Character actor and voice actor Marvin Kaplan has died. He passed due to natural causes on Wednesday, August 24, 2016 in his home in Burbank, CA, according to a statement released by Theatre West. Kaplan was 89 years old.
Kaplan was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1927. He is best known for his recurring role as phone lineman Henry Beesmeyer on the sitcom Alice and for voicing Choo-Choo on the animated series Top Cat.
His first role was in Adam’s Rib in 1949. He was in I Can Get it for You Wholesale, Angels in the Outfield, Meet Millie, The Red Skelton Hour, The Nutty Professor, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, McHale’s Navy, I Dream of Jeannie, Freaky Friday, MacGyver, ER, and his final role was in 2016’s Lookin’ Up.
In addition to voicing in Top Cat, he has voiced in The Smurfs, Wake, Rattle & Roll, Garfield and Friends, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, and Johnny Bravo.
He also served as the AFTRA Los Angeles local president for eight years and Performers’ Governor on the Television Academy. He was a member of the California Artists Radio Theatre, Motion Picture Academy, and the Academy of New Musical Theatre.