Charlie Brown Voice Actor Peter Robbins and ‘Seinfeld’ Actress Kathryn Kates Die
Peter Robbins, who voiced Charlie Brown in the 1960s Peanuts cartoons, and Kathryn Kates, a veteran actress known for her roles in Seinfeld and Orange Is The New Black, have died.
According to Robbins’ family, the former child actor, who suffered from bipolar disorder, committed suicide last week, as first reported by San Diego’s Fox 5. He was 65.
Best known for voicing Charlie Brown in holiday classics such as A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966), Robbins voiced the iconic Charles M. Schulz-created character for four years.
Outside of his work on the Peanuts cartoons, Robbins guest-starred on TV series such as The Munsters, Rawhide, Get Smart, The Donna Reed Show, F Troop, My Three Sons, and he had a recurring role in the 1968 sitcom Blondie. He later worked as a DJ.
Robbins returned to the spotlight in 2015 when he was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison for making criminal threats to several people, including public figures such as San Diego County Sheriff William Gore. He was released in 2019.
Meanwhile, Kates passed away on Saturday after a battle with cancer. She was 73. Her reps at Headline Talent Agency said, “She was always incredibly brave and wise and approached every role with the greatest of passion. She will be greatly missed.” (via Deadline)
Born in New York, Kates began her career in the early 1970s, first producing award-winning stage productions in Los Angeles before going on to guest in numerous TV shows. Throughout her decades-long career, she has appeared in such series as Matlock, Seinfeld, Lizzie McGuire, Orange Is The New Black, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Most recently, Kate starred in The Sopranos prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark.
