Renato Cortesi, the famed Italian voice actor behind Principal Skinner of The Simpsons and Disney's Goofy, has
'The Simpsons' and Goofy Voice Actor Passes Away at 87
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Cortesi passed away on Saturday, Oct. 3, in Rome. A cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
Cortesi was widely known as the Italian voice of Gérard Depardieu and Jim Belushi, while also dubbing actors including Jeff Bridges, Liam Neeson, Rutger Hauer, Geoffrey Rush, and Ben Kingsley.
Animation fanatics may recall his memorable credits as Lafayette in The Aristocats, Goofy in 1980s Disney cartoons, Tigger in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, and the First Ancestor in Mulan. He was also the first Italian voice of Principal Skinner in The Simpsons.
Throughout his storied career, Cortesi also provided voice dubbing for the 1978 blockbuster Superman, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope and Aliens (1986).
Fans Remember Voice Acting Legend Renato Cortesi
Tributes have begun pouring in for Renato Cortesi across social media.
One fan posted a photo of the late actor and recalled the impact he made on Italian youth.
"Renato Cortesi has sadly passed away at the age of 87," he wrote. "His voice became part of the childhoods of generations of viewers across Italy. Making his work instantly recognizable even when his face wasn't on screen. A remarkable career in dubbing leaves behind countless characters that fans will continue to remember."
"May he rest in peace," an X user wrote.
"ANYONE BUT HIM," another exclaimed.
"Man, it's been a rough year for childhood actors dying," an X user replied.
Cortesi's death comes a month after beloved "Dragon Ball" and "One Piece" actor Mike McFarland passed away.
McFarland was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of malignant brain cancer.
For decades, McFarland provided voice work for some of the most popular anime series.
This includes his role as Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan, Mashirao Ojiro in My Hero Academia, Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist, Master Roshi in Dragon Ball, Buggy in One Piece and Koutarou Amon in Tokyo Ghoul, among others.
Crunchyroll, the world's most popular anime streaming service, wrote a statement about McFarland, describing him as an "incredible talent."
"Mike brought so much to all of us who knew him, and to all of the anime fans who knew his work. He was an incredible talent, a good friend to so many of us, and will be sorely, sorely missed," the streaming giant said.
