Peter Renaday, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Voice of Splinter, Dies at 89
Peter Renaday is best known for voicing Master Splinter in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans are coming together to mourn one of its beloved stars. Peter Renaday, the voice actor behind Master Splinter, has passed away. The voice actor was 89 years old.
For those who do know Renaday by name, you will no doubt know his voice. The actor began working in television and film in 1961, but it was not until the 1980s that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came to the table. Renaday was cast as the voice of Hamato Yoshi, AKA Spliter, in the original animated series. He voiced the character from 1987 to 1996, and Renaday went on to voice revisit the role for other events. Townsend Coleman, the original voice of Michelangelo, took time to remember Renaday today as news of his passing went live. You can read his message below:
Folks, I’m devastated this morning to learn of the passing yesterday of our dear sensei, Peter Renaday. Pete was one of the most genuine, salt of the earth people I have ever known and I will miss him dearly. I had the privilege of visiting with him a month ago and he was as… pic.twitter.com/B1KsTX9kaN
— Townsend Coleman (@IBTALKN) September 10, 2024
Of course, Renaday provided voice work for other projects behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The actor starred in Gargoyles and Batman: The Animated Series as well as Transformers. In fact, the voice actor worked on a number of top-tier animated series in the '90s. From Superman: The Animated Series to Animaniacs, Renaday did it all. Back in 2011, Renaday sunset his voice acting career in animation with Ben 10: Ultimate Alien and Assassin's Creed Revelations.
Renaday's work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ushered in a new era for our heroes in a half shell. The stars made their grand debut in comics under Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird before Fred Wolf Films tapped TMNT for a show. The hit series began its run in 1987 with a special pilot, and as the '90s began, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a bonafide phenomenon. Renaday's talent brought Master Splinter to life for millions of kids who still carry their love for TMNT. After all, the IP is still thriving as Nickelodeon just ushered in its new era with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
Our thoughts are with Renaday's loved ones during this difficult time.