Crash Bandicoot Aku Aku voice actor Mel Winkler has passed away last night in his sleep.
Variety reports that Mel Winkler — a longtime actor with experience in film, television, theater, and voice acting — has died in his sleep on Thursday, June 11, 2020, from unknown causes. He was 78.
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Winkler lent his voice acting talents to a number of animated series in the late 90s and early 2000s including The New Batman Adventures and Superman: The Animated Series. Gamers, however, will best recognize him as the Crash Bandicoot Aku Aku voice actor.
His first appearance was in Crash Bandicoot: Warped in 1998. He played the voice of Aku Aku, a character that helps Crash and his friends defeat the forces of evil. Mel Winkler subsequently appeared in Crash Team Racing, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crash Nitro Cart, and Crash Twinsanity. The Crash Bandicoot video games were his only roles in the medium.
Winkler is survived by his children Maury and Mark Winkler and four granddaughters.
