JoBe Cerny, 1947 – 2026

Actor and voice-over JoBe Cerny, 78, died on Oct. 30. He had small or supporting roles in such movies and TV shows as Somewhere In Time, Rent-a-Cop, Prelude to a Kiss, Mo’ Money, Chicago Hope, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and Legally Blonde 2, among others. But he paid the rent through his voice work: Cerny was the voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy, several Raid bugs, and a Dow Bathroom Cleaner Scrubbing Bubble (did you know they originally sounded like Hugh Herbert?). Cerby founded Cerny/American Creative, a Chicago-based production company, and directed The Word of Promise, a 98-hour [!] audio production of the New King James Version Bible, featuring more than 500 actors. “I'm lucky,” he said. “I get to be somebody different every day and in the end, I'm glad I stuck with my irresponsible decision to have fun. It allows me to live happily ever after every day.”