JoBe Cerny, the voice behind the Pillsbury Doughboy’s famous giggle, has died at 78, according to an obituary posted by his family and reported by Gray Media.
Cerny, who was born Dec. 5, 1947, died Oct. 30, his family said. The obituary did not give a cause of death.
For decades, Cerny supplied the high-pitched voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy, the cheerful dough mascot who giggles when poked in the belly. He voiced the character until about 2020, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Doughboy, introduced in the 1960s, remains one of the most recognizable characters in American advertising, appearing in commercials for crescent rolls, biscuits and cookie dough.
Though best remembered for his advertising work, Cerny also acted on screen, with roles in films including “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “Road to Perdition,” Gray Media reported.
He got his start in comedy, joining Chicago’s famed The Second City in 1970 as part of its Mainstage and National Touring Company, according to the obituary. The improv theater has launched the careers of many well-known comedians and actors.
His family remembered him as outgoing and sociable. “Well known for his friendly and gregarious personality, he had the extraordinary ability to coincidentally run into someone he knew almost everywhere he went,” they wrote.
Sources: Arizona’s Family/Gray Media. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Gageills / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
