Brendan O’Brien dead: Original voice actor of video game character Crash Bandicoot passes away at 60
The original voice actor of Crash Bandicoot, Brendan O’Brien, has died at the age of 60, according to Legacy.com.
O’Brien’s prolific career designing character voices for animation, radio and video games peaked in 1996 when he created the voice for the genetically enhanced bandicoot that would go on to become iconic.
No details have been released in regards to his cause of death, but tributes for O’Brien have begun pouring into social media.
The official twitter account for Crash Bandicoot wrote: ‘Sharing our sincere condolences to Brendan O’Brien’s loved ones for his passing.
‘He was an incredible talent who brought Crash Bandicoot and other Crash characters to life. He will forever live on in the hearts of Crash fans.’
RIP: The original voice actor of Crash Bandicoot, Brendan O’Brien, has died at the age of 60, according to Legacy.com
Classic: O’Brien’s prolific career designing character voices for animation, radio and video games peaked in 1996 when he created the voice for the genetically enhanced bandicoot that would go on to become iconic; picture from Activision
The gaming community was hit hard by O’Brien’s passing, with many fans posting their heartbreak on Twitter.
One video game developer wrote: ‘Just heard about the passing of Brendan O’Brien, original Crash Bandicoot voice actor.
‘It’s a huge shock; I’d been a fan of Brendan’s for years, and recently he and I had been talking about having a role in Antonblast, too. Absolutely gutted and blindsided..RIP, man.’
Responding to Crash Bandicoot’s tribute, an O’Brien admirer tweeted: ‘Thank you guys for acknowledging it. The man is a legend, bringing us such incredible characters alongside the most iconic single word voice line in any video game ever.’
The character of Crash usually speaks in gibberish, but he is famous for delivering a quirky way of exclaiming ‘Whoa!’
O’Brien voiced Crash until 2004 – shepherding the character through the nostalgic years when it was controlled by original game developer Naughty Dog.
The original Crash Bandicoot became a video game classic and spawned a massive franchise that includes various spin-offs.
Legacy.com lauded O’Brien for his connection to Crash fans, writing: ‘He encouraged nostalgic Crash fans in their own pursuits and loved signing their memorabilia.’