The original voice actor for Crash Bandicoot, Brendan O'Brien has passed away at the age of 60. While the iconic marsupial isn't exactly known best for his monologues or even his catchphrases, anyone who has played a single Crash game will have likely heard his instantly recognizable “woah” as soon as you saw the headline above.News of O'Brien's passing was shared via the actor's obituary which you can read now at Legacy. Fans have been sharing their tributes and Crash memories there and on social media as the news that the man who provided Crash with his very first voice has passed away.O'Brien was the voice of Crash Bandicoot and a number of other characters from the series during the Naughty Dog era of the games, and then again on one more occasion after Naughty Dog was done making Crash games. That includes the original trilogy on PS1 as well as Crash Team Racing and Crash Bash on the same platform. O'Brien would voice Crash one final time in The Wrath of Cortex, although his voice lines were used for various other Crash games on the Game Boy Advance after that.
As well as contributing some of the sounds still commonly associated with Crash Bandicoot, O'Brien also provided the original voices for the series' leading villain, Dr. Neo Cortex. He also voiced Tiny Tiger and Dr. N. Gin. Unfortunately, he didn't return to reprise his role for the N. Sane Trilogy in 2017, nor did anyone else from the original cast, a decision met with a mixed response from Crash fans.
O'Brien took an extended break from acting shortly after his run as Crash came to an end but returned in 2020 for an appearance in Riverdale. His role as Crash and some of the bandicoot's supporting cast members was his only big role in the video game world, though. That likely makes his work as the original voice of the character, who quickly became a household name in the late '90s and has maintained that status ever since, even more special in the eyes of his fans.
The Crash Bandicoot series has remained a major player in the gaming world since O'Brien first gave its lead character his voice. It will tread a new path on June 20 via the launch of Crash Team Rumble, an online multiplayer spin on the Crash games that will pit teams of four against one another.