Chicago actor JoBe Cerny, who voiced the Pillsbury Doughboy starting in 2014, died Oct. 30 at 78, his family said. He was the third longtime voice of the character since its 1965 debut.
JoBe Cerny, the Chicago voice actor who gave the Pillsbury Doughboy his voice and giggle starting in 2014, has died. He was 78.
Cerny died Oct. 30, according to an obituary from his family, TheWrap reported Tuesday, Nov. 10. No cause was given in the obituary. His son told TMZ that Cerny died in Illinois after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, FOX Television Stations reported.
Cerny followed Paul Frees and Jeff Bergman as the Doughboy's voice, according to the obituary. Pillsbury and its parent company, General Mills, had not publicly commented as of Tuesday afternoon.
Here's a look at Poppin' Fresh's commercials through the years:
Who was JoBe Cerny?
Cerny was born Dec. 5, 1947, in Cicero, Illinois, to Joe and Bea Cerny. His first name combined theirs, TheWrap reported.
He studied speech and drama at Valparaiso University and earned a master's degree in theater from Northwestern University. In the 1970s, he joined The Second City, performing on its Mainstage and with its National Touring Company.
For more than 30 years, Cerny owned and ran Cerny/American Creative Recording Studio in Chicago's River North neighborhood. The studio worked on thousands of commercials, audiobooks and films.
On screen, he appeared in "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" and "Road to Perdition." He was also the casting director for "The Word of Promise," a 98-hour audio Bible whose cast included Jim Caviezel, Marisa Tomei, Richard Dreyfuss and Gary Sinise.
Looking back on his career, Cerny said he was glad he chose to have fun with his work, since he got to play someone different every day, according to the obituary.
He is survived by his wife, Eileen; sons Tim and Patrick; and grandchildren Archer and Cleo.
Who has voiced the Pillsbury Doughboy?
Three actors carried the role for most of its 61 years:
Paul Frees, 1965 to 1986: the original voice, also known as Boris Badenov on "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle." More than 50 actors auditioned, Pillsbury says, including Paul Winchell, the voice of Tigger.
Jeff Bergman, 1986 to 2014: took over the role for nearly three decades.
JoBe Cerny, from 2014: voiced the Doughboy in commercials for years, according to his obituary.
What's the history of the Pillsbury Doughboy?
The Doughboy, officially named Poppin' Fresh, was born on March 18, 1965, according to Pillsbury. Rudy Perz, a copywriter on the Pillsbury account at the Leo Burnett ad agency in Chicago, pictured a mascot popping out of a can of refrigerated dough while testing the product in his own kitchen.
Designer Milt Schaffer shaped the final look. Perz had worried the character looked too much like Casper the Friendly Ghost, and Schaffer's design solved that, Pillsbury says.
Leo Burnett hired Cascade Studios in Los Angeles to bring him to life with stop-motion animation. It took 24 shots for every second of a commercial. The first model cost $16,000 and came with five bodies and 15 heads. In 1992, computer animation replaced the stop-motion version.
His first commercial aired Nov. 7, 1965, with the line, "I'm Poppin' Fresh, the Pillsbury Doughboy!" Three years later, 87% of consumers recognized him, according to Pillsbury. At one point he was getting 200 fan letters a week.
A few more facts from Pillsbury:
Size: 8 3/4 inches tall with his chef's hat, and 14 ounces
Ads: more than 600, for 50 products
Toys: a 7-inch doll in 1972 became one of the fastest-selling toys in the country. Poppie Fresh followed, then Granmommer, Granpopper, Uncle Rollie, Popper, Bun-Bun, and pets Flapjack and Biscuit.
Parade: a 54-foot Doughboy balloon joined the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2009.
Birthday: he turned 50 in 2015.
What are the most famous Pillsbury Doughboy commercials?
Most of the classics end the same way: a finger pokes his belly and he giggles, "Hoo hoo!"
Pillsbury's own list of highlights includes an early cookie ad with a 6-year-old Maureen McCormick, later Marcia on "The Brady Bunch." The two sang, "Nothin' says lovin' like something from the oven."
He also showed up in a MasterCard ad full of famous brand mascots, where the Morton Salt Girl pokes his belly, and in a GEICO ad where he gets a pat-down from airport security on his way to a baking convention.
For a longer look, [this fan-made compilation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2FIFs20Q-4) collects dozens of his ads.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
TheWrap (Nov. 10, 2026), Cerny's death, the family obituary, biography and survivors
FOX Television Stations (Nov. 10, 2026), TMZ's report from Cerny's son on the place and his illness
Pillsbury (July 12, 2024), the Doughboy's history, voice actors, facts and famous ads
Dexerto (Nov. 10, 2026), the tip
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