Mary Kay Bergman, "South Park" voice-over actress, 38

["Deathwatch Central" <cdw@slick.org>]

http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/TV/9911/17/obit.bergman.poss/index.html

Voiced most female 'South Park' roles
Mary Kay Bergman, voice-over actress, dead

November 17, 1999
Web posted at: 5:41 p.m. EST (2241 GMT)


By Kristin Lemmerman
CNN Interactive Entertainment Editor

(CNN) -- Mary Kay Bergman, an actress who voiced many characters from the
animated "South Park" shows and other major projects, has died. She was 38.

Bergman's attorney, Robert Harrison, says she killed herself on Thursday
night. A memorial is planned for later this week.

In the demanding industry of vocal characterization, Bergman was probably
best known for her versatility on the "South Park" series. She voiced the
characters Mrs. Cartman, Wendy Testaburger, Stan's Mom, Kenny's Mom, Mayor
McDaniels, Ms. Crabtree, Principal Victoria, Shelly Marsh and Nurse Gollem
for the television series. She sang almost all the parts in a song, "Blame
Canada," for this year's film "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut."

Since 1989, Bergman held the position of the official voice of Snow White
for Disney. Sometimes credited as Shannen Cassidy, her 14-year career
included voicing work in this summer's "Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom
Menace"; the 1996 Disney film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," in which she
read Quasimodo's mother; and this year's critically acclaimed "The Iron
Giant."

She was heard in more than 400 commercials. Among them: a national campaign
for Mrs. Butterworth's syrup, in which she provided the lead voice, and
commercials for Kellogg's Froot Loops cereal, American Express, Honda and
other sponsors.

Bergman was nominated for an award this year in the 27th annual Annies,
which recognize achievement in animation. Her nomination was for her work as
the voice of Sheila Broflovski in "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut."
Other nominees in the category of vocal performance in an animated feature
were Minnie Driver, Ralph Fiennes, Eli Marenthal and Suzanne Pleshette.

'She was really in the club'
Bergman is survived by her husband, Dino Andrate, and her mother, Patricia
McGowan. Harrison says Bergman had shown no signs of depression, and that
her death has come as a surprise to her family. "That makes it a double
tragedy," he says. "They feel there was nothing they could have done."

News of her death has been carried on several Web sites, including the
"South Park" site, beef-cake.com. On Monday, Bergman's agency, Sutton, Barth
& Vennari (SBV), ran a full-page memorial to her in Daily Variety; Disney
and other companies associated with Bergman are likely to run their own
tributes to the actress this week, says Rita Vennari, who runs the agency's
voice-over department.

"We miss her," says Vennari, who says SBV represented Bergman for many
years. "She was wonderful, there was nobody like her. There was something
very special about her, with her big brown eyes and curly red hair -- she
was one of a kind.

"There's a whole group of animation people so involved in the techniques and
the talent of (voice-over work), and she was one. She was really in the
club. At such a young age she'd already been accepted by her peers."

Although she'll likely be remembered most readily for her "South Park" work,
Vennari says Bergman herself would have been unable to single out her most
significant role. "She considered all her work important, that was the best
thing about her. It was all important to her."

It's unknown how Bergman's death might affect the third-season episodes of
"South Park," yet to be produced.



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