Earl Boen, perhaps best known for his role as criminal psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman in the first three Terminator films, has passed away at the age of 81. Boen was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in November, and passed away on January 5th, 2023.
Born on August 8th, 1941, Boen has had dozens of roles in film, TV and even video games over the years. His most notable role was as Dr. Peter Silberman in 1984’s The Terminator. He reprised the role in the first two follow-ups, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. He also appeared as a priest in one episode of The Golden Girls.
He retired from on-screen acting in 2003, but continued to provide his voice to various projects. Gaming fans may know him for his role as the Ghost Pirate LeChuck in Lucasfilm’s Monkey Island franchise. Lucasfilm Games paid tribute to Boen on their official Twitter:
He also had a lot of voice roles in some late 1990s/early 2000s Disney shows, movies and video games, such as Bonkers, Atlantis: The Lost Empire (the video game), Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, and Kim Possible, where he voiced regularly appearing villain Señor Senior, Sr.
Disney Parks fans may be surprised to find out that Boen was the voice of both the Disneyland Railroad and the Walt Disney World Railroad, beginning in 2002, through 2016 in Disneyland and 2011 in Walt Disney World.
Our hearts go out to Earl Boen’s family and fans during this difficult time.