Donnie Dunagan, voice of young Bambi and Marine major, dies at 92
Donnie Dunagan, the child actor who voiced the young deer in Disney's 1942 classic "Bambi," died Nov. 4 at 92, his agents told Variety. He later spent more than two decades in the Marine Corps, earning a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.
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What happened
Donnie Dunagan, who voiced the young fawn in Disney's 1942 animated film "Bambi," died Wednesday, Nov. 4, of lung cancer, his agents confirmed to Variety. He was 92.
A short timeline: Dunagan was born in Texas on Aug. 16, 1934. A talent agent spotted him at age 3 after he won a talent contest in Memphis, Deadline reported. He went on to play Peter von Frankenstein in 1939's "Son of Frankenstein" and appeared in "Tower of London" the same year. "Bambi" was his final screen credit.
The second career: He joined the Marines during the Korean War and became the youngest drill instructor in Marine Corps history, Deadline reported. He served multiple tours in Vietnam and earned a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts, retiring as a major in 1977. Deadline said he never told his fellow Marines about his Bambi role.
Why it matters
"Bambi" is one of Disney's best-known early animated features. Dunagan's life after Hollywood drew as much attention as the role: he left acting as a child and became a decorated Marine officer.
More context
In his words: Recalling Walt Disney in a 2011 interview, Dunagan said, "Mr. Disney was a class by himself," Deadline reported. His agents, Kris Jones and Nery Lemus of CelebWorx, told Variety he had asked them "not to be sad due to the great life I lived."
3 listed sources
- Variety (Jordan Moreau), Donnie Dunagan, Original Voice of Bambi, Dies at 92, Nov. 9, 2026
- Deadline (Erik Pedersen), Donnie Dunagan Dies: Voice Of Young Bambi In 1942 Disney Classic Was 92, Nov. 9, 2026
- USA Today, Donnie Dunagan, original voice of young Bambi for Disney, dies at 92, Nov. 9, 2026
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Date and cause of death and his agents' statement are from Variety. Deadline reported the Nov. 4 date via film historian Tom Weaver, plus his drill-instructor record, promotions and the 2011 Walt Disney quote. Variety and Deadline give different titles and years for his first film, so it is left out here. The photo shows Dunagan at the Animate! Raleigh fan convention (file photo, 2024).
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