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Death

John Erwin, Legendary ‘He-Man’ Voice Actor, Dead at 88

CultureCelebs
By Craig Garrett
February 1, 2025 | 8:05 a.m. CST
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Photo by Moviestore/Shutterstock

John Erwin, the actor who voiced the titular hero in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and had ’80s kids around the world yelling out “I have the power!,” has passed away.

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Erwin died of natural causes at his home in Camarillo, California, sometime around Dec. 20, according to a statement from his representatives at the PR firm Celebworx, per The Hollywood Reporter. He was 88.

Erwin lent his voice to the iconic blond, muscular hero He-Man and his alter ego, Prince Adam, in Filmation’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-1985) and its spinoff, She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985-1987).

In addition to voicing the titular character, he portrayed the villainous Beast Man and a variety of other supporting roles in these syndicated series, which were inspired by Mattel’s popular toy line.

His Masters of the Universe co-stars were quick to pay tribute to the humble Erwin as the news of his passing spread.

“Working with John Erwin was a ballad of irreverence, professionalism, and surprise,” Alan Oppenheimer, who voiced He-Man’s archnemesis Skeletor, said in a statement via THR. “He was a series actor, writer, performer of commercials, musician, painter, and an all-around lovely gentleman, an indelible addition to my life.”

Melendy Britt, the voice behind She-Ra, He-Man’s twin sister, also honored Erwin. “For 40 years, John Erwin was not only my brother onscreen, he was my friend,” she wrote.

John Erwin’s Career, From ‘Rawhide’ to ‘Family Guy’

John Lee Erwin was born on December 5, 1936, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He kicked off his acting career as a paratrooper and chaplain on the 1956-57 syndicated series Citizen Soldier.

He joined Rawhide in 1959, alongside Clint Eastwood, during the show’s second season and appeared in 22 episodes of the Western series through 1965. During this time, he also took on the role of a soldier in the Civil War drama 13 Fighting Men, starring Grant Williams.

Erwin began voicing Reggie in 1968 on the CBS/Filmation Saturday morning cartoon The Archie Show. He went on to portray the character across multiple animated series, including Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, until 1978.

He contributed his talents to the cartoons Groovie Goolies, Foofur, and Spacecats, as well as the 1995 film Babe. In 2005, he came out of retirement to lend his voice to He-Man one final time in an episode of Family Guy.

Erwin also lent his voice as an announcer and narrator to popular TV shows like Here’s Lucy and Malcolm & Eddie, as well as films such as Looker (1981), Everybody’s All-American (1988), and Back to the Future Part II (1989).

Erwin was famously shy and never did the convention circuit like many of his voice actor colleagues.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, his PR firm stated that Erwin is survived by “his loving family of children and grandchildren.” In keeping with Erwin’s humble nature, his family did not provide the outlet with a photograph of the reclusive actor.