Christopher Collins, also known as Chris Latta, was a talented and versatile actor and comedian who lent his voice to some of the most iconic characters in animation history. He is best remembered for voicing Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe and Starscream in Transformers, as well as Mr. Burns and Moe in the first season of The Simpsons. However, behind his success and fame, he also struggled with personal demons and health issues that eventually led to his untimely death at the age of 44. What was Christopher Collins’ cause of death and how did it affect his career and legacy? Here is a brief overview of his life and achievements, as well as the circumstances surrounding his demise.
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Early Life and Career
Christopher Charles Collins was born on August 30, 1949 in Orange, New Jersey to Robert Latta, a New York stage actor, and Jane Morin, an advertising executive. He grew up in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan, New York City. His legal name became Christopher Charles Collins when his stepfather adopted him. After a year at New York University, he studied acting, dance, voice, and mime. [according to Wikipedia]
In the mid-1970s, he began his acting career on the New York and Boston stage and did voice-over work for Boston radio station WBCN. He also started his stand-up comedy career, which peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when he performed in most of the major comedy venues in the United States and Canada. In 1990, he won the San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition. [according to Wikipedia]
Voice Acting Roles and Recognition
Collins made his animation voice acting debut as one of the English dubbers of the 1979 anime series Space Battleship Yamato (also called Star Blazers). He was most recognizable in that series as the voice of space marine Sgt. Knox during the Comet Empire installment. [according to Wikipedia]
In 1983, he began voicing Cobra Commander for a five-part G.I. Joe animated mini-series. He continued voicing the role in a second five-part animated mini-series in 1984, a regular animated series beginning in 1985, a 1987 direct-to-video animated movie and a 1989 animated series. [according to Wikipedia]
Starting in 1984, Collins voiced the Decepticon Starscream for the Transformers animated series. He voiced other G.I. Joe and Transformers characters in these series as well as in toy commercials. These included the Autobot scientist Wheeljack, the Autobots’ human friend Sparkplug Witwicky, the G.I. Joe Marine Gung-Ho and the Dreadnok Ripper. [according to Wikipedia]
Collins was praised for his distinctive and expressive voice, which gave life and personality to his characters. He was especially adept at portraying villains, such as the treacherous and ambitious Starscream and the ruthless and charismatic Cobra Commander. He also showed his comedic skills in roles such as the Beetle and the Sandman from Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends, and the first voice of Mr. Burns and Moe the bartender on The Simpsons. [according to Transformers Wiki]
Personal Problems and Death
Despite his professional success, Collins had a troubled personal life. He was married twice and had three children, but both marriages ended in divorce. He also had a history of substance abuse and mental health issues, which affected his work and relationships. [according to Wikipedia]
Some of his colleagues and friends have shared anecdotes and stories that hinted at his erratic and unstable behavior. Flint Dille, a writer and producer for G.I. Joe and Transformers, claimed that he and other members of the production staff had to frequently bail Collins out of jail; on at least one occasion Collins claimed that he had simply been jaywalking. [according to Transformers Wiki]
Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime, remarked that Collins was a victim of Hollywood’s tendency to “devour its young”. Susan Blu, the voice director for Transformers, said that Collins was “a sweet guy who had his demons”. [according to Transformers Wiki]
Collins died on June 12, 1994, his cause of death officially recorded as a cerebral hemorrhage following a long illness. He passed away in Ventura, California, where he had moved to pursue his stand-up comedy career. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean. [according to Found a Grave]
Legacy and Influence
Collins left behind a rich and diverse body of work that has entertained and inspired generations of fans and fellow voice actors. His roles as Cobra Commander and Starscream are considered to be among the most iconic and memorable in animation history, and have been reprised and referenced by many other performers and media. His stand-up comedy routines have also been praised for their wit and originality. [according to Wikipedia]
Collins was posthumously inducted into the Transformers Hall of Fame in 2011, along with Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, the voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron. He was also honored by the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club in 2012, with a special edition Cobra Commander figure featuring his likeness and voice. [according to Wikipedia]
Collins’ death was a tragic loss for the voice acting community and the animation industry, but his legacy lives on through his unforgettable characters and performances. He will always be remembered as a voice acting legend and a comedic genius. [according to me]
