Paul Soles, Voice of Hermey in ‘Rudolph,’ Dead at 90

Paul Soles, the actor who lent his voice to projects such as Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and Spider-Man (the series that aired in the 1960s), has died. Angela Wright, his manager, confirmed the news on Facebook on Friday. One of Soles’ most notable roles was lending his voice to the character of Hermey in Rudolph, which premiered back in 1964.

On Friday, Wright took to Facebook to issue a short statement about Soles’ passing. She wrote that Soles, a Toronto native, died at the age of 90. Wright wrote, alongside a photo of the late actor, “Paul Soles was truly a Canadian treasure. He lived a long life with so many adventures along the way. RIP.” Soles was known for a slew of roles over the course of his lifetime. One of the most special was Hermey, the elf who wishes to become a dentist in Rudolph.

In addition to voicing Hermey, Soles also voiced the character of Spider-Man in the 1960s series of the same name. The actor voiced the superhero and his alter ego, Peter Parker, from 1967 to 1970. Soles enjoyed a successful acting career over the decades aside from his voiceover work. Most recently, he appeared in the Canadian web comedy My 90-Year-Old Roommate from 2016 to 2018. He also appeared in an episode of the television show Nurses in 2020.

Soles spoke about his career in 2020 during an interview with Evantainment at the Action Figure Expo in Toronto. He said that he was aware that breaking into the entertainment industry is a difficult thing to do and that he was grateful for all of the opportunities that he received over the years. Soles began by explaining how he got his start in the industry, saying, “No, it really started in radio. My summer jobs at university were almost always on radio stations.”

“At the lowest level. You sign on in the mornings and closed the station at night,” he continued. “But, you get to do everything and learn the business. So, it’s like getting paid to go to college or to trade school. As the years have gone one, there were many dry years where I looked at my resume and said, ‘Is this as big as it’s ever going to be?’” Soles added, “Now, I wonder. That’s amazing, I got to do so many nice things. But, that was really more good luck than good management. I have to say. Others gave me the chance, that I wish I had anything to do with. That gift made it all possible. I’m very grateful.”