JoBe Cerny, a familiar character actor who also lent his voice to the iconic Pillsbury Doughboy, has passed away.
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His family announced he died on Oct. 30 in Grayslake, Illinois, following a battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Cerny owned and ran Chicago's Cerny/American Creative Recording Studio for over 30 years. Through the company, the Second City alum was involved in countless projects. Cerny directed The Word of Promise, a 98-hour dramatized audio Bible featuring more than 500 actors, including Jim Caviezel, Marisa Tomei, and Richard Dreyfuss, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He also adapted episodes of The Twilight Zone for radio and wrote new installments for a podcast version of the show.
Meanwhile, he also flexed his acting chops by appearing in supporting roles in films like Somewhere in Time, Mo' Money, My Best Friend's Wedding, and Road to Perdition. On TV, he made guest appearances on shows like Lady Blue, Early Edition, and Chicago Hope.
JoBe Cerny Lands His Signature Role Voicing The Pillsbury Doughboy
However, Cerny biggest acting parts may have been in advertising.
He played the silent "Cheer Man" (also called the "Silent Demonstrator") in Cheer detergent commercials. As a voice actor, Cerny also appeared as a beleaguered, ill-fated bug in Raid ads.
However, his signature role may have been as the lovable Pillsbury Co.'s cheerful Pillsbury Doughboy. He succeeded Paul Frees and Jeff Bergman in the role of the animated character whose high-pitched giggle (offered up when a person poked his tummy) punched out every ad until around 2020.
"I'm lucky; I get to be somebody different every day, and in the end," he reflected on a life well lived, per his obituary. "I'm glad I stuck with my irresponsible decision to have fun. It allows me to live happily ever after... every day."
Outside of acting, "JoBe was an avid racing fan, driving go-karts well into his 60s, and an enthusiastic model train collector.," his obit reads.
The actor leaves behind his wife of 56 years, Eileen Cerny. He is also survived by two sons, Tim (Andrea) Cerny and Patrick (Lily) Cerny, and grandchildren, Archer and Cleo.
