Generations of TV viewers knew his voice without ever learning his name. Every time a finger pressed into Poppin’ Fresh’s doughy belly and the little chef let out his trademark squeal, it was JoBe Cerny doing the giggling.
Cerny, who voiced the Pillsbury mascot for decades, died on October 30 at his home in Grayslake, Illinois, according to his family. He was 78 and had been living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Carrying on a famous voice
Cerny was not the first performer to give the Doughboy a voice. Paul Frees and Jeff Bergman had held the role before him. Cerny kept it far longer, however, and stayed with the character until he retired from the part in 2020.
The mascot’s place in Pillsbury’s advertising was not always secure. Speaking in 2007, Cerny described how the character’s fortunes rose and fell as leadership at the company changed. One executive tried to drop the voice altogether, he recalled, but the Doughboy came back afterward and ended up appearing even more often.
A career in commercials
The Doughboy was only part of Cerny’s advertising work. For Procter & Gamble’s Cheer detergent, he played the “Cheer Man,” a role with no lines. He also lent his voice to ads for Raid bug spray and Dow Bathroom Cleaner.
Running the studio
