Voice actor Peter Renaday, known for voicing Master Splinter in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series, is dead. Peter Renaday died at age 89. Besides his voice acting credits, Renaday also raked in a few acting roles.
Peter Renaday was reported to have died on September 8, 2024, from what has been ruled as natural causes, in his Burbank, California, home. Since his death, family, friends, and colleagues have shared tributes. Honoring his contribution to the entertainment industry, here’s a look at his life, career, and death.
Peter Renaday’s Early Life & Career
Although he was largely known by his professional name, Peter Renaday’s birth name was Pierre Laurent Renoudet. The longtime voice actor was born in New Iberia, Louisiana, on June 9, 1935. Like most children his age, Renaday grew up surrounded by the realities of World War II. However, he was always drawn to the entertainment industry. At 30, Peter Renaday made his acting debut in a 1965 episode of ABC’s drama series Combat! Besides his early acting career, Renaday realized he had the perfect voice for narration. In 1968, he was hired as a narrator for Disney’s The Mickey Mouse Anniversary Show.
Peter Renaday’s Acting Career
While he’s most known and remembered for his voice roles, Peter Renaday was also an established actor. Much of his early career was centered around acting. From the ’60s to the mid-80s, Renaday starred in several TV shows, TV movies, and feature films. As a character actor, he was mostly cast in supporting roles. He also starred in several Disney film and television productions. It was during this time he created a working relationship with Disney. A few of the Disney productions he starred in include Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. (1966), The Love Bug (1969), The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), and the animated The Aristocats (1970).
Peter Renaday’s Voice Acting Career
Although he had done a few voice-acting jobs in the past, Peter Renaday’s voice-acting career picked up in the mid-80s. By the end of the 80s, Renaday has voiced characters in Saturday Supercade (1983–1985), Alvin & the Chipmunks (1983), Kidd Video (1984–1985), Snorks (1985), G.I. Joe (1985), and The Transformers (1985–1986). He also voiced Mandrake the Magician in Defenders of the Earth TV series in 1986. Peter Renaday landed his most iconic voice role in 1986 as the voice of Master Splinter in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series.
Renaday voiced Splinter for a decade from 1987 to 1996, appearing in 181 episodes of the show. By the 90s, Peter Renaday has already earned a reputation as a voice actor. He voiced several characters in notable TV series such as Batman: The Animated Series (1992), Animaniacs (1993), Aladdin (1994), Iron Man (1995), Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (1996), and Superman: The Animated Series (1997–1998). Others include Godzilla: The Series (2001), Angel (2003), Justice League (2001–2004), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2010–2011), and Ben 10: Ultimate Alien (2011–2012). Peter Renaday’s last credit was in 2019 when he voiced the Forever Tree in the short film Piney: The Lonesome Pine.
Peter Renaday’s Video Game Credits
Besides his on-screen and voice role credits, Peter Renaday worked extensively in video games, providing voiceovers to several game characters. Renaday’s first video game role came in 1993 when he voiced Kingpin and Mysterio in an uncredited role in the 1993 The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin. He voiced Zeus in Labyrinth of Crete (1995), Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter (1996), Outlaws (1997), Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (1998), and Revenant (1999). By the 2000s, Renaday has again established himself in the game world.
A few of his most popular video game voiceovers include Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001), Star Trek: Armada II (2001), and Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (2002). In 2005, he voiced The Key Maker and The Architect in The Matrix: Path of Neo. Other video games with his credits are Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006), Assassin’s Creed (2007), The Bourne Conspiracy (2008), Halo Wars (2009), Avatar: The Game (2009), Fallout: New Vegas (2010). A few of his last video game credits were Star Wars: Uprising (2015) and The Elder Scrolls: Blades (2019).
Peter Renaday’s Personal Life, Death, & Tributes
Peter Renaday married Florence “Flo” June Daniel on October 16, 1979. Renaday met Flo while she was working at Walt Disney Studios as a secretary in the music department. Flo worked dedicatedly for Disney for 35 years. Flo was credited as one of the vocalists in Disney’s “The Sound of Christmas” song. Renaday and Flo stayed married for over 31 years before Flo’s death on February 18, 2011. The couple never had any children, and Peter Renaday never remarried after Flo’s death.
Peter Renaday was found dead at his home on September 8, 2024. According to a report by TMZ, law enforcement officers responded to a call and were on a welfare check when Peter Renaday’s body was found inside his home. As of the time of the report, the death is being ruled as caused by natural causes. According to Peter Renaday’s niece, Mindy Zachary, Renaday’s air conditioning system had been faulty. This could have made his home temperature rise above normal, especially with the recent heatwave in Los Angeles. However, the family doesn’t suspect any foul play and isn’t looking forward to any autopsy or investigations.
Peter Renaday’s former Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-voice star, Townsend Coleman (voiced Michaelangelo), first broke the news of Renaday’s death to the public. Coleman shared on a Facebook post, stating, “Folks, I’m devastated this morning to learn of the passing yesterday of our dear sensei, Peter Renaday. Pete was one of the most genuine, salt of the earth people I have ever known, and I will miss him dearly. I had the privilege of visiting with him a month ago and he was as vibrant as ever, at 89 just as endearingly silly, smart and talented as I’ve always known him to be. Ugh, this is hard… a Disney legend and our dear Master Splinter— rest well, my sweet friend.” At age 89, Peter Renaday died less than a month after legendary talk show host Phil Donahue, who died at 88.
Follow Us
