RIP, WIlliam Dufris
Posted on March 25, 2020 Posted by John Scalzi 7 Comments
William Dufris was a voice actor known for a number of high profile roles, the most famous being “Bob the Builder” from the children’s television show of the same name. More relevantly for me, he was the narrator of five of the audiobooks in the Old Man’s War series (excepting Zoe’s Tale, which was narrated by Tavia Gilbert, who also co-narrated The End of All Things with Dufris). In the last couple of days he passed on from cancer, and I have to say I’m in a bit of shock about it. He did such a good job with the books that the voice I hear coming out of John Perry and Harry Wilson is no longer my own but his.
He will be missed by many, and also by me. RIP, sir.
My son loved Bob the Builder. I need to get the audio books. thanks for the reminder.
RIP, Sir.
I was pretty reluctant to start listening to OMW. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the genre, and I loved Wil’s narrations just too much. I also never heard of him before (not a native, so Bob was voice acted by someone else in my language), and everything else he narrated I had either read myself or not yet started. In the end I couldn’t resist though.
William did an excellent job reading OMW, and I discovered a new genre I like.
RIP, you died too son!
The first audiobook I ever purchased, the last colony, was narrated by him and I was hooked. I am sad for him and his family.
I discovered your work _because_ of William Dufris. He did such an excellent job on Neal Stephenson’s ‘Crytonomicon’, I searched out other Audible books he’d narrated – hence OMW. He remains one of my favourite readers/actors. Such a sad loss.
That is some very sad news. His voice will forever be the voice of “my” John Perry… I emailed him one time to let him know how much I enjoyed his work on the Old Man’s War series, and the guy took the time to shoot me an email back thanking me. A class act. R.I.P. Mr Dufris.
John, during this already unprecedented time of stress (yes I know some of it doesn’t effect you because stay at home is your norm), losing William is a real blow. You have my condolences.
I haven’t been to your blog for a while, but came because I knew you would have some nice and appropriate words about William Dufris. Like you, to me the series is now characterized by his voice. I was really sad to read about his death.