05/31/2026
Mel Blanc was born in San Francisco, California, but his family moved when he was six, and he grew up primarily in southwest Portland, Oregon. Known as "The Man of a Thousand Voices", he is the legendary voice-over artist behind nearly all major Looney Tunes characters and a massive staple of the Golden Age of Radio.Core BiographyBirth Name: Melvin Jerome BlankBirth Date: May 30, 1908 (San Francisco, California)Upbringing: Portland, Oregon (graduated from Lincoln High School). He legally changed the spelling of his last name from Blank to Blanc at 16 after a teacher told him he would "amount to nothing" and be a "blank".Death: July 10, 1989 (Los Angeles, California)Professional ResumeBlanc’s career spanned over 60 years, featuring pioneering work in radio, animation, and recorded media.Radio & Comedy (1927–1950s):Began at age 19 on KGW’s The Hoot Owls in Portland.Starred on The Jack Benny Program and performed vocal work alongside Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen, and The Great Gildersleeve.Warner Bros. Animation (1937–1989):Created the voices for over 400 unique characters.Voices include: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, and the Road Runner. He was the only primary male voice actor for classic Looney Tunes.Hanna-Barbera Productions (1960s–1980s):Notable characters: Barney Rubble (The Flintstones) and Mr. Spacely (The Jetsons).Other Notable Roles:Provided vocal effects for Tom and Jerry and was the original voice of Woody Woodpecker.Reprised his iconic roles in the groundbreaking feature film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).For more detailed historical context on his life and character creations, you can read the Britannica Mel Blanc Biography or explore the Oregon Encyclopedia's Mel Blanc Entry for more on his early life in the Pacific Northwest.
Mel Blanc biography