Christine Cavanaugh, ‘Dexter’s Laboratory’ and ‘Rugrats’ voice actor, dead at 51

Sad news is breaking today, in particular for those who grew up in the late 80’s and early 90’s: Christine Cavanaugh, a prominent voice actor, has passed away at 51. According to a new report from TMZ, the cause of death is still unclear.

Cavanaugh was behind some of the most iconic voices of children’s shows out there, starting with playing Chuckie Finster on the Nickelodeon show “Rugrats.” This show, coupled with “Doug,” are two of the reasons why the network ended up becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of animation. Chuckie was always one of the show’s most-popular characters.

Also, Cavanaugh was known for voicing the title character on Cartoon Network’s iconic “Dexter’s Laboratory,” and also voiced the title character of the hit movie “Babe.” Some of her live-action work included guest spots on “ER” and “The X-Files.”

In some ways, one of the saddest things about saying goodbye to a voice actor is the feeling that they never quite got the credit that they deserved. Chuckie and Dexter were both characters that exhibited the outcast within all of us, and they helped us to feel a little more normal when surrounded at times by constant chaos. Also, they were not just mind-numbing television; they encouraged exploration and imagination at their core, even if they also contained many a silly joke along the way.

Cavanaugh ceased voice acting seemingly over a decade ago, and did not continue with “Rugrats” for its final seasons. Instead, the role was voiced by Nancy Cartwright, otherwise known as the voice of Bart Simpson. (Cartwright also voiced him for the “All Grown Up” spin-off series.)

As always, our thoughts and condolences go out to Cavanaugh’s family though what must be a very difficult time. We’ll have further news as it breaks on the subject.