Original Charlie Brown Voice Actor Peter Robbins Dead by Suicide at 65

Peter Robbins, the original voice of “Peanuts” character Charlie Brown, has died. He was 65.

His family told FOX 5 San Diego that Robbins died by suicide last week. They will hold a memorial for Robbins at some point in the future.

Robbins took on the role of Charlie Brown in 1963, voicing the popular character in some of the most beloved “Peanuts” specials and movies, including “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965), “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (1966), and “A Boy Named Charlie Brown” (1969).

He also had roles in 1960s and 1970s shows like “Rawhide” (1964), “The Donna Reed Show” (1964), “The Munsters” (1964), “Get Smart” (1967), and was a regular on “Blondie” (1968-1969).

Over the years, Robbins struggled with bipolar disorder and had recently served time for making criminal threats.

He was released from prison in 2019 after serving 80 percent of a five-year sentence. He told FOX 5 at the time, “I would recommend to anybody that has bipolar disorder to take it seriously, because your life can turn around in the span of a month, like it did to me,” adding, “I came out of prison and I’m a better person for it. I’m much more humble and grateful and thankful that I lived through the experience.”