William Dufris Who Voiced 'Bob the Builder' Dies at 62

William Dufris, the voice behind "Bob the Builder" and cofounder of Pocket Universe Productions passes away at the age of 62 due to complications from cancer.

"Heartbroken" over William's passing, the production company announced the news on social media with a short statement.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

The 62-year-old became known for voicing the beloved character Bob in the animated North American children's show from 1988 until 2006.

"We are heartbroken to announce that the co-founder of @pocketplot and the director of “EC Comics Presents... The Vault of Horror”, William Dufris, has died from cancer," Pocket Universe Productions wrote. "There is a hole in a lot of people’s hearts right now. We will have more to say later. Bless you, Bill."

HE DID A LOT OF VOICE ACTING

The television show also inspired two television movies, "Bob the Builder: The Knights of Fix-A-Lot," and "Bob the Builder: Building Friendships" wherein William reprised his role.

The television series featured Bob and his construction crew as they took on building assignments after he first asked them, "Can we build it?" - they then replied, "Yes we can!"

WILLIAM WORKED WITH BIG NAMES

The Maine native had a long career as a voice actor, and he worked with big names in Hollywood, including Sharon Gless, Helena Bonham-Carter, Stockard Channing, and Kathleen Turner during his time at BBC Radio.

William's career took off after he moved to London, spending 13 years there honing his craft. In 1978, William landed his first credited role as a lead voicing actor in the anime "Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo," a role he later reprised in 1989 with "Lupin the 3rd: Bye Bye, Lady Liberty."

Having brought many characters to life over the years, including Peter Parker in "The Amazing Spider-Man," William also had extensive theater experience although he found it hard to get work on the stage.

Most recently, William directed the audio drama adaptation of the 1950s comic books "EC Comics Presents...The Vault of Horror!" through Pocket Universe Productions.

ANOTHER LEGEND MOURNED

Earlier this month, the entertainment industry also mourned the loss of Lyle Waggoner for the "Carol Burnett Show" at the age of 84.

Lyle's reported passing comes after a short battle with illness, and he was surrounded by his family when he passed away peacefully.