Peter Robbins, the original voice of Charlie Brown who battled mental health issues later in life, killed himself last week aged 65, his family confirmed late on Tuesday.
Robbins’ last known address was in San Diego but his family did not provide further details on where the California native died.
Robbins began his career as a child actor at nine years old and voiced the beloved Peanuts character in the perennial holiday classics A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and It’s A Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966).
The actor was a big fan of his character and even got a tattoo of Charlie Brown and his trusty sidekick Snoopy.
Robbins, born Louis Nanasi to Hungarian parents in Los Angeles in 1956, began his acting career at the age of 7. That year, he was cast to play the title character in the TV documentary ‘A Boy Named Charlie Brown.’
He aged out of voicing Charlie Brown aged 14, but the character’s trademark scream of frustration, ‘AAUGH!’, is still used in each Charlie Brown animated special.
Peter Robbins (pictured in 2008), who famously voiced Peanuts character Charlie Brown, has died by suicide last week, his family revealed
The star started his career playing Brown at the young age of nine (pictured)
Robbins, second from right, is pictured with his fellow Charlie Brown costars in the 1960s
Robbins is pictured in May of 2021 at a fan event in Peachtree, Georgia
The former child actor, who suffered from bipolar disorder, appeared on episodes of The Munsters, Rawhide, F Troop, Get Smart and My Three Sons before quitting acting in 1972.
His mental health issues led to legal troubles later in life.
In 2013, the then-56-year-old actor was arrested at the US Mexico border and charged for stalking his ex-girlfriend and the plastic surgeon who he’d paid to give her breast enhancement. Prosecutors said that he’d called his ex more than 37 times in a 24-hour period, threatening to kill her and her son if she did not return his car and dog, whom he named Snoopy.
The plastic surgeon temporarily moved to a hotel and hired a security guard for her practice after Robbins repeatedly called her office, prosecutors said.
On New Year’s Eve 2013, prosecutors said, Robbins confronted his ex-girlfriend in a hotel room, beating his dog and telling her that he would not stop harming the animal and would kill her if she did not get a refund for her plastic surgery. Before fleeing, he grabbed the woman by her neck and slammed her into a wall.
Robbins is pictured right, recording to dialogue for It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown with producer Bill Melendez, left
Peter Robbins aged out of voicing Charlie Brown aged 14. However, he voiced the character’s trademark scream of frustration, ‘AAUGH!’, which is still used in each Charlie Brown animated special
At the time, Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth McClutchey told a judge during a bail hearing, he had been practicing at a shooting range, and had purchased a gun that he had not picked up yet.
Robbins was sentenced to five years probation, but violated its terms and was arrested again and sentenced to five years in prison for making criminal threats against several people in 2015.
He pleaded guilty for sending the media threatening letters offering money to kill San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore and sent threatening letter to a property manager of the mobile home park where he lived.
He reportedly sent drawings and letters to the property manager and threatened other residents of the site.
He was originally ordered to probation while he attended an in-house drug therapy program, but was later taken to prison after violating his probation.
The actor was sentenced to five years in prison for making threats against the property manager of the mobile home park he lived in and against San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore in 2015. He was released in 2019
Robbins appears in court after being arrested in 2013 for stalking and making death threats
While in jail, he made threats against the sheriff and offered $50,000 to have him killed.
The actor was released in 2019.
Robbins claimed he was assaulted during his prison sentence, telling FOX 5 upon his prison release that ‘they pull you out of bed at 4 a.m. They throw a blanket over your head and beat you for 20 seconds.’
After his release, he told the outlet that he felt ‘much more humble, grateful and thankful that I lived through this experience.’
‘Charlie Brown fans are the greatest fans in the world,’ he told FOX 5. ‘And everybody is willing, I hope, to give me a second chance.’
Robbins managed to turn his life around and began promoting getting ‘professional help’ for mental health issues and was treated for addictions to drugs, alcohol and sex.
But, the actor said it was his mental health that got him transferred from the California Institution for Men in Chino to a state mental hospital in Atascadero, California.
The actor – who was released in 2019 and ordered not to drink or take drugs and had to take anger management classes – was released into a North County sober living home and started advocating that take bipolar disorder ‘seriously.’
‘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. 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,’ he said at the time.
Many fans also posted tributes to the actor, saying he ‘made the world brighter’ and remembering the childhood classic shows that they ‘loved’ so much
‘I came out of prison and I’m a better person for it,’ Robbins told Fox 5 in 2019. ‘I’m much more humble, grateful and thankful that I lived through the experience.’
Robbins said he was going through a ‘manic phase’ when he purchased a ‘motor home, a mobile home, two German sports cars and a Pitbull named Snoopy.’
After being released from prison, the actor got his Charlie Brown tattoo – located on his right bicep – touched up and said it was a symbol of him ‘refurbishing my life.’
At the time, he told the outlet that he planned to write a memoir detailing his ‘experiences in jail, prison and what I have to look forward to,’ intending to title it ‘Confessions of a Blockhead.’
His friend Brian Billeck posted a tribute on Twitter honoring the actor, writing: ‘I spoke to him last back in mid Dec. He wanted people to watch “The Charlie Brown Christmas Special.” He said with everything going on – the world could do with a Little Bit of Charlie Brown & Linus’ message.’
FOX 5 reporter Phil Blauer said he would always treasure Robbins’ nickname for him: ‘Scoop.’
‘My heart is broken today,’ he wrote on Twitter. ‘I just found out that my good friend #PeterRobbins, the original voice of #CharlieBrown has died. May he rest in peace and soar in heaven. I only hope he finally kicks the football among the angels.’
Blauer also said that he hoped Robbins would ‘say hi to Linus for me up in heaven.’ Christopher Dylan Shea, the original voice actor for Linus, died at age 52 in 2010.
There have been 35 others who have voiced Charlie Brown since Robbins’ last ‘Augh’, including Chad Webber, Duncan Watson and Steven Hartman.
Many of the voice actors from the original animated specials remain alive. Tracy Stratford, who played Lucy, is 66; Cathy Steinberg, voice of Sally, is 62, and Karen Mendelson, who was Patty, is 68.
Many fans also posted tributes to the actor, saying he ‘made the world brighter.’
His family is now asking for privacy and said they will hold a memorial service for him at a future date.
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.