The key facts

  • Donnie Dunagan died of lung cancer at the age of 92, Variety reported citing his agents
  • He voiced young Bambi in 1942 — it was his last acting role
  • He served in the Marine Corps from 1952 to 1977, receiving the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts

The voice of Bambi who became a Marine

Donnie Dunagan, who voiced young Bambi in Disney's classic 1942 animated film, has died of lung cancer at the age of 92. His death was reported to Variety by the actor's agents, Chris Jones and Neri Lemus of CelebWorx, who added that he had asked people 'not to be sad about the wonderful life I lived.' According to them, Dunagan 'brought other veterans together, loved his fans, and above all loved his wife.'

An early start and a final role

Dunagan was born on August 16, 1934. At the age of three he won a tap-dancing contest and was spotted by a talent scout in the audience. His big-screen debut was the film Mother Carey's Chickens (1938) directed by Rowland V. Lee, who then cast him as Peter von Frankenstein in Son of Frankenstein (1939) alongside Boris Karloff. This was followed by roles in Tower of London (1939) with Basil Rathbone, Night Work (1940), and Meet the Chump (1941). Voicing Bambi became his last film job: in 1952, at the age of 18, he joined the United States Marine Corps.

Military career and a hidden past

In the Marine Corps, Dunagan became the youngest drill instructor in its history, served three tours in Vietnam, and retired in 1977 with the rank of major. He was awarded the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts — the oldest active US military decoration, given to service members wounded or killed in combat. As Dunagan recounted in a 2015 NPR interview, he never mentioned his acting career to his fellow Marines, for fear of earning the nickname 'Major Bambi.' 'One of the biggest regrets of my life is that I didn't have the courage to tell my close friends in the Marine Corps that I was part of Mr. Disney's wonderful work,' he admitted.