Rif Hutton, a veteran character actor who appeared in popular TV shows like Doogie Howser, M.D. and General Hospital, has died.
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The 73-year-old actor passed away on April 18 at his home in Pasadena, following a yearlong battle with the brain cancer glioblastoma. Hutoon’s family announced his death to TMZ, and close friends shared the news on Facebook.
“A remarkable human being has left this earthly plane,” Steve Apostolina, a friend and voice-over colleague, wrote. “To say that Rif Hutton was one of a kind is a gross understatement. People knew when they hired him for a voice job that he was going to be the most prepared. He always was. He was also always first to show up on a gig. I had the great pleasure of beating him a few times and scooping a treasured chair, but those were few and far between.”
Hutton was a prolific character actor with nearly 200 TV credits, mostly in guest-starring roles. According to IMDb, his decades-long career included appearances in beloved shows such as The Jeffersons, Remington Steele, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, 227, Night Court, A Different World, and Knots Landing.
He also had roles in Full House, Married…With Children, Wings, Murphy Brown, The Larry Sanders Show, Sister, Sister, Home Improvement, Family Matters, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Seinfeld, American Horror Story, Grace and Frankie and NCIS: Los Angeles.
Rif Hutton Was Diagnosed With a Brain Tumor in March 2025
Hutton also had more significant roles in several series. He appeared in 95 episodes of the 1990 show Tribes and 17 episodes of Doogie Howser, M.D. from 1989-93. He also appeared in 15 episodes of JAG from 1997 to 2001. More recently, he played a role in 32 episodes of the daytime soap General Hospital in 2021 and 2022.
Hutton was also a prolific voice actor, looper, and ADR artist. His work included Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and films in the Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Rio, Ice Age, Hotel Transylvania, and Angry Birds franchises.
Hutton was diagnosed with a brain tumor in March 2025. He later participated in the National Brain Tumor Society’s Southern California Brain Tumor Walk. At the time, he stressed that every person facing a brain disorder deserves to be “surrounded by encouragement, by prayer, and by stalwart champions of hope and light.”
He acknowledged the “meaningful advancements in the fight against [Glioblastoma]” and urged others to support the cause. “That fight needs all of us,” he wrote. “Please support it in whatever way you can.”
Hutton is survived by his wife, voice actor Bridget Hoffman, and their son, Wolfy.