Nickelodeon Actors You Didn't Know Passed Away
For many people, Nickelodeon is a cherished part of their childhood. Like the Disney Channel, it is a home for all kinds of children's television shows and one of the go-to destinations for kids of all ages. Having first hit TV screens in 1979, Nickelodeon broadcasts a little bit of everything and has been responsible for some of the best children's television of all time. Whether it's animated shows such as "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" or live-action series like "All That" and "iCarly," the network has a wide range of content.
From well-crafted writing to high-quality animation, Nickelodeon has developed a reputation for releasing impressive programming for kids. One of the aspects that has been so important to its output is the actors who have portrayed figures on screen or lent their voices to animated characters. Unfortunately, many famous faces from the world of Nickelodeon have died since appearing on the network. In some cases, you may not have even realized that they are no longer with us.
Les Lye
Actor and comedian Les Lye began his career on television back in the early 1970s when he was part of the cast of a version of "Pinocchio." He later became a major part of "You Can't Do That On Television" — a children's sketch comedy series that saw him play numerous adult characters alongside an ensemble cast of kids. The show initially aired on local television in Canada before switching to a national format that was broadcast on CTV. Nickelodeon then picked up the series and took a more active role in production as it became a ratings hit in the United States.
Lye appeared in every season of "You Can't Do That On Television" for a total of 144 episodes. During that time, he continued to perform in kids' shows, mainly as a voice actor on series such as "Dennis the Menace" and "The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin." At the age of 84, Lye died in Ottawa in 2009 with no cause of death provided by his agent or family.
Tara Correa-McMullen
Tara Correa-McMullen began her acting career in 2004 when she was cast in the basketball comedy "Rebound" starring Martin Lawrence and Megan Mullally. Correa-McMullen was recommended for the part by her mother, who was working as a casting agent, despite having no acting experience. She then landed a recurring role in the CBS legal drama "Judging Amy," where she portrayed a gang member known as Graciela Reyes before making a single appearance in the Nickelodeon comedy series "Zoey 101."
The young actor, who was just 16 years old at the time, was killed in 2005 while standing outside an apartment complex where she was living. According to police, she was shot during gang-related violence that also wounded two of her friends. Damien Watts and an accomplice were later sentenced to life in prison without parole for the shooting, which had come just a day after Watts apparently shot another man.
Jansen Panettiere
Jansen Panettiere is probably best known for his work in theatrical movies, but the actor also appeared in a number of shows and films for television networks such as Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel. His first role came in the television series "Even Stevens" in 2002 before he went on to have minor roles in "Hope & Faith" and "Third Watch." Alongside his sister Hayden Panettiere and Bill Pullman, he had a role in the Disney Channel film "Tiger Cruise" and provided a voice for Nickelodeon's animated show "The X's." He later portrayed the main character in the 2007 Nickelodeon television movie "The Last Day of Summer."
Reports of Panettiere's death came in February of 2023 when he was found dead at his home in New York City. He was just 28 when he passed away, with the cause of death later being revealed to be caused by cardiomegaly, which means the actor had an enlarged heart and aortic valve complications. His final role came in the film "Love and Love Not."
Kirk Baily
As an experienced performer and voice actor, Kirk Baily has had roles in everything from "NYPD Blue" to "Hotel Transylvania." In terms of Nickelodeon, Baily is best known for his role in the comedy series "Salute Your Shorts." The show ran for two seasons between 1991 and 1992, with the actor playing Kevin Lee — the bossy and antagonistic camp counselor who is often the subject of pranks — in all 26 episodes. While Kevin desperately wants to command respect and admiration, his charges at Camp Anawanna hold him in such low esteem that they routinely refer to him as "Ug" — because he's "Ug" Lee, get it? — directly to his face.
The actor also voiced characters in the 2020 film "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run." Before his death in 2022, he had voice roles in "Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank," "Night of the Animated Dead," and "Love, Death & Robots." He was 59 when he died, having been diagnosed with lung cancer the year previously.
Robyn Griggs
For soap opera fans, Robyn Griggs will be most familiar for her roles in the daytime soaps "One Life to Live" and "Another World." In her later career, she was largely involved in small budget horror films such as "Hellweek" and "Slashers Gone Wild!" Her final screen credit was in 2015, although this was Grigg's first since 2010. The actor's time on Nickelodeon came on the movie review show "Rated K: For Kids by Kids" where she was one of a handful of hosts during the 1988 season. The series primarily focused on rating new movies and discussing their positives and negatives. Though hardly the most widely remembered Nick show, "Rated K: For Kids by Kids" was part of an essential experimental phase for the network which, at that point, was known for "Double Dare," shows that were quite a lot like "Double Dare" and not a lot else.
Griggs died in 2022 after being diagnosed with endocervical adeno cancer. She was 49 years old at the time of her death and had spent much of the later stage of her life discussing her condition on social media.
Cody Longo
Having made his acting debut in music videos for JoJo, Cody Longo rose to fame for his part in the Nickelodeon drama series "Hollywood Heights." Aimed at an older audience than many other Nickelodeon shows, it largely focuses on the exploits of Brittany Underwood's Loren as she comes into contact with established rock star Eddie Duran. Longo portrayed Eddie in the 2012 series and appeared in 78 of its 80 episodes.
Outside of Nickelodeon, Longo had recurring roles in "Make It or Break It," "Days of Our Lives," and "Secrets and Lies," with his final on-screen appearance coming in "High School Crimes & Misdemeanors" in 2020. He had also worked in music as a singer and producer during the latter stages of his career. Longo died in 2023 and was discovered in his home in Austin, Texas. His representative suggested that he had died in his sleep from an accidental alcohol overdose.
Christine Cavanaugh
Christine Cavanaugh had a long history in the world of acting, making her debut as a voice actor in the late 1980s. She appeared in a single episode of "Cheers" before having her first appearance in a Nickelodeon show when she was cast in two episodes of "Salute Your Shorts." Cavanaugh also voiced the character Oblina in "Aaahh!!! Real Monsters" on Nickelodeon, but is perhaps best known for being the voice of the adorably nervous Chuckie Finster in the "Rugrats" television series and a number of movies.
Also known for her roles in both the 1995 film "Babe" and the Cartoon Network animated series "Dexter's Laboratory," Cavanaugh retired from acting in 2001, with Bart Simpson voice actor Nancy Cartwright replacing her as Chuckie in "Rugrats." She died 13 years later at her home aged 51. Although no official cause of death was given, she had previously been diagnosed with leukemia.
Joe Alaskey
Among the most famous voice actors of recent times, Joe Alaskey was best known as the replacement of Mel Blanc for a variety of Warner Bros. characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Sylvester Cat. He voiced these in a huge array of "Looney Tunes" projects, including "Tiny Toon Adventures."
In his career, Alaskey also worked on a number of Nickelodeon projects. He portrayed characters in the video games "SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!" and "SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab" as well as providing a voice in a 1999 episode of "Hey Arnold!" However, as far as Nick goes, he is probably most associated with the character Grandpa Lou Pickles. He replaced original actor David Doyle in 1997 and continued to portray Grandpa Lou until 2006 in the television show and several movies.
The actor passed away at the age of 63 in 2016 at his home in New York. His spokesperson confirmed at the time that he had previously been diagnosed with cancer, with his final role coming in "Tom & Jerry: Back to Oz."
Steve Viksten
Many people might not recognize Steve Viksten but that's mainly because he worked primarily as a writer. His first writing credit for a television series came in 1991 when he co-authored 15 episodes of "Rugrats." He went on to write for "Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man" as well as "Recess" in addition to joining the team behind "Hey Arnold!" as a co-creator and writer.
As well as being responsible for much of the behind-the-scenes work on the Nickelodeon animated series, Viksten also voiced several characters. Most notable among them were Oskar Kokoshka and Caesar, with Viksten reprising the role of Oskar in "Hey Arnold! The Movie."
Viksten's final writing credit came in a 2011 episode of "The Simpsons." In 2014, at the age of 53, the writer and voice actor died. However, no official cause of death was ever given. Craig Bartlett paid tribute to his former "Hey Arnold!" writer, saying, "Today Arnold is hatless as I remember Steve" in reference to the first "Hey Arnold!" script that gives Viksten sole credit — the episode titled "Arnold's Hat."
Greg Burson
Greg Burson was a prolific voice actor whose work can be heard in franchises like "Star Wars," "Looney Tunes," and several others. Having trained with Daws Butler, he took on many of Butler's roles following his death in 1988, including Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound. A year later, he was also chosen as one of the replacements for the legendary Mel Blanc, lending his voice to the likes of Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and many other "Looney Tunes" characters.
As a Nickelodeon voice actor, he portrayed characters in both "The Angry Beavers" and "CatDog." His career came to an abrupt end in 2004 after he was arrested at his home in Tujunga, Los Angeles following a standoff with police. Reports of the incident offer conflicting details, but it seems Burson was armed, heavily intoxicated, and possibly threatening a female roommate in some capacity on the morning of his arrest.
Burson died four years later at the age of 59. According to Mark Evanier, who had previously worked with the actor on several projects, his death was in part due to both diabetes and arteriosclerosis, although, in Evanier's words, "Obviously, drinking had a lot to do with it."
Fred Willard
An actor who was best known for his comedy work on television and in movies. Fans will likely recognize Fred Willard from roles in "This Is Spinal Tap" and "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" or television appearances in the likes of "Roseanne" and "Everybody Loves Raymond." In more recent times, he played Frank Dunphy in "Modern Family," a performance that earned him two Primetime Emmy nominations to add to the three he received for "Everybody Loves Raymond."
Willard voiced characters in two different Nickelodeon animated series. He lent his voice to Sammy Redman in a single episode of "Hey Arnold!" before taking on the role of Albert in "The Loud House." The grandfather of the main characters in the Loud family, the actor portrayed him for four seasons before being replaced by Piotr Michae.
Willard's death was first reported in May of 2020 when it was revealed that Willard had died at the age of 86. His daughter, Hope, went on to pay tribute to her father, stating, "He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end." It was later revealed that Willard had died from cardiac arrest due to complications from coronary artery disease.
Alice Playten
Alice Playten is an actor who is arguably best known for her voicework, although she also had live-action roles in films such as 2009's "The Rebound" and 1993's "For Love or Money" as well as television shows "As the World Turns," "Frasier," and "Law & Order." She got her first role at the age of 11 in a stage production and was nominated for a number of awards, including a Tony Award.
However, her most famous role came in the Nickelodeon animated series "Doug," where Playten voiced the character Beebe Bluff, a wealthy heiress and love interest of Doug, a role she reprised in "Doug's 1st Movie" and "Brand Spanking New! Doug." Throughout the run of the show, she also provided the voice of other characters including Elmo and Larry.
News arose that she had died in 2011 in her home borough of Manhattan in New York. The 63-year-old died as a result of heart failure alongside juvenile diabetes that had been exacerbated by pancreatic cancer.
Philece Sampler
First rising to prominence due to her roles in soaps such as "Days of Our Lives" and "Another World," Philece Sampler was a prolific voice actor who played multiple characters in animated shows such as "Digimon: Digital Monsters" and the anime "Lucky Star" as well as the theatrical film "Demon Slayer: Infinity Train."
Sampler appeared in a number of Nickelodeon releases over the years. She voiced a character in a 1997 "Rugrats" episode and provided a voice for a 2019 installment of "The Loud House." However, she is best known for her portrayal of "Legend of Korra" character Toph Beifong, an Earth-bending master first introduced in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" who is a senior figure in Republic City and helps found the land's new police force.
The actor died of a heart attack in 2021. She was 67 at the time of her death and was still voicing characters in "Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir" at the time.
Mako
Makoto Iwamatsu, who was usually credited simply by the name Mako, was a Japanese American actor who had roles in a large number of television and film projects. He received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in "The Sand Pebbles" in 1966 and subsequently had parts in "Conan the Barbarian" and its sequel as well as "Pearl Harbor" and "Dexter's Laboratory" as the narrator.
The actor had a significant role in the highly acclaimed Nickelodeon animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender," playing Iroh. The character is a fire-bending master and mentor to Zuko who aids him in his pursuit of Aang and ultimately ensures that his nephew assumes the throne of the Fire Nation. Mako also had a brief role as Mr. Yamaguchi, a fun-loving CEO of the toy company that invented Reptar, in "Rugrats in Paris" in 2000.
The actor died at his home in Somis, California in 2006 from esophageal cancer. He was 72 years old at the time of his death and was still working up until the time that he died. Mako was replaced in his role of Iroh in 2006 following his death, with Greg Baldwin taking over the character for the final two seasons of the show as well as its sequel series, "The Legend of Korra."