Janet Waldo, Judy Jetson Voice Actress, Dies At 96

Janet Waldo, who was the original voice of The Jetsons‘ Judy Jetson, has died. She was 96.

Janet Waldo Dies

Waldo passed away Sunday morning, the actress’ daughter, Lucy Lee, confirmed to ABC News. While Lee did not reveal the cause of death, she did note that her mother was diagnosed with a benign tumor in 2011 that proved inoperable.

Waldo was the last surviving member of The Jetsons’ original cast. After voicing Judy on the show’s run for all 75 of its episodes, she was called on – along with the rest of the former cast – to reprise her part for 1990’s The Jetsons: The Movie. However, after recording all of Judy’s dialogue for the film, animation studio Hanna Barbera Productions and Universal Studios opted to recast her with pop star Tiffany.

“I was totally crushed,” Waldo told The Orlando Sentinel in 1990. ”I originated the character, and I feel very sentimental about Judy. If they had recast the whole show, there wouldn’t have been any problem at all. But the fact that my part was the only one that was changed just threw me. I felt it was very disloyal.”

Despite the bad blood, Waldo went on to work again with Hanna-Barbera, including on animated shows Josie and the Pussycats, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop and Shazaam. Waldo did occasionally take non-animated roles, appearing in guests spots on hits such as I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

Waldo was predeceased by her husband, playwright Robert Edwin Lee. She is survived by her two children, Lucy Lee and Jonathan Barlow Lee.