Joe Alaskey, voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, dies at 63

Joe Alaskey, best known to the world for voicing famous cartoon characters, has died of cancer aged 63.

Alaskey voiced the iconic Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety and Sylvester the Cat. Before becoming a voice artist, he was a successful stand-up impressionist and worked on radio before he was hired by Warner Bros in 1989.

Alaskey also voiced other legendary animated characters, among them Elmer Fudd, Marvin the Martian, Plucky Duck on Tiny Toon Adventures, Grandpa Lou Pickles on Rugrats, and the ghost Stinkie from Casper. He also supplied the voice of Richard Nixon in the Oscar-winning film, Forrest Gump.

Whether we were aware of it or not, Alaskey played a big part in our childhood entertainment and will be sorely missed. He was born in New York on April 17, 1952 and died from cancer on February 3, 2016.