JoBe Cerny 1947 – 2026

Biography

JoBe Cerny was a Chicago actor and voice artist best known as the voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy, the giggling mascot he voiced from 2014 until stepping away around 2020. Born December 5, 1947, in Cicero, Illinois — his first name a blend of his parents Joe and Bea — he succeeded Paul Frees and Jeff Bergman in the role, and was also Procter & Gamble’s silent spokesman for Cheer detergent, the Cheer Man. On screen he appeared in My Best Friend’s Wedding, Road to Perdition and Legally Blonde 2, and he owned and ran the Cerny/American Creative recording studio in Chicago for more than three decades. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020, he died on October 30, 2026, in Grayslake, Illinois. He was 78, survived by his wife of 56 years, Eileen, sons Tim and Patrick, and grandchildren Archer and Cleo.