Monkey Island LeChuck actor has died, aged 81

Actor Earl Boen, well-known for his roles as criminal psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman in several of the Terminator films and the voice of LeChuck in the Monkey Island games, passed away at the age of 81 last week.

An official cause of death has not been published however, in a statement to Variety, a family friend of Boen's said that the actor was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in late 2022. "Very sad to hear Earl Boen has passed away. He was a wonderfully gifted actor, and a good guy. My condolences to his family," said Robert Patrick, who played the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in a post to Twitter.

Initially, Boen began his career in theatre, appearing in a number of productions between 1965 and 1976 before scoring roles on television and becoming a character actor. Playing Reverend Lloyd Meechum in Mama's Family, he then appeared as a clergyman in episodes of The Golden Girls, The Golden Palace, The Wonder Years, Boy Meets World, Seinfeld and Three's Company. Trekkies will also remember him as Nagilum, the immortal being that trapped the USS Enterprise and her crew in a liminal space to experiment on their "limited existence."

As a prolific and praised voice actor as well, tributes have poured in from fans who remember his work in their favourite games. He played LeChuck in five of the Monkey Island games, Montaron in Baldur's Gate, Nemesis in Black & White, Sergei Gurlukovich in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Butcher in Psychonauts, King Terenas Menethil in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and more.

GAMINGbible's thoughts are with Boen's family and friends in this difficult time.