Voice of ‘Bambi,’ Donnie Dunagan, dies

The original voice of “Bambi,” who broke moviegoers’ hearts when he called for “mother” in the beloved Disney movie, has died. Donnie Dunagan was 92 years old. Read more trending newsFilm historian Tom Weaver said Dunagan died on Nov. 4 of lung cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Dunagan’s agents confirmed his death to Variety.Dunagan had appeared in Universal horror films “Son of Frankenstein” and “Tower of London” before his mother received a phone call from none other than Walt Disney, offering him the opportunity to be the child who would “help his artists put a child’s expression on a deer,” Dunagan said in an interview in 2025. Shortly after, he started working on the film. The job lasted for more than a year, he said. According to his IMDB profile, he was listed among the cast on the database’s website, but was uncredited in the film.Speaking of the moment young Bambi calls for his mother after a gunshot rings out in the forest and he runs into a thicket, not realizing