Original Crash Bandicoot voice actor Brendan O’Brien dies at age 60

Brendan O’Brien – the original voice actor of Crash Bandicoot – has died at 60 years old.

Naughty Dog began their Crash Bandicoot series in the mid-1990s with O’Brien voicing the main character. Besides Crash Bandicoot, the actor voiced N. Gin, Dr. Neo Cortex, Dr. Nitrus Brio, and Tiny Tiger in the first three Crash games. He also played the starring animal in the 2016 title Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.

As first reported by Yahoo Entertainment, O’Brien died on March 23, 2023, but news of his death wasn’t covered until recently. At the time of writing, there is no known cause of death.

Crash Bandicoot actor dies from unknown causes

Vicarious Visions

O’Brien was born on May 9, 1962, in Hollywood, California to actors Edmond O’Brien and Olga San Juan. He has two sisters – television producer Bridget O’Brien and actor Maria O’Brien. The Crash Bandicoot star began acting at just 10 years old alongside his father in the first episode of “The Streets of San Francisco.”

O’Brien took a break from acting in 2004 but returned for an episode of Riverdale as a math teacher. He also appeared in the live-action shows Candid Camera and The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys. The actor’s last known role was in 2021 for the miniseries The Slowest Show.

In addition to Yahoo’s story, O’Brien’s obituary was published on Legacy.com. Besides acting, O’Brien was passionate about playing guitar and participated in “every high school event in the southland.” “Music, humor, and endless knowledge were the themes of his life,” the obituary reads.

The obituary also mentioned how voicing Crash Bandicoot from 1996 to 2004 was among his “proudest moments.” “He encouraged nostalgic Crash fans in their own pursuits and loved signing their memorabilia,” the memorial included.

O’Brien’s death comes just two months after Lance Reddick from the Horizon series died. O’Brien leaves behind Ingrid K. Behrens – his wife of 23 years. Our thoughts are with O’Brien’s family following his death.