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Paul Soles, the Canadian actor who first voiced Peter Parker and Spider-Man in a screen adaptation, died at home in Toronto on May 26, 2021, aged 90. His voice also gave life to Hermey the Elf in the 1964 television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Those enduring roles were part of a much broader career in radio, CBC television and film.
Why Paul Soles is remembered as Spider-Man’s original screen voice
Soles voiced both Peter Parker and Spider-Man in the animated television series that ran from 1967 to 1970. The Canadian Press described him as the first actor to play the teenage Peter Parker and his powered alter ego onscreen. “Original voice” refers to that screen-adaptation milestone: Soles did not create Spider-Man, who was created for comics by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
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In a 2018 interview with The Canadian Press, Soles recalled being unsure how to approach the role. “I was like the proverbial 19-pound weakling who gets the sand kicked in his face.” He also said, “I never considered myself a superhero or how he would sound. But as it turned out over the years, that is what Lee apparently intended.” He connected with Peter Parker’s feelings as an outsider, a quality that helped him find a way into the character.
Hermey and another familiar voice role
For many viewers, Soles’s voice was familiar from another television classic: he played Hermey the Elf in the 1964 special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Spider-Man and Hermey reached audiences in very different stories, but both roles became lasting parts of his legacy.
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A career beyond animation
Soles began in radio, went on to present on CBC television and spent many years co-hosting the CBC program Take 30. He also acted in live-action films, including The Score and The Incredible Hulk. The voice roles may be the most widely recalled, but they were only one part of a career spanning broadcasting and screen acting.
The episode he enjoyed performing
In an excerpt from a 2004 interview, Soles singled out “Double Identity,” episode 19 of the Spider-Man series, as a favorite. The story gave him a chance to play against himself: the disguised thief Charles Cameo impersonates several people, including Spider-Man. Soles called it “Good fun” and compared the experience to Kirk fighting himself in Star Trek VI.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Paul Soles’s final days and how he was remembered
Soles died of natural causes at home in Toronto, his sister Ruth-Ellen Soles told The Canadian Press. Remembering her brother, she said: “He was a great person, he was a kind person, he was an ethical person, he was hugely funny,”
His manager, Angela Wright, called him “truly a Canadian treasure” in a statement reported by TheWrap, adding that he had lived a long life with many adventures. His work left a distinctive mark across animation, Canadian broadcasting and film.
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