Donnie Dunagan: key obituary facts
Is Donnie Dunagan dead? Yes. Donnie Dunagan died on November 4, 2026, at age 92.
Cause of death: Donnie Dunagan's cause of death was reported as Cancer.
What was Donnie Dunagan known for?
Donnie Dunagan was an Actor.
More about Donnie Dunagan
Born: August 16, 1934.
Occupation: Actor.
Years active: 1938–1945.
Known for: Original voice of Young Bambi in Walt Disney's Bambi.
Donnie Dunagan, the American actor and Marine Corps major who voiced young Bambi and appeared in Son of Frankenstein, died of lung cancer November 4, 2026, aged 92.
Born Donald Roan Dunagan in San Antonio, Texas, on August 16, 1934, he moved with his family to Memphis during the Great Depression. At three and a half, he won a talent contest that brought him to the attention of a Hollywood studio scout, and his family moved to California as he began working in films.
Dunagan played the young son of Baron Frankenstein in Son of Frankenstein (1939) and supplied the voice of young Bambi in Disney’s Bambi (1942), roles that became his best known. His acting career ran from 1938 to 1945. In 1952, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. He became the Corps’ youngest drill instructor and served three tours in Vietnam, where he was wounded several times. Dunagan retired from the military in 1977 with the rank of major.