virus.
"Lizzie McGuire" may never get her reboot, but if it ever actually happened, one thing
is for certain: the titular character's teacher, Mr. Escobar, wouldn't be making an appearance.
Daniel Escobar, the actor behind the role, died in 2013 at the age of 49.
Escobar's character appeared opposite Hilary Duff in just five episodes between 2001 and 2002,
but he reprised his role for 2003's "The Lizzie McGuire Movie." Despite landing work in gritty
blockbusters like "The Mexican" and "Blow," Escobar spent most of his career racking up
cameos in various sitcoms and TV shows —such as "Two and a Half Men," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and
"How I Met Your Mother." Make no mistake, though: Escobar was a true artist, having studied at the
Shakespeare Theatre at Folger. Unfortunately, the actor also suffered from diabetes. According to
The Hollywood Reporter, he died in a Los Angeles hospital from complications of the disease.
Samuel E. Wright may have started his decades-long acting career singing in front of audiences
on Broadway in shows like "The Lion King" and "The Tap Dance Kid," but most kids of the '80s and '90s
wouldn't recognize his face. Most millennials know the Tony-nominated star as Sebastian,
the beloved crab in "The Little Mermaid."
"Just look at her, on legs, on human legs!"
Wright voiced Sebastian for 13 years, starting with the 1989 film and floating through sequels,
video games, and numerous spin-offs, including the oft-forgotten "Little Mermaid" TV series.
He even nabbed an Oscar nomination for his performance of "Kiss the Girl" and
won an actual Academy Award and Grammy for his performance of "Under the Sea."
The Hollywood Reporter, in 2021, Wright "died peacefully" at home three years after he was
diagnosed with prostate cancer. He was 74 years old. Today, "Hamilton" star Daveed
Diggs is poised to take on the late star's role in "The Little Mermaid" live-action remake.
At the time of his death, Johnny Lewis wasn't exactly known for being a children's show star.
Toward the end of his career, the actor gravitated away from teen dramas like "7th
Heaven" and "Malcolm in the Middle" and landed grittier roles, like in "Criminal
Minds" or FX's "Sons of Anarchy." Most people completely forget that he once guest-starred
as a member of Drake Bell's backing band on Nickelodeon's long-running series "Drake & Josh."
Lewis' death was the stuff of tabloid fodder, but it was easy to miss if you weren't a "Sons
of Anarchy" fan or followed Katy Perry's dating history — yes, the pair did reportedly date.
According to People, Lewis allegedly beat his 81-year-old landlady to death
before fatally falling off a building in Los Angeles in 2012
at age 28. He was "found lying in a driveway" just outside of Hollywood.
The actor was released from jail just days before his death. According to the Los Angeles Times,
detectives believed Lewis was under the influence of 2C-I,
a hallucinogenic drug commonly referred to as "smiles." Per probation reports,
which were obtained by CBS News, the actor had been struggling with, quote, "chemical dependency,
mental health issues, and a lack of permanent housing." One probation officer explicitly wrote:
"Obviously [the] defendant's behavior is out of control
and needs counseling afforded by a professional."
Doug, with his obsession over neematoads and his aesthetic so uniquely middle aged for a
supposed teen, seems to have cemented himself in the millennial lexicon. To this day, you
can still buy a Quailman costume on Amazon. But decades after "Doug" ruled over the One Saturday
Morning cartoon block, fellow series "Recess" has been relegated to an oft-forgotten treasure.
Part of "Recess'" success has to do with the fact that any kid who was school-aged
in the late '90s could find themselves in one of the six main characters.
Among them was Mikey Blumberg, the class poet who added an irreplaceable sensitivity to the cast.
"I told you guys, I don't care about that stuff. I'm
just doing this for the betterment of mankind."
Sadly, according to medical records obtained by ET,
the voice behind Mikey died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2020. He was 35 years old.
According to BuzzFeed, Jason Davis was public about his struggle with addiction.
He even sought the help of celebrity addiction medicine specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky, appearing
in Season 4 of "Celebrity Rehab" in 2010 and 2011. Years after his stint on reality TV, he founded
the charity Cure Addiction Now alongside his family. His mother told The Hollywood Reporter:
"Jason had a true heart of gold with such a zest for life.
He was such a caring soul to everybody who ever knew him."
Before Lee Thompson Young starred in "Rizzoli & Isles," the actor was the lead of his own Disney
Channel series, "The Famous Jett Jackson," which ran from 1998 to 2001. His status as a beloved
child star made it all the more shocking when he died in 2013 at the age of 29.
Since 2010, Young had portrayed Detective Barry Frost on the TNT crime drama. According to USA
Today, officers went to check on Young at his apartment after he failed to show up to film.
His manager later confirmed that the actor had died by suicide.
The Disney Channel told USA Today in a statement:
"Nothing any of us can say will adequately express our sadness over Lee's untimely passing.
Our thoughts are with his loved ones and the many fans of his work."
Young's tragic death was compounded with the fact that "Rizzoli & Isles" was gearing up for
Season 5. Without the star, the writers only had one solution — they ended up killing off
his character in a heartbreaking off-screen accident. The death was followed up with an
emotional tribute episode, in which the cast reckoned with their gutting loss.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts,
please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues,
help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).