Disney’s ‘Robin Hood’ Voice Actor Brian Bedford Dies Aged 80

Fans of Disney’s Robin Hood will be sad to hear that the voice of the outlaw himself, Brian Bedford, passed away at the age of 80.

Bedford’s charismatic voice was chosen to voice the titular character in the animated, 1973 adaptation of Disney’s Robin Hood. Originally the part was offered to British singer and actor Tommy Steele but, as stated in Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary by Thomas S. Hischak, “after a few recording sessions it was clearly not working”. So, he was replaced by Bedford who had a more distinguished and clear voice for the part of the animated, anthropomorphic fox Robin Hood. To all of us animation fans, he will always be remembered as the heart behind this classic Disney character.

You may also recognize him and his voice as Mr. Fizziwig in the 2004 adaptation of A Christmas Carol. He also made notable appearances in sitcoms such as Fraiser and Cheers, but his acting career has mostly been in many Shakespearean works on stage in Canada, where he has also been known to direct.

Brian Bedford was born on February 16, 1935 in Morley, Yorkshire, England and later became an American citizen. He died from cancer on January 13, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. He is survived by his husband Tim MacDonald.

Edited by: Kelly Conley