Who Was David Graham? A Look at the Legacy of the Voice Behind Peppa Pig, Thunderbirds, and Doctor Who Amid His Passing at 99
Voice actor David Graham, best known for his roles in Peppa Pig and Thunderbirds, has passed away at the age of 99. The official account for Gerry Anderson, the late creator of Thunderbirds, where Graham voiced numerous characters, announced the news of his death on X.
“We’re incredibly sad to confirm the passing of the legendary David Graham,” the post read, adding, “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.”
The social media post did not provide a cause or date of death for Graham.
In light of his passing, here is a brief introduction to his life and legacy for those who may not know him.
One of Graham’s most recognized roles was voicing Grandpa Pig on Peppa Pig, a character he portrayed for two decades, with his voice featured in episodes from 2004 through this year. Graham previously spoke about how he always gave the role his best, regardless of it being a children’s show.
“The voice has been very steady over the years, which has been marvelous because it pays,” he said. “I do act while I’m doing the voice,” he added.
Graham remarked that whether his character was a cartoon or a puppet made no difference to him, as he approached it with the same dedication and seriousness he would bring to any role at the National Theatre.
As mentioned earlier, Graham is also known for his time on the British sci-fi television series Thunderbirds, which aired between 1965 and 1966. He was the only cast member to return for the Thunderbirds Are Go reboot, which ran from 2015 to 2020.
Graham was also a popular voice actor on Doctor Who, where he voiced the Daleks, terrifying an entire generation of young adults. In a 2015 interview with Mirror, Graham explained how he developed the Dalek voice alongside fellow voice actor Peter Hawkins. “We adopted this staccato style, then they fed it through a synthesizer to make it more sinister,” he detailed.
Before voicing roles for TV, Graham served as a radar mechanic during World War II and worked as an office clerk before joining a theater school.
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