Bob The Builder actor William Dufris has sadly passed away, aged 62 after a battle with cancer.
WATCH: William Dufris discusses playing Bob the Builder
A statement released from his company, Pocket Universe Productions on Wednesday confirmed that he’d passed away, and read: ‘We are heartbroken to announce that the co-founder of @pocketplot and the director of EC Comics Presents… The Vault of Horror, William Dufris, has died from cancer.
‘There is a hole in a lot of people’s hearts right now. We will have more to say later. Bless you, Bill.’
William had voiced the characters of Bob The Builder, Farmer Pickles and Mr. Beasley for nine seasons from 1998-2006 in the US and Canadian version of the children’s show.
William’s career in voice acting began in London, where he had roles in a number of BBC Radio plays with famed actors such as Kathleen Turner, Stockard Channing, and Helena Bonham-Carter.
“From doing animation I learned to breathe in character,” he told Audio File Magazine. “It enables me to switch quickly to the next character.”
He added, “I learn from and listen to other narrators all the time.”