The world is mourning the loss of beloved voice actor JoBe Cerny. Cerny, who was 78, acted in countless commercials over the course of his decades-long career, but is perhaps best known for providing the giggly voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy and for his work in Cheer detergent ads.
According to TMZ, Cerny passed away on October 30 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The outlet learned from Cerny’s son that the late actor passed away in Illinois and that his father had been affected by the disease since 2020.
Unfortunately, Cerny also stepped away from his role as the Pullsbury Doughboy around 2020 due to his worsening health.
JoBe Cerny’s Legacy Extends Beyond the Pillsbury Doughboy
According to Strang Funeral.org, Cerny was born in 1947 in Cicero, Illinois, to parents Joe and Bea Cerny. It’s worth noting that his name is a combination of both his parents’.
Cerny developed an early love of entertainment and completed a bachelor’s degree in speech and drama at Valparaiso University. He later obtained a Master’s in theatre from Northwestern.
Before getting into advertising, Cerny appeared in 1979’s “Dreamer” before playing a desk clerk in “Somewhere in Time” the following year. Notably, the latter of the two films stars Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.
Per The Los Angeles Times, Cerny began voicing The Billbury Doughboy in the 1980s. He also began appearing as the silent demonstrator in Cheer detergent commercials.
In addition to commercials, Cerny continued his on-screen acting throughout the 1990s and appeared in multiple television shows and movies. Some of the most notable from this period include “Prelude to a Kiss,” “Mo’ Money,” “Early Edition,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” and “Love and Action in Chicago.”
Some of his later work includes “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde” as the desk clerk, 19 episodes of the “Twilight Zone Radio Dramas” podcast, “The Dreamers” in 2015, “Other People’s Heads” in 2016, and finally, “Margaret and the Moon,” also from 2016.
His later career also includes audio directing, including the aforementioned “Twilight Zone Radio Dramas,” which featured him voicing multiple roles.
He Will Be Missed
Before Cerny’s death became widely known on November 10, a friend of the legendary voice actor, Bob Benson, reported the news on Facebook and shared a heartfelt tribute to his legacy.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I announce that JoBe Cerny passed on October 29th,” he began.
“I worked with him at his beautiful studio (Cerny American Creative) for 27 years. Those years were filled with wonderful times. He was a huge part of my life.”
“My dad (Bob Baron) and JoBe were both model train buffs. My dad and JoBe were on several jobs together and when JoBe found out that I can repair engines, he gave me a couple to fix, then when he discovered I was an audio engineer at Studio One, he started booking sessions with me. We worked very well together. Then when he built the studio, he hired me,” he continued.
Another person who knew Cerny said, “I got many a parking ticket overstaying my meter while hanging out at Cerny. JoBe was always generous with helping Chicago talent get more work. He helped my career in so many ways. Thanks, JoBe.”
Legendary Voice Actor Known as the Iconic Pillsbury Doughboy Passes Away – He Will Be Missed