Peter Renaday, original voice of Master Splinter on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, dies at 89

Peter Renaday, the veteran voice actor who originated the role of Master Splinter on the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated TV series that marked the franchise's onscreen debut, has died at 89.

His agent Cathey Lizzio confirmed the news to Entertainment Weekly, writing, "Peter was not only a multi-talented actor, he was kind, gracious and it is an honor to have ever had the pleasure of knowing."

Renaday, whose legal name was Pierre Renoudet, was found deceased in his Southern California home on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Burbank Police Department told EW. Officers and paramedics were responding to a welfare check at his residence, where they discovered Renaday on the floor. There were no signs of trauma or foul play, authorities said, and the death will not be handled by the medical examiner.

News of Renaday’s death prompted meaningful tributes from friends and former costars. 

Townsend Coleman, who voiced Michaelangelo on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, shared photos of the cartoon's original castmates together in a heartfelt Facebook post Tuesday.

"Folks, I'm devastated this morning to learn of the passing yesterday of our dear sensei, Peter Renaday," he wrote. "Pete was one of the most genuine, salt of the earth people I have ever known and I will miss him dearly."

He added, "I had the privilege of visiting with him a month ago and he was as vibrant as ever, at 89 just as endearingly silly, smart and talented as I've always known him to be. Ugh, this is hard… a Disney legend and our dear Master Splinter— rest well, my sweet friend."

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Cam Clarke, the voice of Leonardo, shared his own post, writing, "By now many of you have already heard, but we just lost our amazing Sensei, Master Splinter and dearest friend Peter Renaday. As I write this the tears in my eyes make it hard to see enough to write this post."

He continued, "He and I, and the rest of our wonderful cast laughed a lot. We were fortunate to take Pete out for his 88th birthday last year to reminisce, honor him and yes, laugh some more. Thanks for all our time together. Turtle power, my friend, and beyond…"

Renae Jacobs, the voice of April O'Neil, shared a photo of the cast as well, writing on Instagram, "We are heartbroken our dear sensei, Peter Renaday, has left us. He imparted his wisdom, humor, and great talent to us all. He will forever be in our hearts."

In his own tribute post, Sam Kwasman, a seasoned voice actor who spent 17 years portraying Donald Duck, referenced Renaday's work as Mickey Mouse on several Disney albums throughout the 1970s and '80s.

"Peter and I were part of a team at Disney Studios along with Tony Pope who was the voice of goofy (RIP)," he wrote. "Starting in 1975 all three of us were a team that did records, toys, talking books, audio, animatronic, talking dolls, and commercials for Disney Studios."

After recalling how they would regularly meet for brunch with other voice actors at a Burbank cafe, he noted that Renaday had "a beautiful singing voice" and "a wonderful acting range." He concluded, "I will miss his stories about the theater and working for Disney. He will be sorely missed."

Born in Louisiana in 1935, Renaday would accrue more than 200 credits across his voice acting career. One of his earliest gigs was voicing Grapple on 1985's The Transformers. Two years later, he would land the role of Hamato Yoshi, a.k.a. Master Splinter, the wise rat sensei who acts as a mentor and father figure to the show's titular Ninja Turtles. Renaday filled the role throughout the show's 10-season run, from 1987 to 1996.

The hit series marked the first television appearance of the Ninja Turtles — who were created by comic book scribes Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird — launching them into mainstream popularity. The cartoon significantly toned down the darker elements of the comics to make the story more suited to children, and its success led to the popularity of Ninja Turtles-branded action figures, breakfast cereal, and more. The franchise now includes several TV and movie adaptations.

Renaday would later reprise his role as Splinter for the non-musical portions of the live-action concert event TMNT: Coming Out of Their Shells in 1990.

He voiced hundreds of other characters across TV and film, with credits including Darkwing Duck, Alvin & the Chipmunks, Animaniacs, Gargoyles, Superman: The Animated Series, The Grim Adventures of BIlly & Mandy, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Ben 10: Ultimate Alien.