Introduction
Kent Byron Rogers (July 31, 1923 – July 9, 1944) was an American actor and impressionist who appeared in several live-action shorts and features, and a voice actor for Warner Bros. and Walter Lantz Productions.
Career
Rogers amassed an impressive resume of roles during his short career. For Warner Brothers he portrayed several Hollywood stars in Hollywood Steps Out, and lent his voice to The Heckling Hare, Porky's Pastry Pirates, Horton Hatches the Egg, The Squawkin' Hawk and Super-Rabbit. Rogers also provided the original voice of Beaky Buzzard in Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid and The Bashful Buzzard. He also provided the voice of Junior Bear in Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears, the initial 1944 entry of Chuck Jones' The Three Bears series, and the original voice of Henery Hawk in The Squawkin' Hawk.
For Walter Lantz Productions he voiced Woody Woodpecker in five theatrical cartoon shorts released from 1942 to 1943.
Death
Rogers died in the crash of a training flight at Pensacola, Florida, while he was an Ensign in the Navy during World War II. Stan Freberg and Mel Blanc replaced Rogers as the voice of Beaky Buzzard, though the character's appearances were limited after Rogers' death.
Rogers is buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, HI.