The Wrap is reporting that Paul Soles, the actor who voiced Peter Parker on the classic 1960s Spider-Man cartoon, died on Wednesday in his hometown of Toronto. He was 90 years old.
Soles’ manager, Angela Wright, confirmed the news of his passing in a Facebook post earlier today. She wrote, “Paul Soles was truly a Canadian treasure. He lived a long life with so many adventures along the way. RIP.”
Soles became the first actor to play Spider-Man in any medium when the original animated series premiered in 1967. The show aired 52 episodes over three seasons and instantly became a hit thanks to its catchy opening theme song. However, this wasn’t Soles’ first brush with the Marvel Universe. Throughout 1966, he voiced several characters in The Marvel Super Heroes, including Bruce Banner and Rick Jones. Soles would later return to the Jade Giant’s orbit in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, where he made a cameo appearance as the pizza shop owner, Stanley.
RELATED: Emma Stone Says She’s Not In Spider-Man: No Way Home
Two years before he brought Peter Parker to life, Soles provided the voice of Hermey the elf in Rankin/Bass’ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer stop-motion animated special, which has since become a major staple of every holiday season. In 1978, he tried his hand at hosting his own late-night talk show with CBC’s Canada After Dark. Unfortunately, the series only lasted four months. Soles’ final acting credit was on an episode of the Canadian medical drama Nurses, which aired last year.
You can share your favorite memories of Paul Soles’ career in the comment section below.
Photo Credits: Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star via Getty Images/Disney/Marvel
Recommended Reading: Amazing Spider-Man by Nick Spencer Vol. 1
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
