Much-loved voice artist Christine Cavanaugh, remembered for her title role in the movie Babe as well as Chuckie in ‘Rugrats’, has died at the age of 51. She passed away at her home town of Cedar City, Utah on December 22nd, according to the LA Times which published her obituary.

Having attended Utah State University, Cavanaugh’s first significant breakthrough came when she provided the voice for the character Gosalyn Mallard on Disney’s animated ‘Darkwing Duck’, a spin-off of ‘DuckTales’.

This led to her most constant role on Nickolodeon’s ‘Rugrats’. As well as running for eleven years from 1991 to 2002, Cavanaugh’s enduring role as scaredy-cat Chuckie Finster saw her make two movies – The Rugrats (1998) and The Rugrats: In Paris (2000).

Arguably her most prominent role was 1995’s Babe, a film about a talking pig who becomes a champion sheepherder in spite of opposition and ridicule. It was a huge success, raking in over $254 million in box offices around the world. But though it spawned a 1998 sequel, Babe: Pig in the City, Cavanaugh was replaced in the titular role by E.G. Daily.

She also provides vocals for a range of other cartoons, including Marty Sherman on ‘The Critic’ (1994-95), Oblina on ‘Aaahh!!! Real Monsters’ (1994-97)’ and quirky child genius Dexter on ‘Dexter’s Laboratory’ (1996-2001). Occasional work also came from ‘The Powerpuff Girls’ and ‘The Wild Thornberrys’.

Cavanaugh’s childlike vocals made her ideal for voiceover work on cartoons, with her breathy, slightly lisping style bringing to life many fondly remembered characters from childhood for those who grew up in the ‘90s. But in addition to those roles, she also appeared in episodes of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ and ‘ER’. She also had a minor spot in the hit movie Jerry Maguire, according to the IMDb.

Ultimately, Cavanaugh retired from her show business career in 2001 to be closer to her family, according to her obituary. She is survived by her father, her sister, and her three children.

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