This week, it was announced that legend voice actor Peter Renaday passed away, and the news has left his friends and fans "devastated." The late actor, who voiced Splinter in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, was found dead at his home in California, though no cause of death has been confirmed.
Reneday was born in New Iberia, Louisiana in 1935. He grew up to become an accomplished Disney actor, starring movies such as The Love Bug , The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes , and The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again . He also lent his voice to a number of Disney animated films like The Aristocats , The Hunchback of Notre Dame , The Rescuers and The Black Cauldron.
Eventually, Renaday began to pursue voice acting roles over live action projects and in the late '80s he landed maybe his most well-known role as the voice of Splinter in the iconic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series. Additional cartoon shows that Renaday worked on throughout his career include: The Transformers , Superman: The Animated Series , The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Ben 10: Ultimate Alien .
Scroll down to see what mourning fans are saying about Renaday in the wake of his death.
"Never Be Forgotten"
Finally, voice actor Steve French memorialized Renaday by writing, "Rest In Peace, Peter Renaday. I grew up with you as Splinter, and now I have the unbelievable honor of continuing your legacy as Max in Country Bear Musical Jamboree. You'll never be forgotten. Thanks for showing us how it should be done."
"You Will Be Missed"
"I had the pleasure of meeting Pete Renoudet (Peter Renaday) at [the DoomBuggies podcast] Haunted Mansion 50th Anniversary event in 2019, where he voiced the Ghost Host in a live reading of The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion," shared a fan on Instagram.
"He sounded exactly how he does in the album! He was such a nice guy and loved chatting about all the voices he did over the years," the fan added. "Pete, you will be missed. Thank you for your contributions to the world of entertainment. May you rest in peace."
"My Heart is Broken"
"Peter Renaday has left the booth had the honour of welcoming him onto my show in 2022 and then meeting him earlier this year in Burbank. My heart is broken," penned British voice actress Amber Jones.
"Heartbroken"
In a post on Instagram, TMNT's April O'Neal voice actor Renea Jacobs added, "We are heartbroken our dear sensei, Peter Renaday, has left us. He imparted his wisdom, humor, and great talent to us all. He will forever be in our hearts."
'One of the Kindest Humans...'
"I was fortunate enough to cast and direct Peter in more than a dozen productions," offered filmmaker Chris Borders. "Not only was he a truly amazing actor, and professional, he was one of the kindest humans to ever grace the VO booth. RIP my friend."
"He Was an Amazing Man"
"This just doesn't get easier. He lived 3 minutes from the office. He was Master Splinter to many, but Peter Renaday was CelebWorx family to us," wrote Nolan Nery Alixandre? of CelebWorx, in an Instagram post. "If you are a Disney fan, Peter Renaday was Captain Nemo, Abraham Lincoln, Henry the Bear, and so many other voices at Disney Parks and in movies. It was such a blessing to grow up with his voice and have the ability to get to work with him."
Alixandre? went on to share, "We have a few stories but one of my favorites... He was running late to a local convention we had him headlining. He had a line of people waiting for him around the corner but there wasn't parking anywhere to be found. In urgency, I said we would find him parking but he thought it meant that he should jump out of the car while still in drive. The car kinda rolled back and KJ and I look at each other, KJ knowing that I would crash the car jumped in the car while it was still moving and I escorted Peter inside while watching KJ's fear as he attempted to move the car. It's a moment I cherish now."
"Something that I share reluctantly but our company would want people to know to show the kind of person he was," Alixandre? added, "Peter donated all proceeds at every convention or signing to various charities. He was an amazing man. I will miss him."
"I Will Miss My Friend"
"I woke up to the sad news that my friend Peter Renaday had passed away," voice actor Mark Silverman shared in a post on X . "We had breakfast every week and talked about movies and Disney. He was the voice of Henry in The Country Bear Jamboree. He also narrated the 20,000 Leagues Submarine ride at WDW. I will miss my friend."
"I'm Devastated"
"Folks, I'm devastated this morning to learn of the passing yesterday of our dear sensei, Peter Renaday," fellow TMNT voice actor Townsend Coleman wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) . "Pete was one of the most genuine, salt of the earth people I have ever known and I will miss him dearly."
"I had the privilege of visiting with him a month ago and he was as vibrant as ever, at 89 just as endearingly silly, smart and talented as I've always known him to be," Coleman penned, alongside photos of his late friends and castmate. "Ugh, this is hard... a Disney legend and our dear Master Splinter-- rest well, my sweet friend."
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