John Erwin, the voice actor who portrayed the heroic He-Man in “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,” as well as the mischievous Reggie Mantle in “Archie’ cartoons and the witty and sarcastic Morris the Cat on numerous TV commercials, has died at age 88, it was announced today.
Erwin died of natural causes around Dec. 20 in his home in Camarillo, his representatives told The Hollywood Reporter.
Born on Dec. 5, 1936 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Erwin launched his voice acting career in 1968, portraying the boastful and self-centered Reggie in “The Archies” animated series.
He continued voicing Reggie in various Archie spinoffs, including “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” along with roles in “Groovie Goolies” cartoons and two “Flintstones” spinoffs.
In 1983, he took on one of his biggest roles in “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,” followed by its spinoff, “She-Ra: Princess of Power,” in which he reprised the character from 1985 to 1987.
“Working with John Erwin was a ballad of irreverence, professionalism and surprise,” Alan Oppenheimer, who starred as the evil Skeletor on He-Man, said in a statement. “He was a series actor, writer, performer of commercials, musician, painter and an all-around lovely gentleman, an indelible addition to my life.”
Despite fans’ encouragement, Erwin never joined the convention circuit to discuss his “He-Man” days, and in a 2014 interview, Oppenheimer attributed his absence to being “very shy.”
Erwin’s voice was also a staple in numerous TV commercials, most notably as Morris the Cat, the famously finicky feline who insisted on eating only 9 Lives cat food.
Beyond animation, Erwin lent his voice as an announcer and narrator for television series such as “Here’s Lucy” and “Malcolm & Eddie,” as well as films such as “Looker” (1981), “Everybody’s All-American” (1988) and “Back to the Future Part II” (1989).
Before his career as a voice actor took off, Erwin appeared on screen in the popular CBS western “Rawhide,” on which he had a recurring role as Teddy, a cattle driver. The series, which aired from 1959 to 1965, starred Clint Eastwood as the rugged cowboy Rowdy Yates.
Survivors include “his loving family of children and grandchildren,” according to his public relations firm.