Peppa PigandThunderbirdsVoice Actor David Graham Dies at 99

Mar. 15, 2025

David Graham in Los Angeles, California in March 2016.Photo:Charley Gallay/Getty

Charley Gallay/Getty

Voice actor David Graham has died. He was 99.The star was best known for voicing Grandpa Pig on the animated showPeppa Pigfrom 2004 to 2021 and the character Aloysius Parker in the 1960s family adventure seriesThunderbirds. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, Graham was also the voice of the mutant Daleks onDoctor Who.

Thunderbirdscreator Gerry Anderson confirmed Graham’s death onX(formerly known as Twitter) on Friday, Sept. 20 with a touching tribute.“We’re incredibly sad to confirm the passing of the legendary David Graham,” he tweeted. “The voice [of] Parker, Gordon Tracy, Brains and so many more. David was always a wonderful friend to us here at Anderson Entertainment. We will miss you dearly, David. Our thoughts are with David’s friends and family.”

In an interview withMirrorin 2015, Graham discussed how he developed the voice forDoctor Who’sDaleks.

“I created it with Peter Hawkins, another voice actor,” he told the outlet at the time. “We adopted this staccato style then they fed it through a synthesizer to make it more sinister.”

Landing his role onThunderbirdspaved the way for more work including the opportunity to act with Laurence Olivier at the National Theatre.

David Graham in Los Angeles, California in March 2016.Charley Gallay/Getty

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“A wonderful man,” Graham said of Olivier. “I auditioned for him and he said, ‘Are you doing anything at the moment?’ As if I was the most in demand actor in the country! I don’t know if his children were fans ofThunderbirds…”

Peppa Pigintroduced the actor to another generation of young viewers, which Graham took particular pride in.

“Just because it’s a cartoon or puppet doesn’t mean you don’t take it seriously,” the actor toldMirror.“I take it as seriously as working at the National [Theatre].”

source: people.com