Batman: The Animated Series & DCAU Actor Bud Cort Dies at 77

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Actor Bud Cort, best known for his roles in films like Harold and Maude and voice work on Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, has died at the age of 77. He passed away on Wednesday after a long illness, with pneumonia listed as the cause, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

Cort has played many roles throughout his career, but DC Animated Universe fans especially remember his portrayal of The Toyman in Superman: The Animated Series. He created a version of the classic DC villain that was playful yet unsettling, always hinting at a darker side despite focusing on toy-themed weaponry. The Toyman became one of Metropolis’s most memorable villains. Interestingly, he first appeared in the DCAU in Batman: The Animated Series and made another appearance in a later series as well.

Bud Cort Delivered Unforgettable Performances in Live-Action and Animation

I’ve always been fascinated by Bud Cort – he was completely devoted to the theater back in the ’60s and really threw himself into everything. His big break came in 1970 when he landed the role of Private Boone in Robert Altman’s MASH, which was fantastic. And honestly, that was just the tip of the iceberg for him that year! He was everywhere, appearing in films like The Strawberry Statement, The Traveling Executioner, the wonderfully weird Gas! – Or – It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It, and Brewster McCloud*. It was a remarkably busy time for him.

Bud Cort achieved widespread recognition in 1971 with the film Harold and Maude, starring alongside Ruth Gordon. He later shared in an interview with Trainwreck’d Society that the studio struggled to find a way to promote the movie, but it ultimately became a critically acclaimed success despite this challenge.

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Cort continued to act in many films and television shows, appearing in titles like Brave New World, Hysterical, Electric Dreams, Invaders from Mars, Telephone, and Love at Stake. He also began taking on more TV roles in shows such as The Twilight Zone, Midnight Caller, and Dream On. In 1992, he finally became part of the DC Animated Universe, voicing the character Josiah Wormwood in Batman: The Animated Series.

After that, he voiced characters in the animated series The Mask in 1996. Then, in 1998, he rejoined the DC Animated Universe as Toyman (also known as Winslow Schott) in Superman: The Animated Series. Though he only appeared in two episodes, his performance as Toyman was so memorable that many fans still consider him the definitive voice of the character.

Michael Cort revisited the character in 2003, appearing in Static Shock, and later played the new Toyman in Justice League Unlimited in 2006. He continued acting on television with roles in shows like Arrested Development, Ugly Betty, and Criminal Minds. He also appeared in several films, including Coyote Ugly, Pollock, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and The Little Prince.

Our thoughts are with Cort’s family and friends.

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2026-02-13 04:40