Will Ryan, voice actor of 'Winne The Pooh' and 'G.I. Joe', dead at 72

Will Ryan, a veteran voice actor, died on November 19 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 72.

His talent agent, Nery Lemus, confirmed the news to a reputed news website, saying, “The world is a little less bright tonight with the passing of Will Ryan,” wrote Lemus in a statement. “As much as he was known to many of you as a Disney icon, voice-over legend, gun twirling cowboy, musician/songwriter, a brilliant comedic actor, along with a list of credits that don’t even touch the essence of what he accomplished… he was my friend.”

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Lemus continued, “For those who didn’t know him, he was a beautiful person. He was selfless. His humility was endless. He spent his entire life helping others and the loss his friends and family feel tonight would be a tragic understatement. He was a beautiful soul and I was honored to just know him, let alone represent him. I can’t find all the words that would express what he meant to our company CelebWorx, and the rest of the world he touched with his talent.”

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Ryan began his voice acting career with animation projects like 'Winnie the Pooh' and a 'Day for Eeyore' and even the Oscar-nominated film 'Mickey’s Christmas Carol'. Ryan then went on to secure a recurring role in 'G.I. Joe: The Revenge of Cobra', 'G.I. Joe' and 'Dumbo’s Circus'.
In the 1980s, Ryan lent his voice to roles in 'Teen Wolf', 'DuckTales', 'The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin' and 'The Smurfs'. He also worked on Willie the Giant in multiple Disney projects over many decades such as 'Mickey Mouse Clubhouse' and 'House of Mouse'.

The late veteran actor is survived by his wife Nancy Niparko Ryan, and siblings Patty Ryan, Marsha Ryan Russo and George Ryan.

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