David Odgen Stiers has died at the age of 75 after he lost his battle with bladder cancer. The famous actor is best known for playing Major Charles Winchester on “M*A*S*H”, but for many Disney fans he is known as the voice of Cogsworth — the clock — from Disney’s 1991 animated classic “Beauty and the Beast.”
The actor’s agent Mitchell Stubbs confirmed the saddening news Saturday night in an email.
He died “peacefully at his home in Newport, Oregon after a courageous battle with bladder cancer,” the MKS Talent Agency tweeted.
“His talent was only surpassed by his heart,” the agency added.
I am very sad to report that David died this morning March 3, 2018 peacefully at his home in Newport, Oregon after a courageous battle with bladder cancer.
His talent was only surpassed by his heart. pic.twitter.com/fjuGmbVYgd
— MKS Talent Agency (@MKSTalentAgency) March 3, 2018
The Emmy-nominated actor also provided the voice of a number of classic Disney characters including Beauty And The Beast’s Cogsworth, Governor Ratcliffe and Wiggins in ‘Pocahontas’ and Jumba in ‘Lilo and Stitch’.
Stiers was twice Emmy nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy or variety or music series for his work on “M*A*S*H”, but the accomplished award-winning actor also has more than 150 film and television credits. Beyond his beloved role in Beauty and the Beast the actor actually has multiple Disney credits to his name.
In addition to serving as the voice of Cogsworth in “Beauty and the Beast”, we was also the narrator of the film. Additionally, he also voiced Governor Ratcliffe and Wiggins in Disney’s “Pocahontas” and voiced the Archdeacon in Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”