Donnie Dunagan, Voice of Disney's Bambi, Passes Away at 92
Donnie Dunagan, the voice of the young fawn in Disney's 1942 classic "Bambi," has died at 92. He transitioned from a Hollywood child star to a decorated Marine Corps major.
Donnie Dunagan, who provided the iconic voice of the young deer in Disney's 1942 animated classic "Bambi," has passed away at the age of 92 following a battle with lung cancer. Dunagan transitioned from a promising child star in Hollywood to a decorated Marine Corps officer who kept his early cinematic fame a secret for decades.
Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1934, Dunagan entered show business after winning a talent contest at age three. A talent scout spotted him and helped his family relocate to Los Angeles. Before his career-defining work with Disney, he appeared in horror films such as "Son of Frankenstein" and "Tower of London" in 1939, working alongside legendary actors like Boris Karloff. His life took a major turn when Walt Disney personally called his mother, asking the young boy to help animators capture realistic facial expressions for the animated fawn.
After retiring from Hollywood, Dunagan enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1952 at the age of 18. He served a 25-year military career, completing three combat tours in Vietnam as an intelligence officer and reconnaissance unit commander. He earned three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, retiring as a major in 1977. Throughout his military service, he hid his past as the voice of Bambi, fearing mockery from his peers. Later in life, he embraced his legacy, attending fan conventions and celebrating the timeless film that marked his childhood.
Dunagan is survived by his wife, Daina, whom he married in 1992.
