William Dufris, Voice of ‘Bob the Builder,’ Dies at 62
If you’ve raised any kids in the last couple decades — or you were a kid in the last couple decades — you know Bob the Builder, the long-running stop-motion animated series about a construction worker and all his anthropomorphic vehicle pals. While Bob originated in the United Kingdom, the show also became hugely popular in the United States, where he was played by voice actor William Dufris.
Sadly, Dufris’ company, Pocket Universe Productions, announced that the actor passed away earlier this week following a battle with cancer. He was only 62 years old.
The original Bob ran from 1998 through the early 2010s, although the show continues on in CGI animated form with new voices and new character designs. Dufris was the American voice of Bob for the first nine seasons, before a change of creative teams behind the scenes.
Dufris also worked extensively in radio and audio dramas (including one for Spider-Man, where he voiced the title character), and was the narrator of numerous audiobooks. To an entire generation, though, he will be one of the most recognized and beloved voices of their childhood.
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