“Star Wars” voice actor Mark Dodson died after suffering a heart attack on Saturday, just days before he was meant to appear at a horror convention.
Dodson, who was also the voice from the 80s hit horror “Gremlins,” suffered a “massive heart attack” while asleep at a hotel in Evansville, Indiana,
He was scheduled to appear at HorrorCon, his daughter told TMZ in a statement.
Dodson’s daughter, Ciara, said his father “never ceased making me proud,” according to TMZ.
Mark Dodson has sadly passed away at the age of 64.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 3, 2024
The actor voiced Mogwai in ‘Gremlins’ and Salacious Crumb in ‘Return of the Jedi’. pic.twitter.com/92EcINpa9r
The Evansville Horror Con published a tribute to the voice actor in a Facebook post:
“We are heartbroken to announce the sudden passing of Mark Dodson last night.” the post reads.
“Mark was not only a talented voice actor but also a cherished member of the horror community.”
Dodson’s talent agency, Stellar Appearances, also released a statement on Facebook following the actor’s death, noting his four-decade career featured work in radio, voice acting, and production.
“Mark’s career spanned more than four decades as a radio man, voice actor, producer, and fan favorite of convention attendees across the world,” the statement read.
“Mark was best known for being the voice of some of the movies most iconic characters in some of Hollywood’s most popular movies.”
Peter DeLorme, Mark’s longtime friend, told the New York Post:
“Mark was a dear friend of mine for several decades.”
“He was an iconic voice actor who loved his Star Wars family and incredible fans all over the world. More importantly, Mark was an amazing father, husband, brother, uncle, partner, and friend.”
“May the force be with you my friend, always,” he said.
Dodson made his name for his voice role as the Salacious Crumb in the film “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.”
He also voiced Mogwais and the Gremlins, according to IMDB.
Dodson also voiced characters in titles including “Day of the Dead” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
USAToday noted that Dodson also lent his voiceover talent to several video games, including 2010’s “Star Trek Online,” 2016’s “Grim Dawn,” 2018’s “Lucius III,” 2020’s “Ghostrunner” and 2023’s “Ghostrunner II.”
READ: ‘Experts’ Claim Not Reading Mainstream Media Can Cause Heart Attacks
