It's been over a year since Peter Robbins, the original voiceover actor of TV's Charlie Brown/Peanuts specials died on January 18, 2022, at the age of 65. His relatives had told Fox 5 San Diego that Robbins, a native of California, had committed suicide.
A Closer Look at His Early Life and Career
Peter Robbins was born on August 10, 1956, in Los Angeles, California. He first began acting in various films and television shows in 1963 and started providing his voice to Charlie Brown when he was just 9 years old and continued to do so until he was 13. When he was 16 years old, his mother, an immigrant from Hungary, died from cancer.
Beyond Charlie Brown
In addition to lending his voice for his most famous animated role as Charlie Brown, Peter Robbins made live, guest TV appearances on shows like Rawhide, The Munsters, The Donna Reed Show, F Troop, Get Smart, and My Three Sons.
In 1968, Robbins was cast as Alexander Bumstead on the short-lived sitcom Blondie. Also that year he recorded a 45 music single titled, "If I Knew Then (What I Know Now)."
In 1972, Robbins, who was good friends with actress Pamelyn Ferdin (the original voice of Lucy in the Peanuts specials), quit acting and worked temporarily as a disc jockey in Palm Springs, California. In 1979, Robbins graduated from the University of California in San Diego with degrees in psychology and communications.
Robbins later shifted career gears again and worked in real estate in Van Nuys, California, while he resided in Oceanside, California. He shared his residence with his dog named Snoopy, which was the same name given to Charlie Brown's animated beagle in the Peanuts TV specials (and original comic strip).
In 2008, Robbins appeared as a special guest at the San Diego Comic-Con. But then, on January 20, 2013, he was arrested in San Diego, on stalking charges. He received a five-year prison sentence for making criminal threats.
Upon his release, Robbins changed his life and began helping those with bipolar disorder, from which he suffered.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, Peter Robbins is one of a lengthy list of former child stars who faced traumatic experiences and died tragic deaths (including Diff'rent Strokes TV sitcom stars Gary Coleman, and Dana Plato).
But his vocal presence as Charlie Brown will remain cherished forever.
[Note: Unless otherwise indicated, certain facts and information in this article were resourced from various entertainment news and media outlets including Britannica.com, History.com, HollywoodReporter.com, IMDb.com, Variety.com, and Wikipedia.org.]
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