Don Messick Biography

Fast Facts

• Officially retired from Hanna-Barbera in 1996 following a stroke and passed away a year later after suffering a second stroke
• Initially interested in making a living as a ventriloquist, he eventually turned to voiceover work after being contacted by MGM to voice characters for "Droopy" cartoons in the late '40s
• As a voice actor, he is mostly widely recognized for his work associated with Hanna-Barbera, which included the characters Scooby-Doo, Bamm-Bamm from "The Flintstones", Papa Smurf and dozens of others
• A longtime smoker, he claimed that he was unable to do the Scooby-Doo voice after he quit the habit later in life