Billie Lou Watt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Billie Lou Watt
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Watt in 1945, touring company of Kiss and Tell
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| Born | June 20, 1924 |
| Died | September 7, 2001 (aged 77) New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1938–2001 |
| Spouse(s) | Hal Studer (19??–2001; her death) |
| Children | 3 |
Billie Lou Watt (born June 20, 1924 – died September 7, 2001) was a talented American actress. She was famous for lending her voice to many popular anime characters. You might know her as the original English voice of Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. She also voiced Elsie the Cow in commercials. On television, she played Ellie Harper Bergman in the soap opera Search for Tomorrow.
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Early Life and Training
Billie Lou Watt was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 20, 1924. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Watt. She went to Midland and Howe Heights schools. Later, she attended Ritenour High School.
Billie Lou loved acting from a young age. She studied drama at the St. Louis School of the Theater. She also joined a local amateur theater group. Her education continued at Northwestern University.
Billie Lou Watt's Career
Billie Lou Watt had a long and exciting career. She worked in theater, radio, and television. She became especially known for her voice acting in cartoons.
Early Acting Roles
Her first professional stage role was in The American Way. This play was produced by the St. Louis Municipal Opera. She also used her voice for the radio show The Land We Live In on KMOX.
On television, Billie Lou first appeared in The Billy Bean Show. She played the girlfriend of the main character. A magazine called Billboard praised her acting. She also appeared in the 1958 series From These Roots.
Voice Acting in Anime
Billie Lou Watt became a pioneer in English anime dubbing. In 1963, she started working with Fred Ladd. Their first big project was Astro Boy. She voiced the main character.
She and her husband, Hal Studer, learned to write scripts for these shows. They worked on many popular series together. Billie Lou voiced Kimba in Kimba the White Lion. She also voiced Jimmy Sparks in Gigantor.
Live-Action Television Roles
Besides voice acting, Billie Lou also appeared on screen. In 1967, she played Florence Hatcher in The Edge of Night. Her longest role was Ellie Harper Bergman. She played this character on Search for Tomorrow from 1968 to 1981.
Later Voice Work
Billie Lou continued her voice acting and scriptwriting. She worked on English versions of Japanese anime films. She voiced Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk. She was also the voice of the main character in Taro the Dragon Boy.
She also lent her voice to religious animated series. She voiced Christopher Peeper in Superbook. In The Flying House, she voiced Justin Casey.
Later in her life, Billie Lou helped people with visual impairments. She read for In-Touch Networks radio listeners. Her final acting role was Ma Bagge. She voiced this character on Courage the Cowardly Dog from 1999 to 2001. The fourth season of Courage the Cowardly Dog was dedicated to her memory.
Legacy
Billie Lou Watt passed away on September 7, 2001, in New York City. She left behind her husband, Hal, and their three children. In 2005, she was honored for her work. She was inducted into the Ritenour Alumni Hall of Fame. This recognized her contributions to entertainment and her charity work.
