Star Wars and Gremlins actor dead following ‘massive heart attack’ aged 64
3 March 2024, 17:00 | Updated: 3 March 2024, 17:34
Star Wars and Gremlins actor, Mark Dodson, has died aged 64 following what sources describe as a ‘massive heart attack’.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The star is said to have died from a cardiac arrest while attending Horror Con, a fan convention, in Indiana, according to his daughter.
Dodson rose to fame as the voice of countless beloved big screen characters, including his role in the cult classic film release The Gremlins and Day of the Dead.
Speaking with US outlet TMZ, his daughter confirmed that Dodson had checked into his hotel shortly before he suffered a fatal heart attack.
The star was said to be sleeping when the heart attack took place.
His daughter, Ciara, has paid tribute to her father following his death, describing Dodson as someone who "never ceased making me proud".
The star's Hollywood break came in 1983 courtesy of the Star Wars franchise, with Dodson taking on the role of Salacious Crumb – a character from Return of the Jedi known for his high-pitched voice.
Later years saw him join the cast of the breakout children's film The Gremlins.
Dodson’s representative added following his death that "his unique voice and sound to each character and script he touched".
Read more: Fashion icon Iris Apfel dies aged 102
In recent years, Dodson took on a range of voice acting roles, including hit zombie release Day of the Dead.
His work spanned a host of media formats, with his voice regularly heard across television, film and radio for the past 40 years.
His starring role saw him voice the character Mogwai in The Gremlins film which hit cinemas in 1984, a voice that enchanted children the world over upon its release.
Dodson's last role came as part of the Ghostrunner II gaming series, where he voiced the character Adam Hamada.
