News broke this morning that the original voice actor for Crash Bandicoot for the PlayStation had recently passed away. Brendan James O’Brien sadly passed away on March 23, 2023, and the news was shared on Legacy official site and was then picked up by fans on social media. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. The next Crash Bandicoot game is Crash Team Rumble, which is due out next month.
“Brendan James O’Brien was born on May 9, 1962 in Hollywood, CA. The son of actors and entertainers, Edmond O’Brien and Olga San Juan, he embodied the talent of both, yet went his own way. Brendan attended St. Martin de Tours in Brentwood, CA and went on to Loyola High School in East Los Angeles. He was grateful for his Jesuit education and often said it was more difficult than his studies at Loyola Marymount. His time at Loyola High School shaped his knowledge of religion (comparative studies), science, art, nature, theater and music.”
“One of his proudest moments was coming up with the original voices for the “Crash Bandicoot” video games during Naughty Dog’s years from 1996 to 2004. He encouraged nostalgic Crash fans in their own pursuits and loved signing their memorabilia. Like music, designing character voices for animation, radio and video games came naturally to him.”