It was great to hear Dominic Armato return as the voice of Guybrush Threepwood in Return to Monkey Island when it launched last September, but fans were disappointed Earl Boen did not return to Monkey Island as the voice of LeChuck. He did at least give his blessing to the new voice actor, Jess Harnell, but anyone hoping to hear Boen reprise the role at a later time can sadly put that dream to rest. Earl Boen has died at the age of 81.
Boen was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer towards the end of last year, which might be the reason he passed on the mantle of LeChuck, though he was largely retired already. He also did many more roles than the Monkey Island villain. You might have heard his voice in World of Warcraft, Psychonauts, Call of Duty, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Sergei Gurlukovich).
Of course, if you are an avid movie fan, you’ll recognize Boen as Dr. Silberman in the Terminator movies. He’s the one Sarah Connor took hostage and threatened with acidic drain cleaner in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. A great film that will now make me sad knowing Boen is no longer with us.
But while Earl Boen has died, he lives on in his diverse body of work.
