Arthur Anderson, actor who gave voice to Lucky Charms leprechaun, dead at 93
BYBRIAN LISI
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, April 13, 2016, 9:48 AM
Arthur Anderson, a noted actor and the iconic voice behind the Lucky Charms leprechaun, died Saturday at the age of 93 in Manhattan.
Anderson, born on Staten Island, began his career in radio. At just 12 years of age, he became a regular on "Uncle Kenny's Radio Kindergarten." He would go on to NBC's musical serial drama "Tony and Gus" and CBS's "Let's Pretend," staying with the latter for nearly 20 years.
Taking a step toward the stage, Anderson appeared on Broadway alongside Orson Welles in the radio giant's production of "Julius Caesar."
Welles had decided to set the production in Italy during Mussolini's reign and cast Anderson as the Brutus' servant Lucius, with Welles playing the role of Caesar's biggest betrayer.
GENE J. PUSKAR/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Despite giving voice to the particularly memorable line, "They're always after me Lucky Charms,” Anderson would tell ABC News in 2005, “I never got free cereal."
Though he would lend his talent to movies such as "Midnight Cowboy" and "I'm Not Rappaport" and TV shows including "Car 54, Where Are You?" and "Law & Order," Anderson made his biggest mark on American pop culture as the voice of Lucky the Leprechaun, the mascot of Lucky Charms cereal. Not being of Irish descent, Anderson would admit to ABC News, "People have expectations. I just have an Irish-sounding name."
Of the character that he would voice for nearly 30 years, Anderson said, "It was a fun character to play. Hardly a day goes by when somebody doesn't ask me to sing the Lucky Charms jingle, and I'm proud of that."
blisi@nydailynews.com
BYBRIAN LISI
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, April 13, 2016, 9:48 AM
- A
- A
- A
- 9
- Tweet
Arthur Anderson, a noted actor and the iconic voice behind the Lucky Charms leprechaun, died Saturday at the age of 93 in Manhattan.
Anderson, born on Staten Island, began his career in radio. At just 12 years of age, he became a regular on "Uncle Kenny's Radio Kindergarten." He would go on to NBC's musical serial drama "Tony and Gus" and CBS's "Let's Pretend," staying with the latter for nearly 20 years.
Taking a step toward the stage, Anderson appeared on Broadway alongside Orson Welles in the radio giant's production of "Julius Caesar."
Welles had decided to set the production in Italy during Mussolini's reign and cast Anderson as the Brutus' servant Lucius, with Welles playing the role of Caesar's biggest betrayer.
Despite giving voice to the particularly memorable line, "They're always after me Lucky Charms,” Anderson would tell ABC News in 2005, “I never got free cereal."
Though he would lend his talent to movies such as "Midnight Cowboy" and "I'm Not Rappaport" and TV shows including "Car 54, Where Are You?" and "Law & Order," Anderson made his biggest mark on American pop culture as the voice of Lucky the Leprechaun, the mascot of Lucky Charms cereal. Not being of Irish descent, Anderson would admit to ABC News, "People have expectations. I just have an Irish-sounding name."
Of the character that he would voice for nearly 30 years, Anderson said, "It was a fun character to play. Hardly a day goes by when somebody doesn't ask me to sing the Lucky Charms jingle, and I'm proud of that."
blisi@nydailynews.com
