Sad news has come in, as it’s been reported that Brendan O’Brien has passed away. The actor, who was the first person to voice Crash Bandicoot, reportedly died on March 23, 2023, though his passing was just now making the rounds in the press, per Yahoo. He was 60 years old. An obituary found at Legacy mentions how proud O’Brien was of starring in the Crash Bandicoot video game series.
“One of his proudest moments was coming up with the original voices for the Crash Bandicoot video games during the Naughty Dog years of 1996 to 2004,” the obituary reads in part. “He encouraged nostalgic Crash fans in their own pursuits and loved signing their memorabilia. Like music, designing character voices for animation, radio and video games came naturally to him.”
Many gamers will recognize O’Brien’s voice fondly as the first person to play Crash Bandicoot, going back to the original game released on the Sony PlayStation in 1996. He reprised the role in the first several sequels developed by Naughty Dog, wrapping up his run in the role with 2001’s Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex. His passing was acknowledged on the official Twitter account for the franchise.
Sharing our sincere condolences to Brendan O’Brien’s loved ones for his passing. He was an incredible talent who brought Crash Bandicoot and other Crash characters to life. He will forever live on in the hearts of Crash fans. https://t.co/Cp9nBeTMgU
— Crash Bandicoot (@CrashBandicoot) May 15, 2023
He’d also done voiceover work for the animated series Todd MacFarlane’s Spawn and the animated film Casper: A Spirited Beginning. He also appeared in movies like 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, P.U.N.K.S., and Race to Space. After a hiatus of nearly two decades, he’d return to acting with a role as a teacher on Riverdale in 2020. O’Brien’s final role was in 2021 for the miniseries The Slowest Show, playing a millionaire.
O’Brien was married to Ingrid K. Behrends in 2000 after the pair met in 1995. Our thoughts are with her and the rest of his loved ones. May he rest in peace.
