Prince Charming actor William Phipps dies aged 96

William Phipps, who voiced Prince Charming in Disney’s animated classic Cinderella, has died at the age of 96.
Phipps, a prolific character actor who was also known for his role in the 1953 adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, passed away on Friday at the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California.
His friend, showbiz author Tom Weaver, told The Hollywood Reporter that the star had been battling lung cancer.
After making his debut in the 1947 noir Crossfire – which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture – he landed the coveted voice role of Cinderella’s Prince Charming in Disney’s beloved 1950 cartoon. Phipps later claimed he was paid $100 (£75) for the film.
He later became a regular in sci-fi movies of the 1950s, appearing in Invaders from Mars, The Snow Creature and Cat-Women of the Moon, as well as Five – a post-apocalyptic drama which was his only leading role.
Born in Vincennes, Indiana, he also starred in TV shows including The Twilight Zone, Rawhide, Gunsmoke and Batman before leaving Hollywood to retire to Hawaii in the late 1960s.
He did, however, return to acting to play U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt in the 1976 ABC miniseries Eleanor and Franklin – a show that won 11 Emmy Awards.
Late in his career, he appeared in the 1993 adventure-comedy Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, while his final screen performance came in 2000 alongside Olivia Newton-John in Del Shores’ screen adaptation of his stage play Sordid Lives.