JoBe Cerny, who played the laughing Pillsbury character Doughboy in recent years, died on October 30. He was 78 years old.
Born and raised in Cicero, Illinois, Cerny earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and theater from Valparaiso University and a master’s degree in theater from Northwestern University. He used the skills he learned to cultivate the voice behind ubiquitous commercials such as Pillsbury Doughboy and the Silent Demonstrator for Cheer Detergent.
In 2014, Cerny took over the role of Doughboy from Paul Frees and later Jeff Bergman. The character is currently voiced by Rich Orlow.
His decades-long career includes numerous roles in commercials, films, television and theater. Of his career, Cerny once said: “I’m lucky, I’m someone different every day and in the end, I’m glad I stuck to my irresponsible decision to have fun. It allows me to live happily ever after… every day.”
Cerny also had small roles in films such as “Road to Perdition”, “Legally Blonde 2”, “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “Somewhere in Time”.
Cerny began acting when he joined The Second City at the Mainstage and National Touring Company in the 1970s. He also owned and operated Cerny/American Creative Recording Studio in Chicago’s River North neighborhood for over 30 years, where he completed thousands of projects ranging from commercials and audiobooks to feature films.
In addition to acting, Cerny was an avid race car driver who continued to drive karts into his sixties. He was also an enthusiastic collector of model trains. Those close to him remember his “friendly, gregarious personality, and his extraordinary ability to bump into someone he knew almost everywhere he went.”
Cerny is survived by his wife of 56 years, Eileen Cerny; two sons, Tim (Andrea) Cerny and Patrick (Lily) Cerny; and grandchildren, Archer and Cleo.
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