Voice actress Christine Cavanaugh, who provided the scratchy, adorable coo of Chuckie Finster on “Rugrats” and Babe in the first “Babe” film, has died at age 51 according to TMZ. Cavanaugh dropped out of voice acting in 2001 due to unspecified personal issues, which was a pretty staggering upset for the voice industry since she was such a popular and respected performer. Her cause of death is unknown, though her Wiki states that she had Chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Let's revisit some of her most famous and beloved work as a performer. Cavanaugh ranks among the great '90s cartoon voices like Tress MacNeille (Babs Bunny on “Tiny Toon Adventures,” Dot on “Animaniacs”) and E.G. Daily (Tommy on “Rugrats,” Babe in his second film, “Babe: Pig in the City”). It's also worth noting that Cavanaugh had live-action acting gigs on “The X-Files,” “Cheers,” “ER,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and the movie “Jerry Maguire.”
“Babe”
Though James Cromwell's august presence helped, Cavanaugh's efforts made Babe an adorable and unforgettable film hero.
“Rugrats”
Every character on “Rugrats” is incredibly dynamic, which is pretty shocking when you consider they're all under three years old. Chuckie, Cavanaugh's character, was the antithesis of Angelica: a sweet, forgiving kid who was faithful to his pals.
“Dexter's Laboratory”
Cavanaugh provided the diabolical voice of Dexter, the boy genius at the heart of Cartoon Network's classic series. Whenever Dee Dee was annoying, Dexter's grumbly patois intensified.
“Darkwing Duck”
Drake Mallard's 9-year-old adopted daughter Gosalyn on “Darkwing Duck” was a precious kid. Here she sings alongside DW, who was voiced by Winnie the Pooh voice actor Jim Cummings.
“Aaahh! Real Monsters”
Oblina. The fantastic, glamorously accented Oblina.
“Salute Your Shorts”
But best of all, let's not forget Cavanaugh's live-action stint as Ug's park ranger girlfriend Mona on “Salute Your Shorts.” That is a woman who loved a khaki ensemble. She even had a whole episode devoted to her character: “They Call Me Ms. Tibbs.”
RIP, the fabulous and talented Christine Cavanaugh.