Beyond Hollywood Updates

Your daily portal to the world of cartoons & animation! ❀

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Voice Actors & Animation Talent We Lost in 2026 — Remembering Six Incredible Performers Who Left an Unforgettable Mark on Animation.

• 🖤 CATHERINE O’HARA — 71
MARCH 4, 1954 – JANUARY 30, 2026
The legendary actress was also an unforgettable animation voice performer, most famously voicing Sally and Shock in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Her animated résumé also included Chicken Little, Frankenweenie, The Wild Robot and numerous television roles.

• ⭐ TOM KANE — 64
APRIL 15, 1962 – MAY 18, 2026
A legendary voice of the Star Wars universe, Kane portrayed Yoda and served as the iconic narrator of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He also voiced Admiral Ackbar and became beloved by Cartoon Network fans as Professor Utonium in The Powerpuff Girls.

• 🌺 DAVEIGH CHASE — 35
JULY 24, 1990 – JUNE 17, 2026
Chase became part of Disney history as the original voice of Lilo Pelekai in Lilo & Stitch, later returning throughout the franchise. Anime fans also knew her as the English voice of Chihiro Ogino in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. Her performance as Lilo earned her an Annie Award.

• 🤖 PETER CULLEN — 85
JULY 28, 1941 – AUGUST 26, 2026
Few voices in animation history were more instantly recognizable. Cullen originated the legendary voice of Optimus Prime in the 1984 Transformers series and continued portraying the Autobot leader across generations of films, television and games. He was also beloved as Eeyore in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh franchise.

• 🐉 MIKE McFARLAND — 56
JULY 14, 1970 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2026
A hugely influential figure in English anime dubbing, McFarland voiced Master Roshi and Yajirobe in Dragon Ball, Buggy the Clown in One Piece, Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan and Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist. Behind the microphone, he was also an enormously important ADR director, writer and producer who helped shape English versions of Fullmetal Alchemist, Attack on Titan, One Piece and many more.

• 🐰 ERIC BAUZA — 46
DECEMBER 7, 1979 – OCTOBER 25, 2026
Bauza became the defining modern voice of numerous Looney Tunes legends, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety and Marvin the Martian. His extraordinary career also included Foop/Irep in The Fairly OddParents, Tiger Claw in TMNT, Splinter in Rise of the TMNT, Puss in Boots and hundreds of additional performances. He won three Children’s & Family Emmy Awards during his remarkable career.

2026 Has Taken an Extraordinary Group of Performers Who Helped Give Voices, Personalities and Heart to Characters Loved Across Generations. Their Voices May Be Gone, but Their Work Will Continue to Live Through Animation Forever.

💬 WHICH CHARACTER OR PERFORMANCE FROM THESE LEGENDS WILL YOU REMEMBER MOST?
#EricBauza #PeterCullen #TomKane

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'Avatar: Seven Havens' — Book 2: Discovery Will Officially Premiere Globally on Paramount+ on May 21, 2027.

The season will contain 13 EPISODES. The first 3 EPISODES will release together on premiere day.

📅 BOOK 2 RELEASE SCHEDULE:
🌪️ MAY 21 — Episodes 1–3
🌪️ MAY 28 — Episodes 4–6
🌪️ JUNE 4 — Episodes 7–9
🌪️ JUNE 11 — Episodes 10–13

AND BOOK 3 IS ALSO COMING IN 2027!
• 🌎 Book 3 will also contain 13 EPISODES.
• 📚 The series has already been renewed through BOOK 4.
#AvatarSevenHavens #AvatarTheLastAirbender #ParamountPlus

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Michael John Roberts, the Animator and Director Behind ‘Bojack Horseman,’ ‘Triptank’ and More, Has Sadly Passed Away at 48.

He died yesterday at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family, following a brief battle with glioblastoma.

Born December 20, 1977, in Toronto, Canada, Roberts studied animation at Sheridan College before building a remarkable career that stretched across children’s television, adult animation, music videos, commercials, storyboarding, directing and producing.
• Animator / Director — BoJack Horseman
• Co-Creator / Director — TripTank
• Supervising Director — Final Space
• Director — Strange Planet
• Creator / Executive Producer — Dallas & Robo
• Director — F Is for Family
• Animation Work — Angela Anaconda / The Hoobs
• Additional Work — Clone High, Hot Wheels Let’s Race, Masters of the Universe: Tales From Eternia, MrBeast Lab

Roberts won a 2012 JUNO AWARD for Video of the Year for The Sadies’ “Rumbleseat.”

REST IN PEACE, MICHAEL JOHN ROBERTS. ❤️
#MichaelJohnRoberts #RIPMichaelJohnRoberts #BoJackHorseman

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‘Hexed’ has a total runtime of 1 hour and 39 minutes.

• 📅 The film opens EXCLUSIVELY IN THEATERS ON NOVEMBER 25, 2026.

[Beyond Hollywood Updates @BeyondHUpdate]

Happy 79th Birthday to Joe Mantegna — The Criminal Minds Star & Legendary Voice of Fat Tony!

Born November 13, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, acclaimed actor, director, producer and voice performer Joe Mantegna celebrates his 79th birthday today! Across more than five decades, he has built an extraordinary career spanning television, film, Broadway and animation.

• Fat Tony — The Simpsons
• Grem — Cars 2
• Jimmy Blamhammer — Kim Possible
• Monty — The Trumpet of the Swan
• David Rossi — Criminal Minds
• Joey Zasa — The Godfather Part III
• Richard Roma — Glengarry Glen Ross
Mantegna’s most famous animated role is Fat Tony, Springfield’s smooth-talking mob boss in The Simpsons. He first voiced the character in the 1991 episode “Bart the Murderer” and has continued returning to the role for more than three decades.
#JoeMantegna #TheSimpsons #FatTony

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Happy 71st Birthday to Whoopi Goldberg — The Egot-Winning Legend & Voice of Shenzi!

Born November 13, 1955, in New York City, legendary actress, comedian, producer, author and voice performer Whoopi Goldberg celebrates her 71st birthday today! Across film, television, theatre and animation, she has built one of the most extraordinary careers in entertainment.

• Shenzi — The Lion King
• Gaia — Captain Planet and the Planeteers
• Stretch — Toy Story 3
• Lama — Elena of Avalor
• Mikhaela — BoJack Horseman
• The GameMaster — Miles from Tomorrowland
• Magic Mirror — The 7D
• Tower — The Little Engine That Could
• Ermintrude — Doogal
• Fantasy — The Pagemaster
• Stormella — Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie
• Cupcake — Kevin
One of Goldberg’s most iconic animated performances came as Shenzi, the clever and dangerous hyena leader in Disney’s 1994 classic The Lion King.
#WhoopiGoldberg #TheLionKing #CaptainPlanet

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Happy 57th Birthday to Gerard Butler — The Star of 300 & the Iconic Stoick the Vast in How to Train Your Dragon!

Born November 13, 1969, in Paisley, Scotland, Scottish actor and producer Gerard Butler celebrates his 57th birthday today! From larger-than-life action heroes and dramatic leading roles to fantasy adventures and animation, Butler has built a career defined by powerful, commanding performances.

• Stoick the Vast — How to Train Your Dragon
• General Gaius Marcellus Nerva — ARK: The Animated Series
• King Leonidas — 300
• The Phantom — The Phantom of the Opera
• Mike Banning — Has Fallen franchise
• Clyde Shelton — Law Abiding Citizen
Animation fans know Butler best as the booming voice of Stoick the Vast, chief of Berk and father of Hiccup in DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon.
#GerardButler #HowToTrainYourDragon #StoickTheVast

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Happy 41st Birthday to Rahul Kohli — The Star of Izombie, Saros, Midnight Mass & Voice of Scarecrow!

Born November 13, 1985, in London, England, British actor and voice performer Rahul Kohli celebrates his 41st birthday today! From supernatural television and prestige horror to animation and major video games, he has built a career packed with memorable characters across multiple genres.

• Arjun Devraj — Saros
• Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow — Harley Quinn
• Egill — Twilight of the Gods
• Vave O’Claw — Love, Death & Robots
• Fahz Chutani — Gears 5
• Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti — iZombie
• Owen Sharma — The Haunting of Bly Manor
• Sheriff Hassan — Midnight Mass
• Napoleon “Leo” Usher — The Fall of the House of Usher
In 2026, Kohli took center stage in Housemarque and PlayStation’s Saros as Arjun Devraj, a Soltari Enforcer searching for answers on the constantly changing alien world of Carcosa.
#RahulKohli #Saros #HarleyQuinn

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Happy 59th Birthday to Jimmy Kimmel — The Jimmy Kimmel Live! Host & Voice of Batman!

Born November 13, 1967, American comedian, television host, producer and voice actor Jimmy Kimmel celebrates his 59th birthday today! From late-night television and awards-show hosting to animated movies and children’s books, he has built a career spanning comedy, television and voice performance.

• Ted Templeton Sr. — The Boss Baby / The Boss Baby: Family Business
• Batman / Bruce Wayne — Teen Titans Go! To the Movies
• Marty Muckraker — PAW Patrol: The Movie
• Tardigrade — Smurfs
• Jimmy Kimmel — Jimmy Kimmel Live!
👴 Kimmel entered the DreamWorks Animation universe as Ted Templeton Sr., father of Tim and Ted Templeton, in The Boss Baby before returning as the older Grandpa Ted in The Boss Baby: Family Business.
#JimmyKimmel #JimmyKimmelLive #Batman

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Happy 35th Birthday to Christina Kelly — The Voice of Ulti!

Born November 13, 1991, American voice actress Christina Kelly celebrates her 35th birthday today! Across anime and English dubbing, she has built an incredible résumé filled with powerful warriors, fan-favorite heroines, villains, gamblers, chefs and unforgettable supporting characters.

• Alpha — The Eminence in Shadow
• Ulti — One Piece
• Alice Nakiri — Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma
• Mary Saotome — Kakegurui
• Mine — Akame ga Kill!
• Kōko Kaga — Golden Time
• Miyako Saitō — Oshi no Ko
• Minami “Mimimi” Nanami — Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki
• Mikan Hinatsuki — The Demon Girl Next Door
• Yumiko Miura — My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
• Loki — Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
• Michiko Tendo — Chainsaw Man
• Enchantress / June Moone — Suicide Squad Isekai
• Ren Yamashiro — Chained Soldier Season 2
#ChristinaKelly #TheEminenceInShadow #OnePiece

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17 Years Ago Today, ‘Fantastic MR. Fox’ Released in Theaters!

The stop-motion animated film was directed by WES ANDERSON, marking his first animated feature.

• 🎙️ GEORGE CLOONEY voices Mr. Fox, alongside an incredible cast including:
🦊 MERYL STREEP — Mrs. Fox
🦊 JASON SCHWARTZMAN — Ash
🦡 BILL MURRAY — Badger
🐀 WILLEM DAFOE — Rat
🦊 WALLY WOLODARSKY — Kylie
👨 MICHAEL GAMBON — Franklin Bean

Fantastic Mr. Fox received TWO ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS:
🏆 Best Animated Feature
🎵 Best Original Score — Alexandre Desplat
• 💰 Its original theatrical run earned approximately $46.5 MILLION worldwide against a reported $40 MILLION budget.
#FantasticMrFox #WesAnderson #StopMotion

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8 Years Ago Today, ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’ Premiered on Netflix!

The series ultimately ran for 5 SEASONS and 52 EPISODES, concluding with its final season on MAY 15, 2020.
#SheRa #SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower #DreamWorks

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6 Years Ago Today, ‘Wolfwalkers’ Released in Theaters!

WOLFWALKERS opened in limited U.S. theaters on NOVEMBER 13, 2020, before arriving on APPLE TV+ on DECEMBER 11, 2020.

The movie received an ACADEMY AWARD nomination for BEST ANIMATED FEATURE. It also won FIVE ANNIE AWARDS, including Best Indie Feature and Best Direction, helping cement it as one of Cartoon Saloon’s most acclaimed films.
#Wolfwalkers #CartoonSaloon #Animation

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Happy 36th Birthday to Kathleen Herles — The Original Voice of Dora the Explorer Who Returned Decades Later as Dora’s Mom!

Born November 13, 1990, in Queens, New York, American voice actress Kathleen Herles celebrates her 36th birthday today! Best known as the original voice of Dora Márquez, Herles helped bring one of children’s television’s most recognizable characters to life before returning to the franchise years later in a wonderfully full-circle role.
• Dora Márquez — Dora the Explorer
• Dora Márquez — Go, Diego, Go!
• Dora Márquez — Numerous Dora specials and games
• Mami / Dora’s Mom — Dora
Herles began voicing Dora Márquez when she was just 7 years old, starting with the original pilot before Dora the Explorer officially premiered on Nickelodeon in 2000.
#KathleenHerles #DoraTheExplorer #Dora

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Happy 39th Birthday to Georgina Leahy — The Voice of Stella in Helluva Boss!

Born November 12, 1987, British actress, singer-songwriter, producer and voice performer Georgina “Georgie” Leahy celebrates her 39th birthday today! From animation and television to rock tours, theatre and extreme live performance, she has built a career defined by bold characters and an unmistakable stage presence.

• Stella — Helluva Boss
• Additional Voices — Helluva Boss
• Rebecca Nixon — Sofia’s Diary
• Lady Mingeworthy — Normal British Series
• Co-Producer — Bosco
• Performer — GirlsRoc / Britain’s Got Talent
😈 Leahy is best known to animation fans as the unmistakable voice of Stella in Helluva Boss, the volatile estranged wife of Stolas and mother of Octavia.
#GeorginaLeahy #HelluvaBoss #Stella

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Happy Birthday to Larissa Gallagher — The Voice of Lagoona Blue!

Born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, Australian voice actress Larissa Gallagher celebrates her birthday today! Across animation, anime and video games, she has built an impressive voice career filled with colorful characters from Monster High, Steven Universe, OK K.O.!, Netflix anime and more.
• Lagoona Blue — Monster High
• Bluebird Azurite — Steven Universe Future
• Fine — Vampire in the Garden
• Koala Princess — OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes
• Miss Pastel / Demon Queenie — OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes
• Preena Penguin — Enchantimals
• Petra — TrollsTopia
• Tani / Coco — Pinkfong Wonderstar
• Kangaroo / Platypus — Animaniacs
• Various Characters — Harley Quinn
• Elder Being #2 — Strange Planet
Gallagher became a major part of the Monster High universe as Lagoona Blue, beginning with Monster High: Great Scarrier Reef and continuing through several Generation 2 projects including Welcome to Monster High, Electrified and Adventures of the Ghoul Squad.
#LarissaGallagher #MonsterHigh #StevenUniverseFuture

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18 Years Ago, ‘Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five’ Was Released!

KUNG FU PANDA: SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE debuted in NOVEMBER 2008 as a companion adventure to DreamWorks Animation’s original Kung Fu Panda.

It later received its television premiere on NBC on FEBRUARY 26, 2009, followed by a standalone DVD release on MARCH 24, 2009.

Secrets of the Furious Five won FOUR ANNIE AWARDS at the 36th Annie Awards:
🏆 Character Animation — Pierre Perifel
🏆 Character Design — Nicolas Marlet
🏆 Music — Henry Jackman, Hans Zimmer & John Powell
🏆 Production Design — Tang Kheng Heng
#KungFuPanda #DreamWorksAnimation #Animation

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9 Years Ago Today, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Ended on Nickelodeon!

The series premiered on SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 and became the franchise’s first major CG-animated television series.

Nickelodeon’s TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES aired its final episodes on NOVEMBER 12, 2017, ending a five-year run that began in 2012.

The series ran for 5 SEASONS and produced 124 EPISODES between 2012 and 2017.
#TMNT #TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles #Nickelodeon

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27 Years Ago Today, ‘Courage the Cowardly Dog’ Premiered on Cartoon Network!

Created by JOHN R. DILWORTH, the series follows a nervous pink dog named COURAGE, who lives with elderly couple MURIEL and EUSTACE BAGGE.

The pilot aired as part of Cartoon Network’s WHAT A CARTOON! on FEBRUARY 18, 1996. The short received an ACADEMY AWARD nomination for Best Animated Short Film at the 1996 Oscars.

The original series concluded on NOVEMBER 22, 2002.
#CourageTheCowardlyDog #CartoonNetwork #Animation