WildBrain Studios

Dan Hennessey passed away on November 13, 2024. He was 82 years old. His family made the sad announcement through TMZ.

Hennessey was a veteran voice actor, with a career going back to 1973 where he performed in his first cartoon, Music Machine, as a Zoo Factory Member. From there, he participated in both animated and live action roles before landing his first regular character — Chief Quimby on Inspector Gadget. From there, Hennessey joined the cast of Care Bears as Brave Heart Lion and Loyal Heart Dog. He was a key part of the Care Bears cast in shows and movies from 1985 to 1992.

Speaking of bears, one of Hennessey's most famous roles came in the form of Father Bear from Little Bear. He joined the series in 1995 and voiced Father Bear in every episode of the original show, plus movies, specials, and computer games until 2005. Another series that Hennessey contributed to was the animated series X-Men where he voiced Ruckus, Sunder, Sentinel, and many other characters.

While more of Hennessey's roles were father figures and good guys, he also enjoyed playing Bully Koopa in Super Mario World and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. Other series Hennessey acted in include Redwall, Blazing Dragons, The Busy World of Richard Scarry, The Neverending Story, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Monster Force, The Adventures of Tintin, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures, Babar, Beetlejuice, A.L.F. the Animated Series, ALF Tales, Police Academy: The Animated Series, and many more.

In addition to voice acting, Hennessey also worked as a voice director on many of the series he worked on including Little Bear, Care Bears, Beetlejuice, and X-Men. He also voice directed other series that he never acted in, including The Magic School Bus, Rescue Heroes, Cyberchase, and many more. If you grew up in the '80s and '90s, not only was Dan Hennessey's voice a part of your childhood, but he used his skills and his passion for children's television to shape the performances of others. Adrian Hough, who voiced Nightcrawler on X-Men, said on Twitter, "RIP to Dan Hennessey, the man who was such a huge part of not only my entry into the world of the Xmen, of the whole Xmen animated series. We all mourn".

Hennessey's family also added "We are so touched by all those letting us know how he impacted them through his craft, from stage to voice acting and direction. We are warmed by the fact that he provided comfort to a generation of kids around the world by giving voice to beloved animated characters like Braveheart Lion and Father Bear, who were the personification of his kind and exuberant personality."