Voice actor David Graham, famous for his roles in Peppa Pig and Thunderbirds, has died at the age of 99. The official account of the late Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson, where Graham voiced several characters, announced the news of his death on X.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of the great David Graham,” the post read. “The voice of Parker, Gordon Tracey, Brains and so many others. David was always a wonderful friend to us at Anderson Entertainment. We will miss you so much, David. Our condolences are with David’s friends and family.”
The social media post did not provide the cause or date of Graham’s death.
In light of his passing, here is a brief introduction to his life and legacy for those who may not know him.
One of Graham’s most well-known roles was the voice of Grandpa Pig in Peppa Pig, a character he played for two decades, with his voice featured in episodes from 2004 until this year. Graham previously explained how he always gave his best to the role, even though it was a children’s show.
“My voice has been pretty stable over the years, which is great because it pays,” he said. “I also do voice acting.”
Graham said it makes no difference to him whether his character is a cartoon or a puppet, as he plays it with the same dedication and seriousness as he would any role at the National Theatre.
As previously mentioned, Graham is also known for his time in the British sci-fi television series Thunderbirds, which aired between 1965 and 1966. He was the only cast member to return for the Thunderbirds Are Go reboot, which ran from 2015 to 2020.
Graham was also a popular voice actor in Doctor Who, where he voiced the Daleks, terrifying an entire generation of young adults. In a 2015 interview with the Mirror, Graham explained how he developed the Daleks’ voices with fellow voice actor Peter Hawkins. He elaborated, “We took this staccato style, then put it through a synthesizer to make it more frightening.”
Before providing voices for TV, Graham served as a radar mechanic during World War II and worked as an office clerk before joining a theater school.
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