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Donnie Dunagan, who provided the voice of young Bambi in the 1942 Disney classic before embarking in a career in the military, has died aged 92 of lung cancer.
“We were proud to represent a Marine, beloved by fans around the world for his roles in ‘Bambi’ and ‘Son of Frankenstein,’” his agents Kris Jones and Nery Lemus of CelebWorx told Variety. “While he asked us (in his words) ‘not to be sad due to the great life I lived,’ it would be amiss not to share the impact that Donnie had on people when they met him.”
They added: “His love for life was shown through his encouragement. He knew how to inspire and inspired us to be the best we could be. He had an infectious smile, a warmth and charisma that never shook the child-like spirit of his acting youth. He rallied other veterans, loved his fans, and above all else, loved his wife. We will always love you Donnie. You were the best of us.”
Born on 16 August 1934, Dunagan was 3 years old when he won a tap-dancing contest and was spotted by a talent scout in the audience. He made his big-screen debut in Mother Carey’s Chickens (1938), directed by Rowland V. Lee – who then cast him alongisde Boris Karloff as Peter von Frankenstein in Son of Frankenstein (1939). He then starred in Tower of London (1939) alongside Basil Rathbone, Vigil in the Night (1940), and Meet the Chump (1941) before being cast in Bambi.
It was to be his last role, as Dunagan later joined the Marines in 1952 at age 18. He became the youngest drill instructor in their history and served three tours in Vietnam before retiring with the rank of Major in 1977. He was awarded a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts – the oldest active military decoration in the United States, given to military service members who have been wounded or killed in action while serving.
Dunagan told NPR in 2015 that never disclosed his early career to his comrades,as he didn’t want to be referred to as “Major Bambi”.
“One of the biggest regrets of my life is that I didn’t have the courage to tell my close personal friends in the Marine Corps that I had been a part of the wonderful work of Mr. Disney,” he confessed.
RIP Donald Dunagan 1934 – 2026