Don Messick is a legendary voice actor who has spent his entire adult life in the entertainment industry. He began his career with a passion for ventriloquism, but fortunately for cartoon lovers, this path did not pan out.
Instead, Messick's career took a turn when he was recommended to MGM by another voice actor, Daws Butler, in the early 1950s. At the time, MGM was producing the theatrical "Droopy" cartoons, and Messick filled in for Bill Thompson, who was the original voice of Droopy.
Messick's unique voice and versatility led him to become a prolific voice actor, working on various Hanna-Barbera productions, including "Ruff and Reddy," "Yogi Bear," "Snagglepuss," and "Huckleberry Hound." He also provided voices for numerous other characters, including "Astro" and "RUDI" on the "Jetsons," and a dozen wacky space aliens on the space cartoons of the mid-1960s.
Messick's most famous non-verbal voice is that of the snickering dog, "Muttley," and he also voiced characters such as "Richochet Rabbit," "Vapor Man," "Falcon 7," "Dr. Benton Quest," and "Multi-Man." In 1969, he provided the voice for his most famous role, "Scooby-Doo," and went on to voice the character throughout the 1970s and beyond.
In the 1980s, Messick became the voice of "Papa Smurf" and remained a much-used voice actor, reprising his older characters in new Hanna-Barbera productions. He also worked on the "Tiny Toon Adventures" series, voicing the character "Hamton Pig" until his retirement in 1996.
Don Messick died in 1997, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most prolific and beloved voice actors in animation history.
