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Don MessickAmerican voice actor
Date of Birth: 07.09.1926
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Don Messick
Don Messick was one of the most prolific American voice actors of the 20th century. He voiced numerous classic animated characters, including Scooby-Doo, Ranger Smith, and Boo Boo Bear from "The Yogi Bear Show," Bamm-Bamm Rubble from "The Flintstones," Astro from "The Jetsons," Ratchet from "Transformers," and many others.
Early Life
Donald Earl "Don" Messick was born on September 7, 1926, in Buffalo, New York. His father was a painter. Shortly after his son's birth, the effects of the Great Depression forced the young family to move to Baltimore, where little Don attended kindergarten and lived with his grandparents. After a few years of job searching, Messick Sr. brought the family to Nanticoke, Maryland, where Don began attending school. He later recalled that it was difficult for him, a city boy, to adapt to life in the countryside. There was no running water or electricity in the house they lived in. Don spent most of his free time listening to the radio, which sparked his interest in performing.
Early Career
By the age of 13, Messick was already performing in local clubs as a ventriloquist with his puppet named Kentworth DeFrost. He was a self-taught actor, learning the craft through books and his favorite radio shows. Two years later, his talent caught the attention of the program director and chief announcer at WBOC radio station in Salisbury. Within a week, Don was hosting his own weekly show on the air.
After graduating from high school at the age of 16, Messick returned to Baltimore to pursue an acting career. He never had any fear of the microphone and enjoyed performing in front of an audience. He lived with his maternal grandparents in an area populated by immigrants and intellectuals, studied at the Ramsay Streett School of Acting, and performed in a small theater owned by his teacher. To secure a job in radio in a big city, Don had to work hard to eliminate his rural accent, of which he was unaware.
Unfortunately, Don's father died in an accident and never knew about his son's success. Shortly after, the young actor enlisted in the army, where he served for about two years. He brought his beloved puppet Kentworth with him, dressed in a tiny military uniform sewn by his mother. After being discharged, he headed to San Francisco, where a former army buddy helped him get a job on the radio. Soon after, he received an invitation from Hollywood.
Voice Acting Career
In Hollywood, the MGM studio was working on producing cartoons featuring the character Droopy Dog, and actor Bill Thompson, who regularly voiced the character, was unable to continue. Tex Avery, the creator of Droopy, listened to Don Messick's audition and immediately hired him. Messick voiced Droopy alongside Thompson until 1957 and also participated in other MGM animation projects.
Droopy Dog became Messick's ticket into the world of animation. He dedicated over 40 years to this work, and his list of credits includes over 230 animated films, television series, and shows. While he mainly voiced supporting characters during the 1950s and 1960s, the following decade brought him the role of Scooby-Doo. Scooby-Doo made him famous, and Messick worked on the character from 1969, voicing numerous episodes, several feature films, and dozens of commercials. Scooby-Doo remained Messick's last project, with two movies being released after his death.
In 1996, Don Messick suffered a stroke in the recording studio and retired a week later. He passed away at the age of 71 on October 24, 1997, after a second stroke.
