The original voice of Smurfette, Lucille Bliss, has died at the age of 96. Animator Dave Nimitz said she had died on Thursday night and had been living at the Mesa Verde Residential Care Center in Costa Mesa, California.
The voice actor was said to have died from natural causes.
Bliss voiced Smurfette for Hanna-Barbera on the 80′s Saturday morning cartoon, “The Smurfs” between 1981 and 1989, the series ended in 1990. She also voiced Smurfette for some TV specials and movies during the 80′s run of the cartoon.
Bliss also portrayed the title character of the first made-for-TV cartoon series, Crusader Rabbit between 1949 and 1951.
She also did a lot of work for Disney, she portrayed stepsister Anastasia in Cinderella in 1950 which was her first voice acting job. She also voiced Sunflower and Turnip in Alice in Wonderland (1951), and the Kanine Krunchie Commercial Singer in 101 Dalmatians (1961). Other roles in cartoon films were Mrs. Fitzgibbons in Don Bluth Productions’ The Secret of NIMH (1982) and the Pigeon Lady in Blue Sky’s Robots (2005). She also narrated several other Disney movies.
Bliss was honored 50 years later by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star “Lifetime Achievement” Award in March 2000 for her performance of Anastasia in Cinderella.
Other actors that have voiced Smurfette include, Céline Monsarrat, Melissa Sturm, and singer Katy Perry.
Smurfette was created by Gargamel, the Smurfs’ enemy, in order to distract and trap them; however, later she was rescued by Papa Smurf and turned into a real Smurf. She was the only female Smurf until the creation of Sassette.