JoBe Cerny, Voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy, Dies at 78

JoBe Cerny, the actor whose voice and signature giggle helped define the Pillsbury Doughboy in commercials for decades, died Oct. 30 at age 78. His son Tim told TMZ that Cerny died in Illinois after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The family’s account was also cited in reports of his death.

Cerny stepped away from the Doughboy role around 2020 as health problems worsened, according to accounts of his career. The character, also known as Poppin’ Fresh, became familiar to audiences through advertisements in which he chuckled when customers poked his belly. Cerny followed original voice actor Paul Frees and Jeff Bergman; one account said Cerny began voicing the character around 1974, while another placed his assumption of the role in 2014. The exact start date is disputed.

Born in Cicero, Illinois, Cerny studied speech and drama at Valparaiso University and earned a master’s degree in theater from Northwestern University. He performed with Chicago’s Second City, including its mainstage and touring company, before building a career across advertising, theater, television, film and audio production.

For more than 30 years, Cerny owned and operated CernyAmerican Creative...