Peter Robbins, the original voice actor for Charlie Brown, died last week at the age of 65 his family has revealed. The star voiced the title character in the 1960’s Peanuts shows and the holiday classics A Charlie Brown Christmas and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
The Voice Actor Idolized The Character He Voiced, Saying Charlie Brown Was His Childhood Hero.
Robbin’s relatives revealed the news to Fox 5 San Diego, confirming that the beloved voice actor had taken his own life.
Robbins began his career as a child actor playing Elmer in the popular series The Munsters before being cast as the voice of Charlie Brown in 1963 when he was nine years old. The role was an honor for Robbins, who considered the character to be his childhood hero.
Robbins would continue to be a big fan of the character throughout his life and even got a tattoo of Charlie Brown and his sidekick Snoopy to commemorate the role.
Unfortunately, the actor battled mental illness, struggled with addiction, and had many legal troubles throughout his later years.
Peter Robbins Faced Health And Legal Troubles Later In Life, Which Ultimately Landed Him Behind Bars.
In 2013, a judge sentenced the star to a year in jail after he pleaded guilty to threatening his former girlfriend and stalking her plastic surgeon. The judge allowed the actor to log time for treatment instead of serving his sentence. Two years later, police arrested Robbins for violating his parole after failing to complete his mandatory domestic violence classes related to the case.
Later that year, the actor was sentenced to 5 years in prison after he pled guilty to sending threatening letters to multiple people, including some to the media, where he offered $50,000 to have San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore killed.
Robbins walked out of prison in 2019, pledging to turn his life around. He kept his word and became an advocate for those suffering from bipolar disorder to seek “professional” help. The actor had his Charlie Brown tattoo touched up, claiming that it was symbolic of him “refurbishing” his life.
“I would recommend to anybody that has bipolar disorder to take it seriously because your life can turn around in the span of a month, like it did to me,” Robbins said in an interview.
“I came out of prison and I’m a better person for it. I’m much more humble and grateful and thankful that I lived through the experience.”
Tributes have been pouring in, with many saying Robbins made the world "a better place."