Heather North, who voiced the character Daphne Blake in various iterations of the long-running cartoon series "Scooby-Doo," died on Nov. 30, family friend Jodie Mann told The Hollywood Reporter. She was 71 years old.
North died at her home in Studio City, California, after a long battle with an unidentified illness, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
She began voicing Daphne in 1970 on the second season of the Saturday morning CBS cartoon “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” -- developed by Hanna-Barbera. She also voiced the character in “The New Scooby-Doo Movies” in the early ’70s and in several other versions of the cartoon until 2003.
But her work wasn’t limited to cartoons. She appeared in several live action projects throughout her career. Arguably, her most memorable live-action role was as Kurt Russell’s love interest in Disney’s 1971 comedy “The Barefoot Executive” -- a film about a monkey with a talent for predicting successful TV shows.
The actress met her husband H. Wesley Kenney -- the Emmy-winning producer and director of “All in the Family” -- while the pair were filming episodes of the soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” They were married from 1971 until his death in 2015.
North is survived by her son Kevin, daughter-in-law Stephanie, stepdaughter Nina, husband Brent, stepson Wesley and granddaughter Jocelyn, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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