Peter Renaday, the acclaimed voice actor renowned for his role as Master Splinter in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, has passed away at the age of 89. Renaday’s death was confirmed by Townsend Coleman, his former co-star from the TMNT series, in a social media post.
Coleman, who voiced Michelangelo in the series, shared his grief on X/Twitter, stating: “Folks, I’m devastated this morning to learn of the passing yesterday of our dear sensei, Peter Renaday. Pete was one of the most genuine, salt of the earth people I have ever known and I will miss him dearly. I had the privilege of visiting with him a month ago and he was as vibrant as ever, at 89 just as endearingly silly, smart, and talented as I’ve always known him to be. Ugh, this is hard… a Disney legend and our dear Master Splinter— rest well, my sweet friend.”
The cause of Renaday’s death has not yet been disclosed. Law enforcement conducted a welfare check at his Burbank residence on Sunday and discovered him deceased.
Born in New Iberia, Louisiana, on June 9, 1935, Renaday began his television career at age 30 with a role on the war drama Combat!. His early work included providing the voice of a pilot in Disney’s Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N., which marked the start of his long association with the studio. His Disney credits include live-action roles in The Love Bug (1968) and voice roles in The Aristocats (1970) and The Rescuers (1977).
Renaday is perhaps best known for his role as Master Splinter in the 1987 animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a part he played until the show ended in 1996. He also reprised the role for the 1990 live-action TMNT concert event at Radio City Music Hall.
Throughout the 1990s, Renaday’s voice graced several other beloved cartoons, including Darkwing Duck, Animaniacs, and Iron Man: The Animated Series. His extensive voice work extended into video games, with notable appearances in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, From Russia with Love, and Assassin’s Creed.
Renaday was married to Florence “Flo” Daniel, who worked in Walt Disney Studio’s music department for 35 years until her death in 2011.
Related topic:
Who Was Lefty Frizzell in Country Music?
Who is Dasha in Country Music? [Revealed]
Who Was Dotsy in Country Music?